How to Clean Your Computer Properly, Inside and Out
Reduce clutter, get rid of dust bunnies
Everything works better when it’s clean. Not to mention that clutter kills. That is why it’s important to clean your computer regularly and this spring is as good a time as any.
Just as a computer with an uncluttered hard drive runs better and faster, a computer with no dust build-up in it runs cooler, and thus better and faster. Add a clean monitor, keyboard, and mouse and the computer is just more pleasurable to use.
There’s a lot to doing a good cleaning, but it can go very quickly. Due to the number of steps and details, this article will be broken into 2 parts; physically cleaning your computer and cleaning out the ‘insides’ of the computer meaning Windows and your hard drive.
Let’s look at the best ways to physically clean your Windows computer.
Cleaning the Physical Parts of
Your Computer
Do NOT do any of the physical cleaning of a computer that is turned on or has power still attached or in it. Unplug your computer or its components before cleaning them.
You’ll also want to drain any residual or static electricity from the computer 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 can give you nasty shock or permanently damage your computer.
Draining Residual and Static
Electricity from a Desktop PC
Draining Residual and Static
Electricity from a Laptop
Liquids and Computers
Never apply liquid cleaners or water directly to any part of the computer. Always dampen the cloth, cotton swab, or magic eraser and use that to clean. It should only be damp enough to just know that it is not dry.
Water, or liquids, and electricity doNOTmix. Water and most liquids are excellent conductors of electricity, so even the smallest amount of it will conduct electricity.
That can cause a short circuit in your computer or make an electrical connection between you and the computer causing you pain and possibly severe injury. In the extreme case, it can even result in death.
Also allow your computer enough time to completely air dry before reconnecting power and turning it on. It shouldn’t take long if your cloth was only slightly damp, maybe 5 minutes or so. If you can wait longer, do so.
Using Canned or Compressed Air
Safely with Computers
To remove loose dust and dirt, nothing beats canned or compressed air. But there are some safety concerns when using air under pressure, for you and your computer.
Now that you’re sufficiently prepared for safety, let’s get on to cleaning the physical parts of the computer.
What You’ll Need for Cleaning
How to Clean a Computer Screen or
Monitor
The computer screen, or monitor, is your view into your computer’s world. What shows up there is ultimately why we use the computer in the first place. So why not keep it clean and clear? Easy to read and easy to see means easier to use.
How to Clean a Keyboard and Mouse
Steps to Clean Your Mouse or
Touchpad
Steps to Clean Your Computer or
Laptop in General
Turn off your computer or laptop and follow the Draining Residual and Static Electricity steps above.
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 PCthat you can take the cover off, do that and blow out all dust inside. This is a good change to visually inspect your computer components for any damage or degradation. Then go back to cleaning the outside of the computer.
If you’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 use the canned air to blow out any dust.
All Clean
Your computer is now almost as clean as when it came out of the box. And I bet you feel better about it too. I guarantee your computer feels better too. Now air can properly flow through the computer keeping it cool and running fast.
The contacts on your cables are now clean and well-seated allowing the components of your computer to talk to each other better. If you’ve tidied up the cables, you probably have more room on your desktop and less tripping hazards around you.
If you found damaged cables and repaired or replaced them, your computer will run betterANDsafer. This whole process took you about 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 by tuning up Windows and your hard drive.
Guy has been published online and in print newspapers, nominated for writing awards, and cited in scholarly papers due to his ability to speak tech to anyone, but still prefers analog watches.Read Guy’s Full Bio
Welcome to Help Desk Geek- a blog full of tech tips from trusted tech experts. We have thousands of articles and guides to help you troubleshoot any issue. Our articles have been read over 150 million times since we launched in 2008.
HomeAbout UsEditorial StandardsContact UsTerms of Use
Copyright © 2008-2024 Help Desk Geek.com, LLC All Rights Reserved
