A few weeks ago, I brought in my home computer to have it upgraded. The outside was nice and clean. But when Kevin opened it up, I could have crawled under a rock. You see, my computer is about seven years old (I know, that is soooo outdated.) and I don’t think it has been opened up at all during that time. It is one of those things you don’t think about. You know, out of sight, out of mind, right? I think we pulled a bushel of dust out of there. I have learned my lesson. So, to save you the embarrassment, I decided to give you a few tips. This will also help the longevity and performance of your computer.
For the inside of the computer, follow these steps.
1. Turn off your computer.
2. Remove the side cover of the computer case. Consult your computer manual, if needed.
3. Unless you’re familiar with computer parts, don’t touch anything. Don’t be scared of it, but don’t touch it.
4. Get a can of compressed air, and read the directions. Hold the nozzle of the can about six inches away and at an angle, so that air does not spray at computer parts head on. GENTLY spray compressed air at everything inside the computer. Spray air in short bursts, rather than a prolonged spray. Pay special attention to the fan as this collects a lot of dust.
5. Close the case cover, tighten the case screws.
6. You may need to stop and vacuum the floor at this point.
While you still have the computer unplugged, use a cotton cloth and rubbing alcohol (or mild dish detergent mixed with water) to clean fingerprints and dust off the screen of your monitor.
1. Spray the solution on the cloth, not on the screen
2. Rub the screen gently in a circular pattern. Pressing too hard can damage some LCD screens.
Your keyboard is one part of your computer that needs to be cleaned far more often than once a year. The keyboard collects oil from your hands and food spills from your lunch. I clean mine once a month. It takes no longer than 5 minutes.
1. Disconnect the keyboard cable from the computer.
2. Turn the keyboard upside down (preferably over a trashcan or even outside) and give it a firm shake to get out accumulated crumbs and dirt.
3. Use the can of compressed air, again—held at an angle—to blow dust and debris out of the keyboard. Spray in a crisscross pattern to be sure you hit the keys from all angles.
4. Use damp—not wet but damp—cleaning cloth to wipe dirt and fingerprints off the keys. Rubbing alcohol makes a good cleaning agent for this task because it evaporates so quickly.
5. Reconnect the keyboard cable.
6. If you did these steps at your desk, clean the desk. (All the junk that just sprayed out of the keyboard is probably there.)
Now for the final step – Cleaning the mouse.
1. Unplug the mouse from the computer
2. Dampen a paper towel or cotton cloth with the alcohol or cleansing mixture used above, and wipe down the top and bottom of the mouse.
3. If you have an optical mouse, you may plug it back in and stop here, if you have a roller ball mouse, please continue.
4. Turn the mouse upside down and remove the circular mouse cover on the bottom by turning the cover counter clockwise, once opened, the ball should come out of the mouse.
5. You should see two rollers inside the mouse, use your fingernails or a toothpick and remove as much junk from the wheels as you can.
6. Take a cotton swab and dampen it with the alcohol or cleaning mixture and clean the two wheels.
7. To clean the ball, use your finger to remove any dirt or hair you see and run it under water. Make sure it is completely dry, and reassemble the mouse. Plug it back in and you are finished with all of your cleaning.
As you can see, physical cleaning of your computer takes just a few minutes. If your computer is exposed to tobacco smoke, pet dander or more than average dust and debris, you should certainly clean it out 3 or 4 times a year. Also, computers on the floor collect more dust than an elevated computer on a desk.
Now you won’t be as embarrassed as I was when you have someone service your computer.