The computer is one of the home devices that get dirty the most. The bad thing about computers, especially fixed desktop PCs, is that dirt accumulates without being seen inside the computer itself, penetrating between the air intakes and the openings of its body. This dirt, made especially of dust, can obstruct the air vents themselves, can block the movement of the cooling fans and can also damage the internal connections on the motherboard. Other external parts also end up collecting very dirty, the monitor, but above all the keyboard, always touched with the hands and capable of collecting crumbs, hair, dust, various debris and anything else in the space between one key and the other. Over time, if it is never washed, the keyboard can truly become a dustbin full of germs and bacteria and has been estimated in several researches to be generally dirtier than a public toilet.
In this guide we will see together how to clean the dirtiest components of the computer, showing you what we need to do to remove the dust from its interior, but also how to clean the monitor, keyboard and mouse .
How to clean PC inside and out
In the guide we will show you how to clean all the components that accumulate more dust without having to call a computer technician every time. We can also carry out the cleaning works on our own, just pay attention to the delicacy of some components and remember to always act with the socket removed (to avoid short circuits).Clean the computer keyboard
As said, the keyboard is perhaps one of the dirtiest things you have at home, because it is touched all the time and has narrow openings between the keys in which all kinds of dirt is slipped in without being noticed. To clean a keyboard, you must detach it from the computer or, in the case of a wireless keyboard, detach its battery; on laptops we must unplug both the plug and the battery before cleaning it.
The first thing to do is turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it on a sheet of paper to eliminate any dirt and dust residue that stagnates between the keys. But this is not enough, because there is really everything under the keys. To avoid the trouble of disassembling all the keys, you can use a can of compressed air, which will take out all the internal dirt. Then clean the individual keys on the surface with a disinfectant wipe (not wet) to get rid of any germs, repeat the cleaning also using a dampened micro fiber cloth and, finally, dry.
If you have a standard membrane keyboard, cleaning under the keys is complicated, because they are stuck and fixed, so it would take a screwdriver to pop them out and risk breaking them.
If the keyboard were very dirty it would be appropriate to change it with a new keyboard for 10 or 20 €, also very cheap (the best if we dirty a lot or often use the PC to write). Different is the matter of mechanical keyboards, whose keys are all separate buttons that can be easily extracted with the fingers or with the lever provided. The keys can then be pulled out one by one and cleaned under them, with a damp, not wet cloth, without any effort.
This is another reason why mechanical keyboards are much better than normal membrane keyboards .
Clean the mouse
The same speech of the keyboard can be done for the mouse, continuously touched with the hand.Cleaning the mouse is much simpler, however, and you only need a disinfectant wipe and a slightly damp micro fiber cloth to wash it properly.
In particular, dedicate yourself to cleaning the central wheel, to wash it along the entire circumference.
Obviously, the mouse pad must also be washed, which can be put under water without problems.
If we are looking for a new comfortable mouse for everyday use, we can read our guide to the most comfortable mouse and with more keys to replace the normal one .
Clean the computer monitor
The computer monitor is very delicate so be careful not to use alcohol-based sprays or cleaners, which can remove some of the anti-glare coating and damage the surface of the screen.
You should also avoid cleaning the screen with a cloth or paper napkin because these are not uniform and do not clean properly in addition to the fact that, collecting dust, they can also scratch the screen. To wash a monitor you can use a normal micro fiber cloth, damp, but not wet; before starting cleaning, unplug the monitor and let it cool down for a few minutes, then pass the micro fiber cloth (avoiding circular movements) gently on the screen to remove any residual dust. The monitor will also need to be cleaned at least once a month, if not more.
If there were streaks or stains that do not go away with just the micro fiber cloth, you can try to moisten the cloth with a product dedicated to cleaning the displays and glasses. If you need to use a more aggressive solution against stains, use the product seen above on a cloth and try to clean away the stains by making numerous concentric circles without pressing too deeply on the display (to avoid damaging it). To check if the monitor is clean, you can open the Whitedisplay.com website to find dirt and dust.
For more information on cleaning the monitor, refer to the guide on how to clean the LCD screen of smartphones, monitors and TVs .
Clean the inside of the computer
The interior of the computer needs cleaning mainly because of the dust which can prevent the fans from rotating quickly and damage the circuits.
How often to clean inside the computer depends on the environment in which it is located, if there are pets and if there is a lot of dust around; in general, it would be good to clean your computer every 6 to 8 months. In summary, to make effective internal cleaning, turn off and unplug the computer, move it to an open space, perhaps the balcony of your home, open the case (or open the back of the laptop) and use a can of compressed air to blow it away dust from fans and circuits as much as possible.
Conclusions
Still on the subject of cleaning, on desktop PCs it would also be a good idea to unscrew the fans and disconnect them from the sockets so that they can be cleaned with a damp cloth or using a soft toothbrush or even with a cotton swab.If instead we want to clean a laptop (much more difficult operation), we invite you to read our guide How to dust the Laptop to clean it inside and out .
If the PC fans remain noisy, we invite you to read the guide to clean the dust in the fans and inside the computer to get further suggestions valid for all fixed PCs and notebooks.
