Can somebody please explain what "contact cleaner" is really designed for? Is this one of those WD-40 type products that a lot of booths have, but shouldn't? Or is there a use for it in projection booths?

Just in case somebody is reading this years from now, two products were recommended for cleaning scratchy volume control pots:

Deoxit
Nutrol

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~Manny.

I have a specific "contact cleaner" bought in an electronic shop. There are two type: dry or not. Dry type will evaporate after few minutes so you can put it everywhere.
The other one will left a oily skin where you use it. I used the "oily" one on my DTS last year and now I found that the board with the offset switch is full of dust (the oil has captured the dust).

I suggest you the dry ones, I use it everywhere!

I wouldn't say it is as common as WD-40 in a booth- most booths don't have any such cleaners, nor a real need for them. The only real uses for a nonlubricating contact cleaner in a booth would be switch contacts or plugs and sockets.

There is another type of cleaner called 'Tuner Cleaner' that was originally designed for spraying into the rotary type TV tuners of old. It is not as common to obtain as it used to be, but some versions of it had a lubricant in them. Some non-lubricating contact cleaners may be incorrectly labeled as a 'Tuner Cleaner' Be Careful.

Some examples of the harsh contact cleaners:

Blue Shower
Radio Shack Contact Cleaner/Degreaser
Caeon

In response to the DeOxit question you can use either the spray or the liquid. If I need to use the stuff in a precision fashion, I usually spray some into the cap and use a syringe or Q-Tip to apply it.

-Aaron

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But you have to watch out using some contact cleaners, as it can attack plastic and leave you with a pile of goo.