PC Tune UP: Dust It!

Okay, so you have your tower on the floor, instead of on a cart. (Which is not the best place in the world for it, unless you live in a dust free home). If you notice that it is acting strangely or doesn't seem to want to boot up as quickly as usual, the problem could very well be that you need to clean the dust out of the tower and even the keyboard, mouse and monitor. Don't worry, this is a relatively easy thing to do, and even those of you that don't really know a lot about computers can tackle this one pretty easily!

First of all, dusting your computer isn't like dusting your house! The parts on a computer, like your television set in your living room, are very fragile. You will not want t break out the vacuum cleaner for this job! You also don't want to have to completely break every part of your computer down to take care of the dusting and regular cleaning.

What is the best way to clean the dust out, you may ask? Well, Most computer owners, both novice and professionals, recommend using a moisture free cleaner, like the "Dust Remover" from CleanSafe. Basically, this is a bottle that resembles a large can of WD40. You don't have to use any particular brand, just make sure it is safe to use on your computer! (Read the indications and suggested uses on the back of the bottle if you are not certain.) The spray of this kind is usually no more than about $5 a bottle and unless the inside of your computer shell looks like your dog's coat of fur, you won't need more than one of these.

When you are ready to begin, it is best to start with your tower. Turn off your computer (in safe mode) and disconnect your keyboard, mouse, monitor, telephone line and anything else you may have connected to your tower. Next, place your tower onto a few pieces of newspaper or old grocery bags, so that the mess won't get all over your carpet or flooring.

After you have done that, now is a good time to read the directions and warnings on the back of the bottle. It will tell you the proper way to handle the spray, as well as show you how to use the attached nozzle extender. It is very important you follow the instructions on the bottle, as the contents are made up of a product that is like an insanely cold liquid. If you shake the can or hold it the wrong way, you will only get a liquid and the can will be so cold you can't hold onto it!

Once you get a feel for the way the spray operates, go ahead and remove the shell of your computer case. (It is usually only a matter of removing a knob of some kind on the sliding side panel. Remove the knob and slide the panel off.) Place it in a manner so that you are comfortable and you will then be able start the dusting process. Use short spray stokes to get the best amount of pressure out of the air can. You can quickly get the idea of how this works and you will be able to finish rather quickly. Once you have finished, replace the shell of the tower again and then put the knob back. You may also want to go ahead and spray the front of the tower, like the disk drive and USB ports, too.

After the tower, it's time to move on to the monitor. It is best to make sure it is not plugged into the outlet when cleaning it. Just use the spray can like you did when you cleaned out the tower. Spray into the crevices of the back of the monitor and the front, if it needs it. When the monitor is done, you can go ahead and plug it and the tower back into your power source.

Next, you will want to clean off the keyboard. Be sure to spray into the cracks and in between all of the letters and numbers. Usually, there is some kind of dust or maybe the keys are just dirty. Either way, you can use the spray to help get it into a better shape. You can also go ahead and use the spray on the mouse, just do it in the same manner you attacked the keyboard.

When you have cleaned every inch of the computer tower, the monitor, keyboard and mouse, go ahead and reconnect and restart your computer. You should notice a change in the way your computer runs and works by now. If you regularly maintain this cleaning of the dust, you will find that your computer will last a lot longer!