{"id":7995,"date":"2016-12-12T12:34:19","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T20:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.hellotech.com\/?p=7995"},"modified":"2021-06-14T04:44:51","modified_gmt":"2021-06-14T11:44:51","slug":"clean-your-computer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/blog\/clean-your-computer","title":{"rendered":"Clean Your Computer. Trust Us. You&#8217;ll Thank Us Later."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We bet you didn\u2019t know that your PC is a literal magnet for dust and dirt. The static electricity it generates every time it runs attracts nasty bits of dirt, dust, and hair. These particles will eventually clump together and obstruct the CPU\u2019s case fans, heatsink, and others. With the interior airflow subsequently blocked, the CPU overheats and it\u2019ll be doomed to an <a href=\"http:\/\/smallbusiness.chron.com\/temperature-affect-performance-computer-components-28197.html\">earlier demise<\/a>. To avoid this catastrophic situation, all you have to do is clean your computer regularly. &nbsp;We\u2019ll teach you the best and thorough way to do it in today\u2019s post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-materials-you-ll-need-to-clean-your-computer\">What Materials You&#8217;ll Need to Clean Your Computer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Isopropyl alcohol<\/li><li>Distilled water<\/li><li>Microfiber cloths<\/li><li>Compressed air can<\/li><li>Scotch tape<\/li><li>Q-tips<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-few-reminders-before-getting-started\">A Few Reminders Before Getting Started<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Never use alcohol-based solutions to clean your computer monitor. These can potentially strip it of its protective coating. Use a mild cleaning solution or diluted alcohol mix instead.<\/li><li>Microfiber cloths are ideal for cleaning your computer screen. Using standard cloth or paper towel can leave scratches.<\/li><li>Find an open, well-ventilated space where you can clean your PC\u2019s tower casing. Make sure that the component is sufficiently cooled down, too.<\/li><li>Unplug the peripherals (e.g. keyboard, mouse, loudspeakers, image scanners, etc.) when you\u2019re cleaning them. Take out the batteries for the wireless ones.<\/li><li>Don\u2019t apply any liquid directly to any component. You don\u2019t want to risk getting any of them rusty. Pour the cleaning solution on a microfiber cloth and wipe the PC with it, instead.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-steps-you-need-to-clean-your-computer\">The Steps You Need to Clean Your Computer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-polish-the-mouse\">Polish the Mouse<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Give it a good wipe all over, but pay special attention to the non-stick pads on the bottom. You\u2019ll be surprised at how much gunk can accumulate on and around the mouse\u2019s \u201cfeet\u201d. As for the optical sensor, wipe it with a damp cloth and use a cotton swab to carefully remove the leftover crud.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-clean-the-keyboard\">Clean the Keyboard<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turn the keyboard upside down and give it a good shake. This will get rid of crumbs and debris stuck in between the keys. Afterward, briefly blast those places with compressed air. For really dirty and grimy keyboards, you may have to pry the keys off to better clean what\u2019s underneath. Pop them off softly using large tweezers. Do this last part very carefully, or hire a professional!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-wipe-the-monitor\">Wipe the Monitor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Start wiping the monitor case and clearing any vents of visible obstructions without pushing dust into the unit. Then use a glass cleaner and lint-free cloth to clean the screen. Just a word of advice: wipe the LCD lightly because the glass underneath is quite fragile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-dust-off-the-case\">Dust Off the Case<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Clear the ventilation ports of any obstructions using compressed air. Be careful not to blow dust into the unit and the optical drives, though. While you\u2019re at it, blow off the case fans. Hold the fan in place using a pen, though, because spinning it too fast in the wrong direction can damage the motor. Clean the motherboard and free it from dust in between removable components when you can, too. Although we\u2019d highly recommend that you do so only with a techie pal or a tech support guy around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-give-your-laptop-a-good-wipe\">Give Your Laptop a Good Wipe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For dirty laptops, all you really need to do is give it a good wipe. Again, use a diluted alcohol solution or a mild cleaning liquid. Pour either on a microfiber cloth and wipe every surface dry. Meanwhile, don\u2019t hesitate to use isopropyl alcohol to rub oily residue off the keyboard\u2019s keys. Remove any underlying crumbs in between the keys using a can of compressed air.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">To clear up those clogged side vents, blow them off with compressed air. In case stubborn dust bunnies hold on through the air blasts, consult an IT guy or check the device\u2019s user manual to know how you can open the case. It may be tricky remembering which screw goes where during reassembly so don\u2019t be too hasty with this procedure. Take a picture or two of the laptop before you open its case for reference and then call your friendly neighborhood techie for assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A clean computer isn\u2019t just easy on the eyes, it\u2019s efficient, too. By keeping your machine squeaky clean, you help it attain and maintain an optimal performance. While you\u2019re at it, why not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/clean-your-phone\/\">clean your iPhone<\/a>, too?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We bet you didn\u2019t know that your PC is a literal magnet for dust and dirt. The static electricity it generates every time it runs attracts nasty bits of dirt, dust, and hair. These particles will eventually clump together and obstruct the CPU\u2019s case fans, heatsink, and others. With the interior airflow subsequently blocked, the CPU overheats and it\u2019ll be doomed to an earlier demise. To avoid this catastrophic situation, all you have to do is clean your computer regularly. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17594,17580],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7995","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-computers","category-tips-and-tricks"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.10 (Yoast SEO v20.10) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Clean Your Computer. Trust Us. You&#039;ll Thank Us Later.<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We bet you didn\u2019t know that your PC is a literal magnet for dust and dirt. To make sure your computer doesn&#039;t break down, you should clean your computer.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/blog\/clean-your-computer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Clean Your Computer. Trust Us. You&#039;ll Thank Us Later. - The Plug - HelloTech\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"We bet you didn\u2019t know that your PC is a literal magnet for dust and dirt. 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