Keep Your Computer Clean

Your computer 'sucks' - literally. In order for your computer to stay cool enough to operate properly, it must circulate a significant amount of air. This means it must take IN cool air from outside the chassis and send the hot air OUT - back into the room. Anywhere from one to several fans are used inside the computer for this purpose. Additionally, there is usually a fan on the CPU itself to assist in cooling the processor.

As a result, it sucks in dust, dirt, animal hair, cigarette ashes (you don't actually smoke AT your computer, do you?), carpet fibers and insects. The dust and dirt work their way into the bearings of the motors that power your disk drives and cooling fans, ultimately wearing them out. Over time, the animal hair and carpet fibers generally coat most of the surfaces in the computer with the rough equivalent of an angora sweater - making it run too hot. When a CPU fan or Power Supply fan fails, you run the risk of an expensive repair job. You can help prevent this by keeping your computer clean.

The most disgusting case of a dirty computer I have seen to-date (photos on our website at www.thecomputerwizard.biz) chronicles what happens when you chain-smoke directly in front of the computer. This computer had every orifice encrusted with brown, sticky TAR. That's right, the tar from the cigarettes had clogged every opening of the computer, stopped the fan and created quite a cleaning problem. There was no way to properly clean this computer short of soaking it in solvent.

While it is relatively easy to get this debris Into your computer, it is not so easy to get it back Out. It is necessary to open the case and blow out the build-up with compressed air to properly clean a computer. At the same time it is a simple task to examine the various cooling fans for proper rotation speed and replace them if necessary. In most cases the cans of compressed air you buy for this purpose are adequate. If, however, you have never cleaned your computer - and have accumulated quite a layer of dirt - this will not be satisfactory and should be referred to a professional. This is a task that should be attended to at least annually -- more often in areas with high dust or dirt content.

Your keyboard and mouse also need occasional cleaning. The keyboard can simply be turned upside down and given a firm shaking to dislodge the various bits and pieces of crud that accumulate over time. In cat-owned households, it will probably be necessary to vacuum out the keyboard. A standard household vacuum with a soft brush attachment is ideal for this as long as there are no loose keys. To clean the surface of the keys, you can simply spray them lightly (with the computer off) with a commercial household glass cleaner and wipe them down with a soft cloth - gently.

The hand-held battery-operated 'computer vacuums' do not have enough vacuum power to pull all the dirt and dust out of a computer keyboard, so save your money and use your household vacuum with the collar around the nozzle opened slightly to reduce the pressure. This will do a much better job - for free.

Cleaning your mouse is relatively simple. Most mice have a cover on the bottom, that when rotated 1/4 turn counter-clockwise releases the mouse ball. After removing the ball, it can be cleaned in warm, soapy water if it is particularly sticky. Careful inspection of the cavity inside the mouse will reveal 2-4 rollers around the perimeter that the mouse ball contacts. These frequently exhibit wads of fiber, oil, grease, boogers, etc. that can be easily dislodged with a fingernail or very small pocket-knife blade - Be Gentle! Blow it out thoroughly after dislodging the crud.

If you have a cat that likes to sleep on your monitor, it will need to be cleaned out with compressed air from time to time to keep it running cool. If you have an 18-1/2 pound cat like mine - you'll need a 21" monitor just to support him. You can clean the outside of a monitor (including the glass) with a commercial glass cleaner. Cleaning the inside of a monitor is a job for a professional, as it must be disassembled to be properly cleaned. There are very high voltages present inside a monitor, so do not attempt this at home. If you have a flat-panel LCD monitor, there are special cleaners made for this purpose. You should never touch the surface of a flat-panel monitor with your fingers.
Follow the manufacturer's recommendations exactly, as the screen's surface is very delicate - and expensive to replace.

If you have a computer that sits on the floor, you will be more likely to coat the inside of the computer with dirt and carpet fibers. If your computer is on - or near a carpeted floor, you need a plastic chair mat. Without one of these chair mats on the carpet, your rolling desk chair tears up fibers as it rolls. These fibers become airborne and are sucked into the computer, forming a layer of carpet fibers inside your computer. You may want wall-to-wall carpeting in your house, but it's not a good idea inside your computer. If your computer is on a non-carpeted floor, the problem is increased, as the dust that floats across a hard-surfaced floor is more easily pulled into your computer where it remains until forcibly blown out.

Why do you have your teeth cleaned at least once a year? To keep from having an expensive (perhaps painful) repair to your mouth, right? Do you go to your doctor for an annual physical? If you don't, make an appointment today. For the same reasons, you should invest in annual maintenance of your computer - it's much less expensive (and painful) to prevent a problem than to fix one.