Ridgeheart

Hello there! Recently, I was asked to help sort out the attic at my parents' place. I came across my old stash of Lego, and I guess it rekindled a spark, because I've been getting back into the game. I encountered all sorts of issues that might sound familiar to you - yellowed parts, a general disorientation, slight disappointment over having missed a lot of cool stuff, and an overwhelming desire to sort bricks and build stuff. Now, I don't mind replacing my old inventory with new stuff - in fact, some of the new stuff is so great that I actually prefer to. There are some old parts that I'd like to hold on to, though - one of them being the old 9V motor from the early nineties, but twenty years in the attic has not been kind to my poor bricks. Most of the parts look dull, they've lost that shiny lustre. They also feel a bit baked, as if the stale air in the attic has dried out the ABS. I've been told that common dishwasher-liquid can help restore the bricks to their former glory. The thing is, that particular motor has exposed electrical contacts, and of course there are electrical components inside the brick that, I'm guessing, do not agree with being dipped in water or most other liquids. Does anyone know a safe way of cleaning this motor? I'm very much looking forward to building with/around it, as I used to do. Secondly, the old power-brick I used to activate that motor unfortunately suffered some decay from a battery that started leaking sometime in the past two decades. Serves me right for not emptying the clips, I guess. I did notice that there are some cool new electrical components around, and I'm tempted to just pick up a kit - but I was wondering, are those connectors at all compatible with my ancient 9V motor? It'd be pretty great if I could get the best of both worlds, I figure. Thanks in advance!