You
probably don't need to clean your computer more than once a year.
The process requires opening the box, and there's always the risk
that you'll dislodge a component and cause it to fail. We don't
recommend this for novices. But if you live in a dusty environment,
you have pets, or the computer is on the floor, it's not a bad idea
to open it up and see how disgusting it is in there. If it's not
particularly dusty or dirty, you probably don't need to do anything.
If it's really dirty, clean it out
.
The problem is that dust can form a blanket that covers
components. Dirty components are literally insulated by this dust,
lint, or whatever, which can cause them to overheat or worse yet a
small surge of static electricity can literally destroy your
precious components.
You can clean your computer by vacuuming it. To do that, you need
to turn it off, unplug it, and open up the case, very carefully. Use
a data vacuum-- a tool specifically designed for cleaning computers.
If you don't have one, you can use a regular canister vacuum with a
small nozzle attachment. Don't use a brush attachment.Suck up as
much dust as possible without knocking the cables or touching any of
the components.
If some of the dirt won't come out, a little compressed air may
dislodge it. Be careful when you use compressed air. Use quick
pumps; don't press and hold, because the air that comes out is very
cold, and you can actually freeze parts of your computer. Vacuum
again afterward; if you just use compressed air, you're only blowing
dust from one area to another.Then make sure all the cards and
connectors are connected properly.
Other components of your computer are easier to clean. Monitors
should be cleaned fairly frequently because they tend to attract
dust. Klear Screen, works very well and is safe for all screen
coatings. Klear Screen comes in packets, or you can buy it in bulk
in spray bottles. It has a wet wipe that you use to clean the screen
and a dry, lint-free cloth that you use to dry off the liquid. If
you use ammonia or alcohol, you can damage the glare coating on your
screen. Kleer Screen also leaves an anti-static layer, which makes
touch screens, such as those on the Palm Pilot and Newton, work
better.
It's easy to clean your mouse with a little bit of denatured
alcohol and a cotton swab. Gunk gets on the ball, which passes it on
to your rollers. This makes the mouse jittery. Pop out the ball,
wash it in warm soapy water, and dry it thoroughly. Use the cotton
swab and alcohol to scrape away the grunge that's built up on the
horizontal and vertical rollers.
If your keyboard is dirty, turn it upside down and tap it sharply
to get any crumbs or debris out. You can also use compressed air to
blow this stuff out. If it's really dirty, you can pop off the keys
and use a contact cleaner on it. Make sure you can put them all back
in the right place. Keyboards and mice are so inexpensive that it's
probably not necessary to do much cleaning, unless you have one
you're really fond of.
