At least once a year, you should consider giving your computer a good cleaning.   Just like what you do with your home for spring cleaning, a computer needs a good clean down every once in a while. There are a lot of reasons someone would want to clean their computer. This could be everything from cosmetic reasons to preventative maintenance.

You might be asking, “Why would I risk cleaning the inside of my computer?” Well, over time, dust, dirt, and grime can build up on the inside of a computer in even the cleanest of environments. Once you have that sort of build up, what happens is it gets inside fans and other moving parts. This isn’t inherently an issue, as computers can run fully submerged in mineral oil.

It is more of a cooling issue if the fans on your computer get bogged down, or broken by dirt and grime. Computer parts can fail due to heat issues. It is important to give your PC a good cleaning every now and again. If you feel totally uncomfortable with the idea or process, it’s okay to hire someone to do it. If so, you would want to do it every two years. Just make sure you hire a computer repair company, not a maid service.

Cleaning The Outside Of Your Computer:

Cleaning the outside of the computer is the easiest, and often most rewarding part of the process. As of course it is something you see everyday. To clean the outside of the computer you need only follow the steps listed below.

1. Grab a nice cleaning solution. We always just use “Fantastic”, but they do sell case cleaner if you want to be specific.

2. Turn off and disconnect your computer. Place it on a table somewhere, like your kitchen, not on the carpet.

3. Spray the cleaner on a rag or paper towel. DO NOT spray it directly on the computer to avoid creating too much moisture.

4. Rub gently, but don’t be afraid to amp it up on dirty spots and in corners. Really get that case clean! Be careful when it comes to cleaning the back of the computer. Don’t stick a wet dirty rag into say, the USB port.

Cleaning The Inside Of Your Computer:

Once you have the outside completed, it’s time to take the side of your computer off and get at that inside. For this you will just need a handheld can of air and that same rag you used before. (You might want to clean it off a little.) Follow the steps below to clean out the inside of your computer, assuming you have already done steps 1-3 from above.

It goes without saying that you should ground yourself with an anti-static wrist band,  just to be sure you don’t happen to carry a static charge onto your computer components.

1.Take the rag and clean off the inside of the case. Clean all the areas except on the physical components. There is a lot of case surface area on the inside that needs to be cleaned, but DO NOT rub a wet cloth on the system board or any other physical components. You can use a dry feather duster or clean, dry towel for those parts.

2.Take the can of air and start with the power supply. This is typically found in the upper left area of your case. Go around to the outside of your computer and spray using a sweeping motion. Don’t be alarmed if loads of dust come flying out. If this is your first time doing this, it probably will happen. Avoid spraying the air directly on any fans and making them spin too fast. You can wreck them that way.

3.Once you have cleaned out the power supply, move to any case fans you may have, and the fan on the processor. Get all that dust off of there using the spray can or rag. Be gentle on components. At the same time it is okay to touch them if you have been properly grounded or are wearing an anti-static wristband.

4. All you have left is to get rid of any residual dust or grime left behind, place the case back on the computer, and hook it all back up. Naturally everything should just work, but in rare cases you might bump something loose (a cable or computer part) during cleaning, so don’t freak out if it doesn’t turn on. Just go back to the table, check all your connections, and make sure all your cards and ram are properly seated.

Here Is A Little Dirty Computer Motivation:

We hope this helps you get those computers nice and clean, and of course, as a bio product of keeping them clean, avoid the repair shop.