Cleaning your computer
Cleaning your computer doesn't necessarily mean taking a can of Pledge to your machine. You can clean your computer, and you should but certain rules need to be followed:
The monitor can be cleaned with a glass cleaner, but take special care to not let the liquid in any vent holes on the unit. The easiest way is to spray the cleaner on a rag, and then clean the monitor with the damp rag.
The mouse can be cleaned with rag and cleaner. In addition, you may remove the roller ball cover and the roller ball itself. The ball will accumulate dust over time, so clean the ball as well.
The keyboard can be cleaned with a rag, but the easiest way is to use a special keyboard vacuum. Keyboards are notorious for being ruined by small amounts of moisture. Unless you think you've dropped vicious goo into the keyboard, don't remove the keys to clean the inside. If it's that bad, invest in a good keyboard vacuum.
The CPU case can be cleaned much the same way as the monitor, taking caution to not let any liquid enter the unit. The inside does need to be cleaned. After unplugging the unit, remove the case and clean the inside of the case itself. The best way is to use compressed or canned air. Make sure you use short bursts of spray in order to avoid condensation.
If there is a smoker in the house or you live in a particularly dusty area, make sure the fan area is free of dirt. This can also be cleaned with compressed air.
If there is a great amount of dirt on the motherboard or other components inside the machine, using a cloth, remove as much dirt as possible. Again, do not get the components wet and, if using compressed air, use short busts of spray.
If you've had problems with a floppy, zip or tape drive, the problem may lie with dirt. Using a long cotton swab that has been dipped in rubbing alcohol, clean off the inside of the unit, entering through the area where the disk is loaded. The problem could be dirty heads. (Make sure the cotton swab isn't soaked in alcohol. You don't want that area wet, either.)
Some people recommend using certain products, like Simple Green. Whatever you use, be certain to use caution. The most important things are to make sure the unit is unplugged if you decide to clean the CPU and to be sure the area remains dry. A wet computer is a very unhappy computer.
If you believe that you have a hardware problem and need our help, bring your CPU to M & M Programming, Inc., 110 North Spalding Avenue, Lebanon, KY.
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