Cleaning prep for painting...

70% rubbing alchohol on a soft cloth. wipe it and it drys quickly with no residue

How about taking an airbrush and spraying soapy water or a mild cleaning solution at higher pressure... sort of like a mini pressure washer.  Hmmmm... I got an old model with a few years of dust on it... think I will try that out myself.

Then try a q-tip with soap and warm water. Be patient. You have to be gentle, so it might take some time.

Yup soap and water will do the trick, I also use Polly Scale's Plastic Prep, that also works very well.

What about the delicate parts like PE, and the fact that the pit is still open?  Won't that make it a little difficult?

(the hurricane was Katrina, and I (aka TJ ace) was living on the MS coast at the time)

Was there a hurricane in Groton,CT that I missed

I would use dish soap and warm water. I also scrub a bit with an old toothbrush.