My old regs got totally trashed from skipping that rinse, the salt just eats everything up. I'm a total stickler for the hose now, even on the long days.

Yeah, the eraser thing on charger contacts. I tried that on an old laptop charger that wouldn't connect right. It cleaned off some gunk for sure, but the real fix for me was using a cotton swab with a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol. The eraser left little rubber bits that got stuck in the port, which was a whole new problem. So it can work, but you gotta be careful and maybe follow up with something to clean the residue.

Cheap gear can work out, but that extra work isn't really part of learning the craft, it's just fixing bad tools.

You let that laundry soap sit for a whole day? My garage floor would be a slip and slide by hour two with the humidity here. That orange powder must really set up like concrete.

Temporary teenage moodiness" seriously? That stuff can last for years, man.