It's all about cleaning and, while you’re busy folding clothes, organizing drawers, and dusting shelves, your computer is slowly suffocating. It’s easy to overlook cleaning your PC, but you shouldn’t put it off for too long. If left powered on, a computer will slowly build up dust, which can impede airflow, resulting in higher temperatures and possibly hardware failure. Try swiping your fingertip across the top of it and see how much dust you’ve picked up. Now try the same with areas near a vent. In this cleaning guide, we’re not only going to cover PCs, but also peripherals.
When's a Good Time to Clean up Your Computer
To keep things cool and operational, desktops are outfitted with intake and exhaust fans. These fans usually have a grille or dust filter of some sort covering them, that’s probably lined with dust by now. So, your weapon of choice? The Vacuum. As opposed to compressed air with a ozito that is available at bunnings, the Vacuum is a compact dusting unit with a 1500W motor capable of producing 270CFM of air flow. Since our computer expert technician own one, we can say, yes, it pushes a lot of air and yes, it’s quite loud when in use. Why would you use it rather than canned air? Because it’s more powerful, cost-effective, and comes with multiple nozzle attachments for different scenarios.
When's a Good Time to Clean up Your Computer
Now that you’re ready, let’s get to it!
Turn off your computer and unplug all devices, peripherals, and cables from the desktop, including the power cable. If your power supply has an off switch, turn it off.
Move it somewhere you won’t mind having dust everywhere, preferably outside.
Connect your Vacuum to an accessible outlet nearby or get your cans of compressed air ready.
Remove both side panels and the front panel if possible. Dust filters, too. Don’t forget to check the bottom.
Clean them using the Vacuum/compressed air. Be thorough and dust both sides.
For the internals, since the Vacuum is quite strong, I’d suggest using it in short bursts and at a distance. Aim it at wherever you see dust, but not at the fans, yet.
Dust the motherboard, ports, the space in-between the RAM modules, storage drives, graphics card, power supply, and so on. You can remove components if needed. (This is where the Vacuum’s multiple nozzle attachments come in handy. Some places are hard to reach and some dust particles won’t let go without a light brush.)
For fans, due to the strength of the Vacuum, it’s recommended you hold onto a fan blade when dusting so it won’t spin. While it may be entertaining, having a fan spin the opposite way or too fast can damage its internal components.
And that’s pretty much it. Give everything a once-over before you put the panels back on. It doesn’t need to be spotless as long as there are no visible dust bunnies hanging around. This is also the perfect time to redo your cable management.
Laptops are either easy to clean or a bit more involved. Since many trending systems now are focusing on portability, they feature a uni body design with no visible fans and minimal vents (if any). With these, there’s not really much to clean aside from the exterior, screen, and keyboard, which a microfiber cloth will do. Take your time cleaning and be extra cautious on the display so you don’t scratch it. Some water on the cloth can be used on stubborn smudges. Stay away from chemical solutions and rubbing alcohol because they could discolor the system or strip the lettering from keys. Also, consider getting a case or screen protector. As for systems with removable panels and larger vents, your best bet is a compressed air compressor. When cleaning the vents, spray in bursts to prevent damaging the fans inside.
Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth
The keyboard is probably one of the filthiest items in your house, especially if you eat food over it. Seriously. Take a good look and see if you can spot the dust, grime, crumbs, hair, chips, and whatever else is hidden in between the keys. It gets even worse with greasy and Doritos-covered fingers, which invite more dust and things to stick to it.
Take a picture of your keyboard or leave a picture of one on your screen. If you know where every key goes by heart, good for you.
Using a keycap puller, pen, or whatever tool fits the job, remove every single key. (Please note that chiclet/laptop-like keys should not be removed. Instead, clean them with some damp paper micro towls.)
The naked keyboard is appalling, so shake it over a trash can to remove the junk in there. For things that didn’t fall off, pick at it or use a brush. For sticky residue left over from soda and drinks, try using a slightly wet paper towel.
To clean the key caps, throw them in a container of warm soapy water. Let them sit for 10 minutes or so, stir if you feel like it, and then hand dry them with a towel.
Finally, put them back in place. Optimally, get a keyboard cover to keep your keyboard clean when it’s not in use.
While you’re at it, you might as well clean your mouse. Flip it over and clean what ever’s latching onto the mouse feet, the sensor and the area around it, as well as the gaps in-between the scroll wheel and buttons. For the exterior, some water on a cloth goes a long way. If you have a device with a rubbery coating, avoid chemical solutions and rubbing alcohol at all costs, because they can strip the coating away. Speakers can be cleaned too. Give them a light dusting with a soft brush or a microfiber cloth. Now that everything looks shiny and brand new again, continue practicing good hygiene habits.
Do you have any tips of your own for cleaning your computer and peripherals? Share them with us in the Comments section, below.
Author Nerdcore Computers
09/05/2023
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