How can one keep a home computer's surfaces and components clean while protecting the sensitive, expensive electronics inside? How often — and how — should the monitor, printer and mouse be cleaned? Are all those special computer-cleaning products on store shelves today necessary? And what if Gatorade — or worse — skates onto the keyboard?

 

article continues below ↓

To get the full dirt on cleaning home office equipment, we queried computer experts: service technicians, high-tech repair people, a mega-computer manufacturer. We found surprisingly good news. You don't need all those fancy cleaners or an MBA in computer programming to keep your high-tech home office products — the monitor, mouse, keyboard, printer and mouse — squeaky clean. Or to save them in the case of a sudden spill.

Whether you work online eight hours a day or just dabble in an occasional CD-ROM sports game or two, these cleaning secrets, solutions and tips will help keep your home office machines booted up and running.

The Cleaning Routine

"The biggest mistake people make is apathy, not doing anything in terms of care,'' says David Nelson, manager of technical support at IBM Personal Systems Group in Raleigh, N.C. His group fields cleaning and troubleshooting calls and queries at IBM's online and phone help center.

"What you want to do is just get rid of the dust and grime caused by everyday use on a regular basis,'' he says.

Despite what all the often expensive, specialized cleaners would lead one to believe, most of the daily dirt Nelson and other experts see can be removed simply with a moist towel or washcloth.

"The No. 1 thing is don't do any type of cleaning while your machine is turned on or plugged in,'' he says.

Jonas Stahr, forum expert coordinator for Vancouver's www.Howtocleananything.com, agrees.

"Just as you service your car on a regular basis so it will continue to operate reliably, you should also maintain your computer and its peripherals,'' says Stahr, whose new Web site has a dozen professional cleaners poised to answer visitors' questions during public forums in addition to a large database of answers to commonly asked questions.

So what do you clean and how often do you clean it? Depending on usage, an average home computer monitor and case should be cleaned weekly, he says.

And the cleaning routine for your hardworking inkjet, laser or bubble jet printer? Plan to buff and blow the dust and paper lint away with a hair dryer or a can of compressed air each time you change your ink cartridge.

Add to your spring-cleaning routine (preferably twice a year) vacuuming the CPU case and fan slots to remove filtered-in dust and dirt, Stahr says.

"This is the most consistent gauge, as it is based on usage,'' Stahr says.

Now that you know when and what to clean, here's how to remove that low-tech grunge.

Keys to Keyboard Cleaning

Do you have ssttiicckkyy kkkeeys? If your words are longer than you'd like, it may be time to schedule weekly or at least monthly keyboard cleaning.

"For parents with Reader Rabbit software, this should be more a bit more frequent — perhaps every quarter hour,'' Stahr says, laughing. "As far as the keyboard and mouse go, a lot will depend on if you are eating and working. Grease from junk food ends up on the keys and on the mouse and will hold dirt, not to mention the crumbs that fall in the keyboard.'' For normal, non-buffet use, Stahr says, shake things up on the keyboard — literally — monthly to keep dust and crumbs from getting a toehold. Be sure to unplug the keyboard before you begin.

"Turn the keyboard upside down and shake so loose dust, dirt and food crumbs will fall out,'' he says. "Spray between the keys with compressed air, or vacuum the keyboard.''

Next, wipe down the keyboard with a soft cloth dampened with cleaning solution or plain water.

"Never spray any kind of chemical directly onto your home office equipment — always spray a clean cloth and wipe the hardware,'' Stahr says. "Use a cotton swab to clean between the keys. For hard-to-remove stains, such as ink, use a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol or an alcohol-saturated wipe.''

And what about those emergency cleaning needs, such as when that steaming latte suddenly becomes a frothy addition to your keyboard?

"If you spill cola or coffee in your keyboard, the first thing to do is to stop working,'' Stahr says. "Save your data using the mouse instead of keystroke commands, if possible, and quickly turn the keyboard upside down and unplug it. Allow as much of the fluid as possible to drip from the keyboard, then wipe down with a soft cloth dampened with water.

"If you spill coffee, the first thing to do, and quickly, is to unplug your keyboard before it sends a message to your computer and disables the function,'' says Joe Wright, owner of MacCentral, a computer cleaning service in San Francisco.

"If that's the only keyboard you have, grab a hair dryer and try to blow the liquid out of there,'' he says. After the keyboard has dried, plug it in and see if it works, as they do about 50 percent of the time, he says.

For those with personal computers, the replacement cost might make any cleaning attempt not quite worth the effort. Check prices with your favorite computer and accessories supplier.

If coming clean doesn't stop the sssttiicckk on your keyboard, use a small screwdriver to pry off the offending key. Use the corner of a soft cloth or a cotton swab to clean the key socket. Dip in alcohol for really dingy digits. Dry and simply snap back into place.

And what about the keyboards of hard-working, expensive laptops? For general cleaning, gently dust or wipe away surface dirt with a damp towel or computer-cleaning wipe. If you have a liquid accident, prompt action is key to keeping your investment humming.

"We get a lot of laptops that are spilled on by people at hotels, in coffee shops,'' says John Andrews, owner of The Happy Mac, a San Francisco computer repair and cleaning company. "The best advice is immediately take it to a (computer specialist) shop. With laptops, you're not only talking about the keyboard, which, by the way, is more delicate and expensive than traditional keyboard. Brought in soon enough, it can possibly be saved.''

Monitoring the Monitor

"Conventional wisdom is that you should only clean a screen with a damp cloth, as many screens have an anti-glare coating that you risk damaging if you use a harsh household cleaner,'' says Stahr. "Even traditional window cleaners can damage some coatings and screens, especially on laptop computers. Always check your manual.''

Here, the computer cleaners were mixed in their recommendations. Several professionals, including Nelson from IBM, recommend a window cleaner such as Windex, sprayed on a soft towel and gently rubbed across the monitor.

"`How do I clean the screen?' is one of the most common questions we hear,'' Nelson says. "We tell them to use a moist, lint-free cloth with mild soap or Windex. We always stress not to spray directly on the keyboard or monitor, because it can drip inside. What you're really trying to do is get rid of dust and grime from everyday use. You can often get adequate results even with just plain water.''

Andrews, owner of The Happy Mac, gave commercial anti-static monitor cleaners high marks for both cleaning ability and ease of use. Stahr is also a fan of screen cleaner wipes, but he suggests drying the surface afterward to prevent streaking.

"Wipe your screen first, then the keyboard, mouse and casing. Stop your computer from getting dirty in the first place by having them handy to wipe the grease off your fingers after eating junk food.''

Clean CPU

The brains of your high-tech home office — the central processing unit — require a little brawn come cleaning time. Start by giving this pricey piece room to breathe by placing it off the floor to permit proper cooling. Regularly vacuum all slots, but don't use compressed air here.

"It moves large amounts of dust inside the CPU, which is akin to pouring fine sand into the processor,'' says Stahr. "If you are trying to kill your computer, this, water and blunt impacts are the quickest methods.''

Keeping the vents clean maximizes air flow for cooling, which is very important for the longevity of the CPU, he says.

"Processor failures are most commonly associated with the expansion and contraction of connections and components,'' Stahr says. "By keeping the overall operating temperature low, the extremes between operating and shutdown temperatures is reduced, lowering the magnitude of the cycles and increasing life span.''

How? Shut down the CPU but leave it plugged in. Then simply wipe down the casing with a soft cloth dampened with a computer cleaning fluid or plain water.

For regular cleanings of the computer case exterior, lightly mist a cleaner on a clean rag and gently buff the surfaces. Follow with a clean, slightly damp towel; air dry.

Lint-Free Lasers

To keep the printer printing clearly and quickly, plan to zap the inside of your printer every cartridge or two with canned compressed air. Regular dusting and paper lint removal is especially important for those multitasking machines, such as the scanner, printer and copier all-in-ones.

"If you get dust in the scanner unit of the printer, it won't scan properly,'' says Rahul Khanna, owner of Laser Resource in San Francisco. "Dust and paper fiber deposits can scratch the drum and give you lines every time you print. Zap it (with canned air) every once in a while.''

About every 60,000 copies or so, consider having the printer serviced, Khanna says.

"Just like a car, you need to do maintenance on it,'' he says. "If you don't have the rollers replace or cleaned, they'll get worn out and the paper jams.''

For the exterior, he recommends a bathroom tub-and-tile cleaner sprayed directly on the printer. Leave the foam for several minutes; wipe clean. "It gives the printer a nice shine,'' he says.

Mouse Tricks

If you're having a hard time connecting to your mouse — or your computer is — a thorough cleaning should speed things up nicely, says Joe Wright, owner of MacCentral in San Francisco.

Start by cleaning the mouse pad. "If it has a plastic-type surface, you can take some Windex and clean that off,'' he says. "That will help the mouse connect with the rubber and the general connectivity.''

Next, open up the mouse to clean the interior.

 

(Editor's Note: Newer "Optical" mice do not generally require disassembly to be cleaned. Cleaning the optical 'window' on the underside of the mouse with a Q-tip is usually sufficient. Disassembling an optical mouse can render your mouse inoperable due to the advanced optics & lasers present inside and is not recommended.)

"They're very easy to clean,'' Wright says. "Just flip the mouse over, and turn the device that holds the ball counter-clockwise.''

Once you see the rollers inside, you'll probably also notice the dust and dirt coating them, he says. Grab tweezers, a toothpick or both.

"With tweezers you can grab the dirt and pinch it off,'' Wright says.

For the ball, clean with a cloth or napkin dipped in rubbing alcohol, he says.

How often does one need to perform such mouse surgery?

"It depends on how often you use your machine,'' he says. "If you use it four hours a day three days a week, maybe once every six months or so is fine. If you use it, like a lot of us do, seven to eight hours a day six to seven days a week, you'll need to do it about once a month.''

Wipe Up, Don't Wipe Out

While complicated computer cleaning situations, such as an insect infestation or pet accident, clearly warrant professional help, a few preventive measures can keep most accidents from happening. Here are a few good rules of hygiene on the information superhighway:

 

• Keep pets away from the computer. Cat or dog hair inside the computer can cause malfunctions by preventing the computer from making a good connection. Close the home office door if possible; if not, cover the computer and keyboard with a fitted monitor cover. A bath towel (dry, of course) will do in a pinch.
  
  
• Consider a no-food-or-drink rule. Computers plus munchies or drinks equal accidents waiting to happen, especially if you have kids. If you can't do your online banking or shopping without a cup of coffee in hand, use a car travel cup with a top instead of your usual mug to minimize leakage in case of a spill.
  
  
• Situate your CPU properly. It should be off the floor, on a solid surface, to minimize dust accumulation and permit proper cooling — carpet will not permit airflow beneath the unit.
  
  
• Know your stuff. Locate and know how to unplug your computer or keyboard safely within seconds of a spill to prevent serious damage.

Cleaning Supplies for a Tech Toilette

So what does the ready home office have at hand for any cleaning emergency? Keep these tools of the trade nearby for big and little emergencies, as well as regular cleaning.

 

 

• Rubbing alcohol. Most household dirt is dissolved with this common household item, which evaporates quickly, leaving the surface dry. An added benefit: It disinfects surfaces.
  
  
• Terry cotton cleaning towels. These can be used with water or a cleaner to wipe away keyboard, monitor, screen and printer surface dirt.
  
  
• Canned air. Compressed air in a can is one of the handiest tools for blasting computer dust into oblivion. Found at most office supply and computer stores; some hardware stores.
  
  
• Vacuum with computer attachments. These slip onto a regular-size vacuum hose, reducing it to a very small opening with a variety of dusting and crevice attachments. This is the most efficient because the vacuum becomes not only more powerful, but it actually sucks up and holds the offending debris.
  
  
• Anti-static cleaning cloths. These cloths, made by various manufacturers, neutralize the magnetic effect monitors emit so the dust and dirt can be removed easily. Your monitor will retain this anti-static property for a short time.
  
  
• Window cleaner. Common brand-name cleaners work wonders on monitor screens and surfaces. Be sure to spray on a cloth, not directly onto the screen, as the cleaner can drip inside and possibility damage interior components.