Even if your computer is far away from carpet and off the floor, at some point, the inside is going to get dusty and dirty. There’s no way to avoid this. You’d be surprised at how much dust, dirt, grime and even food bits end up in your computer. Make sure you give your computer a nice deep clean every 3-6 months. Doing this will greatly increase the life span and quality of your computer, as well as avoiding any heat-crashes as the dust acts like a jacket and keeps heat in.
What You’ll Need:
- A few microfiber cleaning cloths (one for each part of the computer)
- A can of compressed air
- Q-tips
- Water or isopropyl alcohol
- A couple of hours
Let’s start with your keyboard. Start by unplugging your keyboard and lift it up and turn it upside down. Gently to try to loosen any dirt trapped by tapping on the backside of the board.
If this doesn’t completely clean it, then you need to clean it further. Most keyboards allow you to take off the keycaps. Just remember to take a picture of where the keys go back!
Start by gently wiggling the caps out, either with a keycap puller or a very blunt knife (butter knives are good). Blow off all the dirt using yourself or a can of compressed air. You can also use a cotton swab to get into the spot where the caps click into. Finish by wiping each cap clean with either a water damp cloth, or a bit of isopropyl alcohol as you put them back into place.
Just be careful with the alcohol as if left on too long it can start to damage paint – just make sure to use a clean cloth to wipe it completely dry. Give your keyboard a final test to make sure all caps are in the right place.
Use a wet wipe, or damp cloth and thoroughly rub any grime off your mouse. Don’t forget to clean the cable if your mouse is wired.
To clean your case, start by removing anything around the case. Use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe down the case of your PC. Use a different damp microfiber for your screen too. Don’t use any household cleaners as these sprays may end up damaging your screen, so it is best to avoid those.
Now is the tricky bit. Do not attempt if you don’t know what you’re doing as this involves going into your computer. Open your case with a screwdriver – or however your case comes open and use the air can to blow off any dust. Then you can use a cotton swab to rub off any dust that won’t come off. Please make sure you don’t use anything damp inside your case, even if the dirt is sticking on. Just stick at it with the swab and soon enough it will come off. Make sure to really clean the fans as they bring in the cold air to cool your computer down.
Put it all back together and voila! Congrats on your nice, clean computer!