Since we may have a little more time on our hands right now I have an idea. Today you should start cleaning your desktop computer system for better performance. Also, just to get the dust off and out of it! We will cover cleaning notebooks, tablets, and phones in the next article.
The first thing you want to do is to unplug your computer. This includes the power, speakers, keyboard, printer, thumb drive, wireless mouse connectors and anything else plugged into your system. Get a can of compressed air or three.
Take your keyboard, turn it upside down and give it a good shake to dislodge stubborn food particles. (Yes, I know you eat and drink over your keyboard.) If you have a long, thin brush, use it between the keys. Whether you have a brush or not, use the compressed air to blow everything out as much as possible.
I have been told that some people will rinse their keyboards with warm to hot water and clean them that way. I have never tried it but if you do, make sure the areas between the keys are absolutely dry before using the keyboard again. Others, more safely, in my opinion, use a disinfectant on the keyboard and do not get it overly damp.
For the mouse you may use a damp cloth and wipe it down, drying thoroughly also before using. If you have an old “ball” mouse (doubtful), go buy a new laser mouse for $15.
My current favorite: TECKNET Omni Mini 2.4G Wireless Mouse, $13.99
My current 1st runner up: XINKSD 2.4G Ergonomic Wireless Mouse, $14.99
Look around the sides and back of your desktop for thumb screws or regular screws. Usually, there are two, which when unscrewed allow you to slide the side off of your computer. Unscrew them and remove the side. If you have questions, search online for how to open your computer for cleaning by make and model.
For this next step take your computer outside of your house. Make sure you discharge all static electricity before touching anything on the inside of the computer. A static “pop” inside your computer could be a costly mistake. I still recommend keeping touching to a minimum. Although, barring static electricity, you can touch anything in there lightly without damage. For anyone who wears hand lotion, I recommend you wash your hands first. You could inadvertently leave an oily residue on the components which also could cause overheating or other malfunctions.
If you have not done this before you may find a tremendous amount of dust, pet fur, hair, etc. in your computer. It needs to be cleaned out very well. Dirt causes overheating by blocking vents and sticking to components which makes everything thing run hot, slow and can create repair bills. Get out your can(s) of air and blow as much of this dirt out as you can. Removing every bit of it will help significantly.
Monitors and printers should be cleaned with a non-abrasive cloth very slightly dampened with warm water. Then dry them with a lint-free cloth. Make sure that no water runs anywhere into these components. Watch too that no drop of water runs down the front of the monitor which could cause future problems.