Everything works improve when information technology's clean. Non to mention that clutter kills. That is why it's important to clean your calculator regularly and this spring is as good a fourth dimension as any.

Merely as a reckoner with an uncluttered hard drive runs better and faster, a computer with no dust build-up in it runs cooler, and thus meliorate and faster. Add a clean monitor, keyboard, and mouse and the computer is only more than pleasurable to use.

There'southward a lot to doing a good cleaning, but it can go very apace. Due to the number of steps and details, this article will be cleaved into ii parts; physically cleaning your computer and cleaning out the 'insides' of the figurer meaning Windows and your difficult drive.

Let's look at the best ways to physically clean your Windows computer.

Cleaning the Physical Parts of Your Computer

Do Non do any of the physical cleaning of a figurer that is turned on or has power yet fastened or in information technology. Unplug your reckoner or its components before cleaning them.

You'll also want to drain any residual or static electricity from the estimator or laptop. Following are the steps to take for a desktop PC and a laptop. Static electricity is a real threat to you and your computer. It tin can give you nasty shock or permanently damage your computer.

Draining Residual and Static Electricity from a Desktop PC

  • Turn off the computer through your operating system, similar you lot normally would.
  • Unplug the reckoner from the wall.
  • Drain off any static electricity by touching a metallic role of the case, not any of the components inside.
  • Drain remainder electricity by pressing and holding in the power push for well-nigh xx seconds.

Draining Residual and Static Electricity from a Laptop

  • Turn off your laptop through your operating system, like yous usually would.
  • Unplug the power cablevision from the wall and unplug the ability block or converter from your laptop.
  • Remove the laptop battery if possible. For some new laptops this is non possible unless you lot open the case of your laptop. We do not advise doing that.
  • Drain off any static electricity by touching a metallic part of the case, not any of the components inside.
  • Drain residual electricity by pressing and property in the power button for about twenty seconds.

Liquids and Computers

Never apply liquid cleaners or water straight to whatever role of the computer. Ever dampen the cloth, cotton swab, or magic eraser and use that to clean. It should merely exist damp plenty to merely know that it is not dry out.

Water, or liquids, and electricity do Not mix. Water and most liquids are excellent conductors of electricity, so even the smallest amount of it will comport electricity.

That can cause a short excursion in your estimator or make an electrical connection betwixt you and the computer causing you pain and possibly severe injury. In the extreme instance, information technology can fifty-fifty outcome in death.

Too let your reckoner plenty time to completely air dry earlier reconnecting power and turning it on. Information technology shouldn't take long if your cloth was only slightly clammy, maybe five minutes or and then. If y'all can look longer, do so.

Using Canned or Compressed Air Safely with Computers

To remove loose dust and dirt, zilch beats canned or compressed air. Just at that place are some safety concerns when using air under pressure level, for you and your computer.

  • Do Non use an air compressor that is non specifically designed for use with computers. Ordinary air compressors can use too much force per unit area and dislodge small estimator components. They also can have moisture and grease in the air stream which can cause a short circuit in your computer.
  • Wear safe glasses and a grit mask. The glasses will assist protect your optics from whatsoever debris that may get diddled into them. The grit mask is to prevent you from inhaling the dust. It's just nasty. Plus, the grit can contain traces of heavy metals similar mercury or lead. If y'all're cleaning computers every day, these metals can build up in your system and damage your health.
  • When using canned air, follow all the instructions on the tin can. Never spray information technology on yourself, and always proceed the can upright when using it. The propellant can cause frostbite-like burns to your skin. Keeping the can upright also prevents the propellant from coming out as a flare-up of liquid, which could crusade impairment to your computer.

Now that you lot're sufficiently prepared for safety, allow's go on to cleaning the physical parts of the calculator.

What You lot'll Need for Cleaning

  • Two clean, dry out microfiber clothes or soft lint-free cloth. 1 to dampen and one to go on clean and dry.
  • Cotton swabs, like Q-tips. There is a kind that has very pointed ends which are peachy at getting into the bezel border and other hard to achieve places.
  • Screen cleaning liquid. Do Non employ anything with ammonia or alcohol in it. You can buy screen cleaning fluid, or y'all can make a mix of about a half-cup of water and a half teaspoon of white vinegar or two drops of a gentle dish lather like original Dawn.
  • For the rest of the estimator, whatever cleaning solution meant for hard surfaces will piece of work. Your screen cleaning solution volition work too.
  • Canned air.
  • 97% rubbing alcohol. (Optional for deep cleaning around electronic parts. If you're not comfy with cleaning electrical contacts, skip this. Ameliorate safe than sorry.)
  • Magic eraser if the keyboard or estimator instance is peculiarly dirty.

How to Clean a Computer Screen or Monitor

The computer screen, or monitor, is your view into your computer'south world. What shows upward there is ultimately why we utilise the reckoner in the starting time identify. So why not keep it clean and clear? Like shooting fish in a barrel to read and easy to meet ways easier to use.

Steps to Clean Your Screen

  • Plough off your monitor and unplug information technology from the power if possible. If it'southward a laptop, ability off the laptop. This is to prevent impairment or injury to you or the screen if some liquid should somehow brand information technology to the electronics.
  • Use the dry out microfiber cloth to wipe down the unabridged screen, the bezel or outside edge, and the dorsum of the screen. This volition remove the loose dust and dirt.
  • With the canned air, spray it into any tight spots that look like they accept dust in them.
  • Use the Q-tip to get into the tight corners where the bezel meets the screen to go any wedged in dust or dirt.
  • Spray or wet the microfiber cloth with your screen cleaning solution. The cloth should exist merely slightly damp to the bear on. You don't desire it wet plenty that information technology might drip. Practise Not spray it on the screen or figurer. Liquids and electronics practise not mix. Wipe downward the screen to remove any remaining dust, dirt, or fingerprints.
  • Using the second dry out microfiber fabric, dry off and polish your screen. Going in circles helps avoid leaving streaks.
  • Leave the screen to completely air dry out before turning it on again.
  • Turn on the screen again and check for any missed spots. If yous missed a spot or ii, you can probably clean them up with the dry cloth. If it needs the wet cloth, unplug the monitor and try cleaning information technology again.

How to Clean a Keyboard and Mouse

Steps to Clean Your Keyboard

  • Unplug your keyboard from the computer. If you have a laptop, ensure it is turned off, unplugged, battery removed, and follow the Draining Residue and Static Electricity steps above.
  • Turn your keyboard upside-down and milkshake it out. If information technology's not a laptop keyboard, y'all tin can try gently tapping it on a hard surface while it's upside-down. Be prepared to exist a little grossed out. Fifty-fifty if yous never eat effectually your figurer, stuff will autumn out that only looks a flake nasty. Clean that off with your cloth earlier proceeding.
  • Use the canned air to blow off any remaining dust or debris.
  • Gently wipe your soft, dry, lint-free cloth across the keys to go the very last bits.
  • If possible, utilize a damp cotton swab to clean just under the keys and the crevices of the keyboard.
  • Dampen your cloth with your cleaning solution and wipe down the keyboard, then clean each cardinal individually. If in that location's a build-upward of dirt on some keys, you may demand to scrub a little fleck harder or use a slightly damp magic eraser.
  • Employ the dampened textile to clean the entire length of the keyboard cablevision. Pay attention to whether it snags or not. If it snags, there is likely harm to the cable which can crusade problems. It is safest to supervene upon the keyboard.

Steps to Clean Your Mouse or Touchpad

  • Unplug your mouse from the computer. If you have a laptop, ensure information technology is turned off, unplugged, battery removed, and the power drained.
  • Employ the canned air to accident off any loose dust or debris.
  • Gently wipe your soft, dry, lint-gratuitous textile across the unabridged mouse or touchpad surface.
  • If needed, use a damp cotton swab to clean in the crevices of the mouse or touchpad.
  • Dampen your cloth with your cleaning solution and wipe down the mouse or touchpad. If there's a buildup of dirt, you may need to scrub a little bit harder or utilize a slightly damp magic eraser.
  • Apply the dampened cloth to clean the entire length of the mouse cable. Pay attention to whether it snags or non. If information technology snags, in that location is likely harm to the cablevision which can cause problems. Again, your safest option is to replace the mouse.

Steps to Clean Your Computer or Laptop in General

Plow off your computer or laptop and follow the Draining Residual and Static Electricity steps in a higher place.

Remove all cables from the computer.

Use the canned air to blow out any vents or ports on the computer. Be prepared for large puffs of dust. Do this until no more visible dust comes out.

If you're working on a PC that you tin can accept the encompass off, practice that and blow out all dust within. This is a good modify to visually inspect your computer components for whatever damage or degradation.  And so get back to cleaning the outside of the computer.

If you lot're working on a laptop, there may be panels that can be removed for access to your hard drive or RAM. If you're comfortable with doing this, remove the panels and employ the canned air to blow out any dust.

  • Use a cotton fiber swab dampened with cleaning fluid to work dirt out of any crevices or vents.
  • Use a cotton swab dampened with rubbing alcohol to piece of work dirt out of any ports.
  • Use your dry fabric to wipe off whatever loose dust or debris.
  • Dampen your material with your cleaner and wipe downward the exterior of the PC or laptop.
  • If necessary, use the magic eraser to get any tough marks off it.
  • With your damp cloth, clean the unabridged length of any cables connected to the figurer; power, monitor, USB, whatever. Check the cables and ends for any sort of damage and repair or supervene upon them. This also gives you an opportunity to organize your cables so in that location'due south less clutter around you.
  • A cotton swab dampened with rubbing alcohol can be used to make clean the contacts in the ends of the cables, if you feel it's necessary. Once you take, permit the cables sit and air dry out for at to the lowest degree five minutes before reconnecting them. Inspect them to make sure they are completely dry.
  • Replace the cables making sure they are fully seated and secured and go back to savour using your reckoner.

All Clean

Your computer is now well-nigh equally clean as when it came out of the box. And I bet y'all feel amend about it too. I guarantee your computer feels amend likewise. Now air can properly flow through the computer keeping it absurd and running fast.

The contacts on your cables are now clean and well-seated allowing the components of your estimator to talk to each other amend. If yous've tidied upwards the cables, you lot probably take more room on your desktop and less tripping hazards around yous.

If yous constitute damaged cables and repaired or replaced them, your estimator volition run better AND safer. This whole procedure took you well-nigh a half an hour.

Was that 30 minutes' worth it to you? Stay tuned for part 2 of this article on how to clean out the 'insides' of your computer past tuning upwardly Windows and your hard bulldoze.