How do I clean my Desktop Computer? I mean really clean it!
My desktop keeps collecting dust and then the dust just cakes on and it always seems that no amount of canned air protects the thing from grime! Now, I am not the cleanest person, but I would like to get my desktop back to some sort of “very clean” state, where the grime itself can be removed that is literally stuck to the case, external hard drives, etc. Any advice?
One last note, this was a PC I built myself, so no worries about warranties being voided or anything like that.
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6 Answers
I would suggest a steam cleaner. They are very inexpensive. You might also consider covering it with a fabric appliance cover that lets the air in, but not the grime.
Steam? On electronics? If your willing to use steam, and you built the machine yourself, then take it all apart and put the parts in the dishwasher. And let all the parts dry in the sun for a few days before re-assembly.
But seriously, I recommend against using steam or the dishwasher on any electronics.
If you can take ALL the electronics out of the cases, then you could put the cases in the dishwasher, or steam clean, or bubble-bath….
Otherwise just get a damp rag and some BioGreenClean or other innocuous cleaner and put some elbow grease into cleaning the muck off. Do Not spray any of that inside/into any of the units.
No no no no no. Not steam. Please not steam.
I’d recommend picking up a can of compressed air for dealing with fans, cleaning out your dust shields (if you have them), and then just running over everything with a microfiber cloth.
I use compressed air (you can find them in most electronics stores like best buy or stationary stores like staples), q-tips and a small watercolor paintbrush. I’ve been told that when you clean the fans, you should stick something like a pencil in between the blades so it doesn’t spin when you clean it.
I highly recommend this guide
Also, don’t open your PSU to clean it. I learned this a few days ago…
And if you do need to use any sort of liquid on the case to break up some of the grim, I’d use rubbing alcohol.
1.Regularly run “Windows Update”.
2.Set Windows to Update Automatically.
3.If you are running Windows 2000, click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Automatic Updates.
4.Get Rid of Cookies.
5.Complete Disk Cleanup.
6.Defragment your computer
7.Remove adware, malware, and spyware.
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