by Jonathan Shen

Created on: July 30, 2010   Last Updated: August 16, 2010

Cleaning your computer is like cleaning or changing your car’s air, oil or fuel filter.  A clean filter will make the car run efficiently and your engine will last a long time.  Your computer’s hardware such as the computer’s fan and vents on the computer case would allow clean air inside to increase air flow.  If dirty air, grime, and dust go inside the computer, both your hard drive and some parts around the CPU might be dirty or yet damaged; your computer will end up overheating, and you probably do not know about it.  Cleaning your computer can be tedious work, but it can be a lot of fun if you do not have anything else to do around the house.  Here are some basic tips that you need to remember while cleaning your computer:

Note:  If you have any pets at home, make sure to keep the cats and dogs as far away from the computer as possible while you are working.

-Turn off Your Computer—

Make sure everything on your computer is turned off and let it cool down before you do any maintenance on it.  If you were working on a car, you would not want to work on a car with a hot engine, would you?  Of course not.  Make sure your computer’s tower is turned off as well as your monitor and your computer mouse (if you have a wireless mouse).  Wait for at least 5 to 10 minutes for your computer to cool down, and proceed to the next step, which is to unplug the cables.

-Unplug the cables from the back of the computer—

Cables for the printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, speakers, network router, etc. need to be unplugged in order for you to gain access to the computer tower.  Make sure to check, double-check, and triple-check to see that every single cable has been taken out from its port.  If your computer is located on the bottom of your computer desk, take your computer out [gently], and place it on a flat surface.  I would not recommend putting it on carpet since it is not as stable as a regular desk. 

-Obtain all Necessary Tools—

Obtaining all necessary tools to clean your computer is vital.  First, you would need a 00 screwdriver (available at various hardware stores or office supplies stores) to unscrew the computer case.  A can of compressed air (Dust-Off is a good brand; a pack of 12 costs $35 at Costco) is needed to spray the dust from the CPU fan and the motherboard.  Finally, a used dust rag or a microfiber cloth would be used to do

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