No matter how highly we rate our personal hygiene, it's impossible to keep your hands totally clean 100% of the time – and when you think that multiple people may have handled some of our old-school controllers over the past few decades, it's inevitable that they will pick up at least some funky gunk in that time.
If you're still not convinced, then check out the video below, posted by modder and engineer Voultar. It shows a Japanese Sega Saturn control pad getting a lovely bath.
"This Saturn controller has 30 years of human gunk and & filth," says Voultar. "These units require a meticulous restoration down to every component. No, a Clorox wipe isn't sufficient. Notice how disgusting the water gets in the ultrasonic cleaner? Gross!"
This might seem like less a pressing matter with modern-day consoles, but some of the pads we've got in the Hookshot Media office are almost as old as us – and we dread to think how many people have fondled them over the years.
As well as having an educational impact, these videos are also curiously interesting to watch – and the process of giving your pads a scrub has other benefits. "I find deep satisfaction and therapeutic value in buying up and cleaning old controllers," says one of the replies. I couldn't agree more!