What are some proper ways to clean and control the build up of dust on or within a personal computer?

Clean computing is the practice of maintaining a clean machine, including hardware and software. Depending on environmental factors it might be a good idea to schedule cleanups yearly or monthly to ensure you don’t end up with a hefty repair bill.

Why clean your computer?

Cleaning your computer’s hardware and software is important for many reasons.

Clean hardware can help your computer to run more smoothly and extend your computer’s lifespan, which will save time and money in the long run. Regular cleaning protects your technology investment and your more importantly your data. When you wipe off the screen and empty crumbs from your keyboard, you’re helping your equipment perform better and you reduce the risk it will break down.

Dust and other unwanted dirt can build up and suffocate your PC’s hardware. By regularly cleaning dust out of the fan vents and case, you can help protect the system from overheating and causing permanent damage to the internal parts of your computer.

How often do I need to do it? If you don’t want to hurt your PC’s performance and lifespan with added stress and heat, give it a good cleaning at least every six month to a year.

While the average user’s computer lasts several years, a good cleaning schedule of hardware and software could extend your PC’s useful life by even a few more years.

Clean software helps protect your data. Antivirus software and regular program updates help ensure viruses, malware, and cybercriminals stay out of your system.

When you back up your files, delete unused programs, and perform maintenance tasks like defragmenting the hard drive, you help to ensure your computer can save your files without accidentally corrupting them.

You probably like a tidy home. It’s a good idea to keep your computer tidy, too. For instance, using an external hard drive or cloud-based storage can declutter your computer while helping to keep valuable data safe and secure.

How to clean your computer, Step 1: Hardware

To keep your computer’s hardware in good shape, there are key tasks you should add to your list of chores — after turning off and unplugging your computer.

Wipe down your computer

Dust off the outside of your computer with a soft, dry cloth at least once a week. Remove any fingerprints on the screen. If you want to use a cleaning fluid, visit a computer store to find one that’s specifically designed for your monitor type.

Regular household cleaners may damage a monitor screen, wearing away coatings.
Instead, gently wipe your screen with a soft cloth. A microfiber cloth is great for this purpose.

You can dampen your cloth with distilled or filtered water to wipe away tougher smudges. Plain water usually works, too, but filtered or distilled water will help you avoid streaks.

If heavier cleaning is needed, moisten a cloth with a 50-50 mix of distilled water and distilled white vinegar and gently rub your screen clean.

To clean the front and back of your laptop case, use a clean sponge that’s been dipped in mild dish soap and water and wrung out. Rub gently.

Make sure your computer is dry before turning it back on.

Clean Your keyboard

Pick up your keyboard, turn it over, and gently pat it on the back to dislodge crumbs, stray hairs, and other tiny bits of dirt. If you’re having trouble removing sticky dirt, try using a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol, or the cleaning mixtures mentioned above.

Gently wiping around the keys can help keep the keys from sticking or failing. If your keyboard is acting up, you may need to open it in order to “deep clean.” Check your computer or keyboard manual for instructions on how to open and clean this component safely.

Blow dust buildup out of computer vents, fans and accessories

Every three to six months, consider using a screwdriver to open your computer’s exterior case. With a can of compressed air (available at any computer store), clean the dust buildup out of the fan and the case. Put the case back together and use cotton swabs to pick up any lingering dirt on the fan vents or other small crevices on the outside of the case.

For laptops, check the manual for instructions on cleaning or safe case opening.

You also can use a few short bursts of this compressed air to dust out your keyboard and mouse.

Run check disk tool

To help detect hard drive issues before they lead to other problems, Microsoft Windows provides a Check Disk tool. The tool will scan for and repair issues such as file system errors or bad sectors. If you haven’t done this scan before, run a full scan, which enables automatic repairs. The process may take a few hours.

Check surge protector

Power surges can put harmful stress on your computer, and in some cases damage the power supply and other components. Did you know surge protectors can lose their protection after undergoing just one power surge? Even if they still appear “on,” they may not be providing the protection you need. So it’s a good idea to check them from time to time, especially after a notable power surge.

Keep PC well ventilated

Maintaining proper air flow inside and outside of your PC is important. Make sure you have at least three inches of space on either side of your PC that’s free of obstructions such as other computers, papers, or walls. Also make sure your room is large enough or well-ventilated enough to facilitate good air flow.

Another thing to watch is your CPU fan and fan blades. If your processor keeps overheating and forcing your PC to shut down, you may need to upgrade your CPU fan.

It’s time to attend to the programs that create and store your important information. Here’s how to keep your computer’s “mind” as clean as its “body” to possibly extend its longer lifespan.

Back up your hard drives

Backing up your data — especially important data — is a must. A laptop or tablet can be replaced, but the information inside it may be irreplaceable.

In general, there are two options for backing up data: You can make a copy in a physical location, such as on an external hard drive or thumb drive, or you can make a copy that is stored on the “cloud,” or online, in a secure location.

Whichever you choose, commit to backing up your computer at least once a week or more often if you’re working on a project or want to preserve recently stored images.

Get antivirus software to protect from malware

Antivirus software helps prevent viruses and malware from infiltrating your device and messing with your data or stealing information which could lead to identity theft. Paid and free versions of antivirus software are available, and most programs can be set to work automatically in the background.

Update your software and programs

Make sure to update your software, especially high-use programs. Outdated software can be vulnerable to malware, because most updates are created to keep software safe from threats. Downloading and installing the latest versions of your programs might not only protect your PC, but can keep it working quickly.

Declutter your software programs

While you do updates, check to make sure you’re using the programs on your system, and consider deleting any programs and files you no longer use. Decluttering helps ensure that your computer doesn’t get bogged down with unnecessary data. It also limits the number of programs malware might “hijack” to gain access to the system.

Clean your Windows registry

If you’re using Windows, there’s another step you may want to consider: cleaning your registry. Keep in mind that this may not make your device operate more efficiently. Your PC boot may work faster or maybe not.

Your Windows registry is a huge repository that holds details on everything you do on your PC. Making sure it’s clean is worth considering. But proceed with caution. If you make an error while cleaning your registry, you’ll need to reinstall your operating system. Be sure to back up your registry to be safe.

How to clean your computer, computer cleanup tools

Several computer cleanup tools are available on the market that will require you to install additional software and can help you on the software side of the process. As with all programs you install, research which reputable company provides the best solution for your needs before making a purchase, downloading and installing

It’s smart to do your research to see what type of cleaning suits your individual computer needs.

Did you know Norton 360 now comes with a range of tools to help protect your devices and the information you keep on them.

Get advanced protection for your devices against viruses, phishing and other cyberthreats. Plus,
Secure VPN to help secure your data when connecting to Wi-Fi with the reassurance of bankgrade encryption. Password Manager provides the tools you need to generate and store your passwords and logins.

Cloud Backup for your PC helps securely store important files and documents as a preventative measure against the loss of your data due to ransomware or hard drive failures. Safecam for PC, to alert and help you block unauthorised access to your webcam.

Learn more about Norton 360: Protection for your devices, online privacy and more. All in a single solution.

Just like your car, your house, and even your body, your computer needs a good cleaning every once and a while to prevent dust build-up and overheating. Cleaning a PC is easy to do and only takes about 20 minutes, so today we’re going to cover how to effectively clean the inside of your desktop computer.

Editor’s Note: This article shows how to completely clean everything inside of the computer case. You don’t necessarily have to remove the RAM and video card if you don’t want to. We do recommend cleaning your computer on a regular basis.

How often should I clean my computer?

Depending on your environment, you may need to clean your computer more or less often. Computer placement is one important variable. Keeping your computer on the floor allows for dust, hair, skin cells, and carpet particles to get inside easier. If you keep your computer above the floor—say, on your desk—particles are less prone to getting inside.

If you smoke near your computer, tar, ash, and other gunk can build up in your computer’s fans and on inside surfaces. Ridding your computer of these things every 6 months can increase your computer’s performance.

If you’re the owner of a pet that sheds, you might want to clean your computer more often. The inside of your computer is just as susceptible to fur clogging fans and other areas of your computer.

In short, if you keep your computer off the floor, don’t smoke, and don’t have shedding pets, you can probably get away with cleaning your computer once per year. If any of those things do pertain to you, you might want to clean your computer every 6, or even 3, months. And, as always, if your computer starts getting hotter than usual, open it up to check for any dust or hair buildup and then clean it.

Preparation

Do not open your computer while it is running or with any cables attached to it. It is always safer to remove all peripherals such as USB cables, audio cables, video cables, and especially the power cable. Yes, keeping the power cable connected does ground the PC and it’s often okay to leave it connected while working inside the case. But, even the tiny trace of moisture from canned air can cause trouble if the components are getting power.

Next, move your computer to a well-ventilated area such as your backyard or garage. This is especially important to consider if your computer has built up a lot of dust that will be blowing around. Breathing all that old, accumulated dust isn’t good for you and if you’re in an enclosed space, the dust is just going to settle back on your stuff—including back on your computer.

If you’re limited on space just be sure to keep a vacuum (not for cleaning the inside of the computer; more on that soon) nearby for a quick clean up afterwards. And if you’re worried about inhaling dust, you can always stop at your local hardware stop to pick up a cheap dust mask for less than $5.

Gather Your Tools

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Before you begin opening your computer’s case, you’ll need to gather your cleaning tools. We highly recommend not using a vacuum to clean dust off your computer components. This can create a static buildup and could potentially fry important electrical components on your motherboard, video card, and other places. It’s just a bad idea, so spare yourself the agony and pick up a compressed air can.

That said, a vacuum can come in handy if you’re dusting out your computer inside. Run the vacuum and hold the hose near—but not touching—your PC. Blow the dust out of the PC in the direction of the vacuum hose, so the vacuum can suck most of it right up.

There are a few tools you will need to clean your computer:

• Hardware set that includes screw drivers
• Can of compressed air
• Cleaning cloth
• Zip ties (optional)
• Scissors (optional)
• Cotton swabs (optional)
• Thermal paste (optional)
• Pencil or pen (optional)

One of our readers, Carlos, suggests using a small paint brush to sweep away dust where compressed air just can’t reach. Some of these tools are optional, so don’t stress out if you don’t have them. We only had a few ourselves, and still managed to do a great job.

Open Your Case

Now that you’re in a well-ventilated area with all your tools gathered, we can start the preparation process by opening up your computer’s case. All computer cases are different. If you’ve never opened yours before and are having trouble opening it, consult your computer’s manual or try searching online for guides specifically about your opening your model.

The case we’re using is a Sigma Luna WB, and, just like most cases, all it takes is unscrewing two screws, and then sliding the side-panel outward. Note that if your side panel has an attached fan, you may have to disconnect a power cables to get the panel completely off.

To make the cleaning process easier, it’s best to take out any components that can be easily removed. Most desktop computers allow you to remove RAM sticks, video cards, and hard drives. You don’t need to do this, but you can clean more thoroughly if you do.

We recommend not removing your CPU because thermal paste that is used to transfer heat from the top of the processor to the fan needs to be replaced every time the fan is removed. If you are equipped with thermal paste and want to remove your CPU, just be sure to clean off the old thermal paste on your CPU with rubbing alcohol and a soft cloth. Then apply a fresh coat of thermal paste once you’re done cleaning your computer.

Most people shouldn’t need to remove their CPU and CPU fan. It just doesn’t make sense considering barely any dust makes its way into the CPU socket. Then again, if you’re cleaning your computer, why not go all the way? The choice is yours.

Cleaning

To start the cleaning process, begin with the peripherals we just removed. Grab your can of compressed air and hold the trigger to release a burst of air onto an area with a lot of dust buildup. We’re cleaning an old video card that never got a lot of attention, so there were some dust clumps accumulating around the DVI ports. If you’re cleaning a video card with a fan, you can use a pen or pencil to prevent the blades from spinning while you blow the compressed air.

Next, we move inside the computer case. Start by removing any dust particles that may have found their way inside the RAM slots. Take your compressed air can, aim it at a RAM slot, hold the trigger, and move it down the entire slot. Repeat this for every slot in your computer case.

Now we’ll move onto the bigger equipment inside such as your CPU fan and power supply unit. Again, it’s recommended to use a pen or pencil when cleaning fans to prevent the blades from spinning. Use your compressed air can to blow out any loose dust particles.

You can also use a cotton swab to clean the fan by rubbing the swab against the blades to stick the dust particles. It’s a little tedious, but it makes for a nice, clean fan in the end.

The bottom of your case will undoubtedly have dust buildup. You can begin with blowing the dust away with your compressed air. If there is still dust stuck to the case, you can use a damp cloth to wipe it. Make sure your cloth is not wet, but damp. Repeat this step for all the nooks of your case.

Finally, don’t forget to also clean out any other fans, ports, or enclosures as described above.

If you’ve got a fan that’s particular gunked up, don’t be afraid to use a cotton swab with a bit of isopropyl alcohol to get the blades clean. Give the fans a quick spin to make sure that the blades move freely after cleaning. If they don’t, it’s probably best to go ahead and replace those fans.

Decluttering Cables (Optional)

This next step is optional and is recommended for custom-built computers. Unlike professionally manufactured computers, custom-built computers don’t arrive with nicely tucked away cabling that fits just right. The best way to make your case more secure and organized is to use zip ties. You also don’t want your CPU fan or any other fans scraping away at cables if they’re not neatly tucked away.

To start you’ll need a pack of zip ties. It doesn’t matter what size or color they are, as long as they can fit around all your cables. We’ll be using 4-inch zip ties.

Begin by disconnecting all cables that need to be tied. Be sure to write down how they were connected for reference later and take pictures.

When you have a cable or set of cables grouped to your liking, wrap a zip tie around it and run the thin end through the fastener. Then tighten the zip tie by pulling the thin end until you can no longer tighten it. Grab your scissors and cut off the excess.

Repeat this step for as many cables as possible. You can then tuck them away to reduce their visibility and give your computer’s guts a cleaner look.

The Aftermath

Plug your cables back into their correct sockets. Refer to your document or pictures from earlier if you don’t remember where each cable goes. Also remember to put back any removed peripherals, such as a video card or sticks of RAM, back into their appropriate sockets.

Your computer, inside and out, should be looking as good as new. We’ve rid our computer of dust, hair, skin particles, and much more. Your cables should be neatly managed and out of the way of fans and other sensitive equipment. If you were having heating issues before, you’ll begin to notice that it’s thing of the past. And don’t forget to clean your computer every 3 to 6 months to keep that performance up!