I like to think of myself as a person who keeps a clean house, but a few of my possessions would likely tell a very different story. My phone screen is currently covered with smudges and grime, my computer keyboard has unidentified splotches of funk on it, and the TV screen is even punctuated with tiny kitty pawprints. Even though my countertops are squeaky-clean and the floor is spotless, the electronics in my house are filthy. Frankly, it can be easier to feign ignorance than to figure out how to clean them properly, but while it might seem preferable to let electronics remain dirty, rather than risk ruining them through improper cleaning, nothing could be further from the truth.
Electronic devices—from DVD players and computers to iPhones and televisions—need just as much cleaning and care as (if not more than) ordinary objects do. Besides causing germs and bacteria to accumulate, even the smallest amount of dust or debris can affect the functioning of tiny moving parts and electrical components, so a few minutes spent on preventive maintenance will, in the end, save money on repair and replacement.
Decimate Dust
Those harmless-looking particles of grit floating through the air are by far the biggest enemy of electronics. When dust builds up around vents, in tiny crevices, inside disk drives, and in USB hubs, it can jam up small moving parts and damage sensitive electric connections. One of the biggest causes of hard-drive failure is overheating caused when dust builds up on the CPU fan. You can easily remedy the problem with regular cleaning, but dust can also cause problems for televisions, DVD players, stereos, and even refrigerators.
You should give any stationary electronic device a frequent dusting. A canister of compressed air is usually enough to clean out small areas, such as CD or DVD drives, or the vents on televisions and stereos. Another easy way to rid devices of debris is to use a vacuum’s hose attachment or crevice tool to suck it up. A quick swipe with an electrostatic cloth should also get rid of most of the offending particles. If dust has built up in a printer, use a soft cloth to wipe out as much of the inside as you can after you’ve removed the majority with a vacuum’s crevice tool. Don’t touch the print heads, but you may need to remove the ink cartridges and wipe them down as carefully as possible.
