How to Clean Your Computer Inside and Out

Electrical equipment generates static, which means your computer is prone to attracting dust. As part of your weekly routine, use a lambs wool duster to dust your computer and it's accessories. If you are only dusting your computer and never doing anything else, your computer is probably terribly neglected. Not only does your computer and its components need cleaning on the outside and inside of the case, but the computer's performance will also need cleaning. By running computer diagnostics and getting the right technical support, or network troubleshooting you can eliminate system errors and improve your PC's performance.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soft, clean lint-free cloths
• Dry screen cleaning sponge
• Disposable Screen Cleaning Wipes
• Lambswool Duster
• Can of Compressed Air
• Cotton or sponge swabs
• Dishwashing / Water Spray Solution
• Spray bottle of distilled Water
• LCD or Plasma Cleaning Kit

1. 
    
   Lambswool Duster

   WEEKLY CLEANING: Use a lambs wool duster and soft lint-free cloths to dust the outside of your computer and it's accessories such as printer, scanner, and mouse. (NEVER use a standard vacuum cleaner on electronics as it can cause static, which can damage components.)

2. 
    
   Computer Case

   CLEANING THE CASE: Dampen a lint-free cloth with a dishwashing solution (consisting of 1 drop of mild dishwashing liquid mixed with 1 quart of water.)To remove grime, wipe all of the outer surfaces including the vent grille in the back, which often gets clogged with dust. Use cotton or sponge swabs to clean nooks and crannies.

3. 
    
   CRT Monitor

   CLEANING A CRT MONITOR:(Cathode Ray Tube)
   Spray plain water on a micro fiber cloth so it is only slightly moistened and then wipe the screen. (NEVER spray anything directly on the screen as it may leak into the housing and NEVER use solvents)Polish after wiping with a fresh, clean cloth. You can also use a dry screen cleaning sponge or a disposable screen cleaning wipe.

4. 
    
   LCD or Plasma Monitor

   CLEANING LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) AND PLASMA MONITORS:
   These flat screened monitors use more delicate crystal displays or other image projection technology. Use a soft lint free cloth and a spray specifically designed for either type of screen. These sprays are available at most electronic stores. Make sure your screen has completely cooled before cleaning it. (If you spray the screen while it's still warm it can leave permanent streaks.) Apply as little pressure as possible when wiping your screen as using too much pressure can disturb the gel in the screen and damage it.

5. 
    
   CPU

   CLEANING THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU):
   Consult your computer's user manual on how to open your case and whether you should open your case. Dust your interior without touching the circuit board. If you have a lap top DO NOT try to open it. Use compressed air to remove any dust. (Make sure that opening your case does not violate any warranties you might have)

6. 
    
   Keyboard

   CLEANING THE KEYBOARD:
   Use the extension tube on a can of compressed air and spray air in short bursts between the keys to remove dust and dirt. (Avoid using long bursts as it can produce condensation.)Turn the keyboard over and shake it gently to loosen any lingering dust or dirt and then spray again with compressed air. Wipe the keyboard and keys with a lint free cloth and a mixture of 1 drop dish washing solution and one quart of water. If you have spilled something on the keyboard, try to get off as much of the spill as possible. Most keyboards have removable keys. Remove the keys involved in the spill and use a soft, lint free cloth and swabs to gently remove the spill from under the keys. Always use distilled water as hard water can leave a mineral deposit)

7. 
    
   The Mouse

   CLEANING THE MOUSE:
   CORDLESS MOUSE: Open the mouse, remove your battery, and blow with short bursts of compressed air. Wipe the outside of your mouse with the dishwashing mixture. Polish and dry with a lint-free clean cloth.
   CORDED MOUSE: Flip your mouse over and remove the disk that holds the ball. You may need to push gently on the disk or use a coin to twist it and turn to snap it out. Remove the ball and wash it with your detergent/water mixture dampened lint free cloth to remove any dust or dirt. With a cotton swab or sponge swab barely dampened with water, gently wipe the rollers inside the mouse; replace the ball and close it.

8. 
    
   Clean Your Hard Drive

   CLEANING YOUR PC:
   
   1. Get rid of shortcuts on your desktop that you no longer use.
   2. Uninstall unneeded programs
   3. Clean up your start up, registry, cookies, and more. Use a free Cleaner such as CCleaner. (short for "crap cleaner") CCleaner is a comprehensive PC cleanup tool that will free up disk space and get rid of unnecessary files hanging around.
   4. The most important Windows tuning program is the Disk Defragmenter. As it defragments your disk, this program can also rearrange your executable programs so they can start and run faster.
   5. Organize and get rid of old documents. Chances are if you have not looked at a document in a year, you are not going to need it again.
   6. Delete temporary files, email attachments, and other temporary files.
   7. Download a free tool named WinDirStat to free up space on your hard drive. This free tool wipes out the big space-eaters that clog your hard drive. It maps your hard drive usage so you can get a birds-eye view of what's taking up your hard drive space.
   8. Detect and delete duplicate files
   9. When you delete files from your hard drive, the data still hangs around on the physical disk. To permanently delete data, white out the free space with a free utility like Eraser.
   10. When all else fails, the ultimate PC cleanup is formatting your hard drive and reinstalling Windows from scratch.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not know what you are doing consult a technician.
• Back Up your hard drive in case you delete something you need.

Resources

• Clean Your Computers Hard Drive
• Which Registry Cleaner?
• Which Registry Cleaner is the Best?
• How to Fix a Slow PC
• Speed you slow PC up to 200% Faster

[Diablo2]

on 11/3/2009 Great article and very informative, 5*

[computer35]

on 6/11/2009 how do help clean a clone dell tower so that smoke & sparks to come out flying?

[goodselfme]

on 4/5/2009 thank you for the cleaning tips for my computer. 5*

[boatst]

on 3/8/2009 wonderful article. Thanks for how to. I've done most of this on my computer. I'm not always sure if what I'm doing is right. Thanks for article.

[kaytay]

on 3/7/2009 very well written. Thanks for sharing. 5*