Cleaning grout/mortar off of ethernet plug

[VenezianBlau 87]

The mortar was used on the interior flat bricks in background. It's gritty like regular mortar. How can I clean it off and get all the schmutz off the wires? I suppose they could run a new wire next time they're here. Would prefer to handle it myself.

[peppy]

If its dry it should crumble right off. You can also put a new end on the cable.

[VenezianBlau 87]

^^^Thanks, I'll try the first as I got some pic tools from Northern Tool years ago. The second idea sounds too fiddly for me. Not sure why they didn't tape up anything exposed and install female plate.

[Zeke]

Vinegar will slowly dissolve it but no good for the contacts.

[VenezianBlau 87]

Thanks, I didn't know that

[Esel Mann]

The most practical thing would be wipe/clean the jacket/stress reliever, and slide it back. Use isopropyl and a thin cloth. Wrap a flat bladed (aka common) screw driver with the thin cloth
if necessary to provide stiffness if scraping is necessary. Replace the RJ-45 plug with a new one, slide the jacket/stress reliever back to original position. Home Repot or bLowes should have home DIYer RJ-plugs. Depending upon the type they should also have the tool that pushes the contacts into the wires.

That aside (and this can be done as I've had to do it), first open up a can of patience. Do before 5pm HH so beer is not a requirement. Next clean the outside jacket/stress reliever like above. Slide/wiggle it back. Now turn attention to the plug cleaning the outside of it like above. One can also use (carefully) a razor blade or xacto to scrape.

Now the contacts. Those can be done by carefully scraping the contact within the channel using the non blade side of the xacto blade point and isopropyl. Do not deform the contacts.

Then use air (tech-in-a-can or from a compressor if you have one) to blow it all out and evap any remaining isopropyl. Slide jacket/stress reliever back on. Walla.

[Esel Mann]

The most practical thing would be wipe/clean the jacket/stress reliever, and slide it back. Use isopropyl and a thin cloth. Wrap a flat bladed (aka common) screw driver with the thin cloth
if necessary to provide stiffness if scraping is necessary. Replace the RJ-45 plug with a new one, slide the jacket/stress reliever back to original position. Home Repot or bLowes should have home DIYer RJ-plugs. Depending upon the type they should also have the tool that pushes the contacts into the wires.

That aside (and this can be done as I've had to do it), first open up a can of patience. Do before 5pm HH so beer is not a requirement. Next clean the outside jacket/stress reliever like above. Slide/wiggle it back. Now turn attention to the plug cleaning the outside of it like above. One can also use (carefully) a razor blade or xacto to scrape.

Now the contacts. Those can be done by carefully scraping the contact within the channel using the non blade side of the xacto blade point and isopropyl. Do not deform the contacts.

Then use air (tech-in-a-can or from a compressor if you have one) to blow it all out and evap any remaining isopropyl. Slide jacket/stress reliever back on. Walla.

[masraum]

New cable?

Available at Home Depot, probably Lowes, probably Best Buy, definitely Amazon, and probably several other sources in most cities.

Putting new ends on isn't tough, but I'm not going to recommend it for someone for a single shot. You'll have to buy the ends, know what sort of cable you have (cat5 and cat6 technically should use different stuff for the ends), have to buy a tool, etc.... When I make them, they work 99% of the time. Maybe 1% I have to cut the new end off and put another end on. I have worked with folks that were maybe 50/50 at getting it right the first time. I've actually managed to remove an end and reinstall the same, previously installed end without the tool to do that many, many years ago when I was poor and not yet in IT, and that worked.

[stomachmonkey]

Put it in a coffee cup with enough slack to flop around, cover with hand and shake the snot out of it.

Works great for peeling garlic cloves.

[MysticLlama]

If you do end up cutting it off and needing to put a new end on it, I'd recommend getting a surface mount box instead, terminating to that, and using a 1' or whatever length machine made cable from there.

Years of being around this stuff and I never make my own cables unless there is some highly specific reason, jacks are much easier to get correct.

I usually use these:
https://www.amazon.com/Listed-Cable-Matters-Surface-Mount/dp/B00IO3H88C/ref=sr_1_3?crid=34LMPR2MZFWR4&keywords=cat6%2Bbiscuit%2Bjack&qid=1680907438&sprefix=cat6%2Bbiscuit%2Bjac%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-3&th=1