[MrFixr55]

Don't laugh folks, I have not been above taking a chassis into the bathtub (when Ms. Fixr was out of the house), taping transformers, covering the holes in the IF can, scrubbing it with Fabuloso and hosing it with the Shower Massage. Of course, you must be sure that the set is fully dry before firing it up, but the recapping and possible rewiring will likely take enough time. (Remember, the manufacture of many parts involves water to begin with.) If in a rush, I would then take a blow dryer to it or use the oven at low temp. Grease and nicotine are as disgusting to me as rodent droppings (but rodent droppings are more dangerous). If there are rodent droppings, I break out the alcohol and 10 % bleach. In extreme cases, remove the transformers and coils and really hose the thing. You are likely buying a ground up rivets drilled out restoration then, but hey, look at what you have when done.

Plastic and Bakelite cabinets are easy. Disassemble and completely hose. Wood is a little more difficult. Alcohol, bleach, furniture polish and even heat if you are afraid of bacteria and viruses. If you can get the cabinet up to 250 degrees for several hours, that will kill almost anything (possibly the cabinet too, but you have to get the temp much higher for it to actually catch fire). I have not tried to heat a cabinet, but dry heat sterilization is practiced in the medical field.

I got this idea from one of the NRI Radio Course pamphlets on restoration after a flood, where they said that if the radio was flooded, you wouldn't hurt it more. They had an illustration of an oven built out of a cabinet and light bulbs to dry out flooded radios. I wish I could find the actual document.