Cleaning Up

The periodic cleaning of your computer can extend the life and proficiency of your system. We have concentrated on ways to clean up the data on your computer in the past, but this time we are going to look at cleaning methods for the hardware as well. As with anything there is a right way and a wrong way to do it. Today you will learn the right way.
Let’s set some ground rules before we begin. These are the three cardinal rules to keep in mind when cleaning a computer.
Always turn the computer off before cleaning it.
Always spray cleaning liquids into a cloth and not directly onto the computer.
Never get any internal part of a computer damp or wet.
These may sound like no brainers, but you would be surprised. The first thing that most people want to clean is the fingerprint and smudge infested monitor that is constantly glaring at them. If you have a LCD monitor, which most flat screens or laptops are, then you can use a soft cotton cloth. If that doesn’t work then you can apply ordinary rubbing alcohol to the cloth. Do not use a paper towel on a LCD monitor as it may scratch the screen. If you have the more common CRT or non-flat screen monitor then you can use a lint free cloth with ordinary glass cleaner on it to clean your monitor. Cleaning your monitor will make it easier to read, the difference should be immediately noticeable.
When cleaning your keyboard you have several options. You can use cotton swabs moistened with rubbing alcohol, a soft bristle brush, a vacuum, or canned air. Any of these can be used to clean between the keys. I find that a mixture of a vacuum and canned air provides the best results. After you have cleaned between the keys then you can use a cloth damp with disinfectant to wipe down the keys. If you have spilt a liquid on your keyboard, you should immediately flip the keyboard over and let the fluid drip out. If the fluid permeates the keyboards circuitry, the damage may be irreparable.
The other place to clean regularly is the computer fan. Failing to regularly clean these can affect your computers’ performance. To clean your fans, ideally you want to take the case off and vacuum the fans and the inside of your computer. The alterative is to use canned air to remove the dust from the fans. Purchasing a cleaner for each respective drives can clean both the floppy drive and the CD ROM drive.
Factors in how frequently you should clean your computer are whether your computer is in a smoking environment, if there are pets, if the airflow to the system is restricted, and of course the a frequency of use. Most of the needed supplies can be purchased at K-Mart, Wal-Mart, or the nearest grocery store. Email me with your questions.