April 2016 Tech Tips – Spring Cleaning for Your PC!

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Here are your Tech Tips for the month of April to help you be more productive. As always, reach out anytime! We are here to help.

Springtime is here! While doing your Spring cleaning this season, don’t forget to include your PC. Many would be surprised to see the amount of dust and dirt that your computer can acquire in one year, as well as the long-term effects if ignored. Here are a few tips for polishing up your PC’s hardware:

  • Your hands are all over your keyboard and mouse all day, so it’s inevitable for them to harvest germs. Before cleaning your keyboard and mouse make sure that they are unplugged, and be sure to remove the batteries if they are wireless. Your keyboard has many small cracks and crevices, so before cleaning it, it is always a good idea to turn it upside down and attempt to shake out any debris. A can of compressed air can also be helpful for getting those hard to reach places in your keyboard. Following this, both devices can be cleaned with disinfectant wipes, and then dried with a microfiber cloth to polish.
  • You may not realize it, but your monitors are extremely sensitive. While cleaning your monitor screen, never use a purely alcohol-based product, as this can potentially strip some of the monitor’s coating. To avoid causing scratches on the screen, never use a standard cloth or paper towel while cleaning – always use a microfiber cloth.
  • Cleaning out the internal hardware of your computer is just as important as cleaning out the external, and it’s easier than you think. It is recommended to clean the dust out of your tower, primarily your fan, at least once every eight months using a can of compressed air. To do this, first make sure your computer is off and has had plenty of time to cool down. Next find an open, well-ventilated space for yourself, and gently open the tower casing. Using short, strong pumps of air, blow the dust off of your hardware. While cleaning your fan, be sure to hold it in place to avoid damage from spinning it the wrong way.

We hope with these tips, you won’t run from your PC Spring cleaning, and will have it looking like new in no time! The more effort you put into loving your computer, the more it will love you back!

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions!