How do I clean controller contacts without damaging them?

I had the same issue and found out it's actually not that complicated. The safest thing is to take the controller apart (check a YouTube tutorial, it's just screws and clips), then use isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab to clean the stick contacts - just lightly go over the metal part without pushing hard. If you don't want to take it apart, you can also slide an alcohol-soaked cotton swab into the stick gap and move it gently, that works for less serious cases, but honestly taking it apart is the best way to make sure it actually gets clean.

Before you start taking it apart, just try using compressed air spray - point it into the stick's crevices and give it some short bursts! It blows out the dust without any risk and it's usually enough to get it working again. If that doesn't change anything after that, then yeah the disassembly + isopropanol is worth it, but 9 times out of 10 it's just crumbs hanging around!

Personally I'd combine both approaches - first use compressed air to blow out the big stuff, then a cotton swab dampened with isopropyl alcohol that you gently run around the base of the stick 🎮 The key thing is really not to push the cotton swab into the mechanism itself, just clean the surface where dust builds up. If that doesn't work after that, then you can think about taking it apart, but usually that's enough to get the responsiveness back!

The worst thing you can do is force the sticks or pour stuff on them all willy-nilly 😅 Here's what I'd recommend: start with compressed air spray, seriously, it's the safest and often that's enough to dislodge the dust. If that doesn't cut it, you can wet a cotton swab with isopropanol and run it around the base of the stick without pressing hard - the alcohol evaporates quick so zero risk of short-circuiting. Disassembly is the nuclear option if nothing else works, but honestly 90% of the time it's just surface gunk.