I recently replaced the headlight bulbs in my 1998 civic. The connectors were pretty tough to remove off the old bulb sockets and I noticed that the connectors were pretty dirty looking so I'm going to clean then up this weekend. Some questions:

Is there a better way to clean the connectors other than spraying a bunch of circuit cleaner in the holes?

Should I apply dielectric? If so, how do I apply it? to the metal connections or just the edge of the connector?

Since dielectric in not a conductor is it not a good idea to apply it directly to the metal connections?

 

Apply dielectric grease to the female side plug. The circuit will still conduct.

Unplug the battery/fuse and spray it with electric parts cleaner first.

 

What B Serious said.

The grease isn't conductive but it won't prevent the contacts from making contact. What is does is to shroud the contacts with grease so water and dirt don't get to them to prevent corrosion.