Ahh, springtime. The garden. The cluttered garage. The gutters that never got cleaned last fall. Alas, tucked away in a dark corner underneath your desk, or perhaps buried under a pile of magazines and bills sits a metal box that is calling for your attention. You’ve most likely never ventured inside this box. Now may be a good time to add it to the spring cleaning checklist.

Regular cleaning is good for computer gear. Taking a few minutes to remove the dust, crumbs, smudges and other unwelcome guests from your computing devices will make for a better experience and potentially help avoid hardware failure resulting from dust buildup. Let’s take a look at some common inroads to computer clutter and ways to clean them up, starting with THE TOWER.

Inside the tower is located all of the computer’s hardware that springs to life when the power button is pushed. ALL computers generate heat. As a system’s cooling fan draws air through the tower, so to goes the dust. Years of accumulated dust acts as an insulator. This can raise the temperature of a computer above its operating capacity and cause hardware failure. The solution – remove the dust. Here are some simple DO’s and DON’TS that need to be followed when cleaning dust from a computer:

1. All power cords, cables and devices need to be unplugged and removed.
2. Dusting should take place outside in a dry, clean and ventilated area.
3. Remove only the removable side of the tower’s outer case, typically held in place by a hinge or locking screw.
4. Do not touch any of the internal parts as they can be sensitive to the static discharge from your body.
5. Using only canned or compressed air, apply short puffs directed at a distance of 2-6 inches from computer parts.
6. Never use a vacuum cleaner or dusting device to remove dust from your computer.

Bravado and a big blast from the lungs is not a good idea for cleaning the tower. You’re liable to get a face full of old, fine dust.

THE PRINTER can also benefit from a regular cleaning. A gentle wipe down of the outside of the printer with a damp, lint-free cloth will do the job. As for the “guts” of the printer, methods of cleaning can vary depending on the printer type. Fortunately, most newer printers have built-in cleaning utilities accessible from the printer software installed on the computer or from the settings on the printer itself. The built-in utility will typically take care of cleaning and aligning the printhead or print cartridges. This will help cut down on waste in both paper and ink. Older printers may require removal of these items for manual cleaning.

Cleaning THE MONITOR is a straight shot. Newer LCD monitors are more sensitive to scratches and abrasions compared to the glass screens found on older CRT monitors. Consequently, a softer touch and non-abrasive materials are key. Always use a clean, micro-fiber cloth such as the type for cleaning eye glasses. NEVER use paper products (tissue, towels, newspaper) or other cloth types. Plain water or a water/vinegar solution sprayed onto the cloth will help remove smudges on the screen. Slow and gentle is the way to go while cleaning an LCD monitor.

As for THE KEYBOARD, don’t let it become your personal petri dish. A little patience and light elbow grease will expose those smudged-over keys in no time. First, take care of the dust and crumbs with some compressed air (like with the tower) blown between the keys. A vacuum with a brush attachment will also work, but use caution and avoid “popping-off” a key. A cotton swab or lint-free cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol will remove smudges and sanitize your keyboard. Periodic sanitizing of a keyboard can be done with household cloth-sanitizing products or a cloth lightly dampened with alcohol.

These few simple tasks will help keep your devices humming along.

Additional resources:

Lifehacker – Just the basics for a quick once over of your computer and peripherals

Bleepingcomputer.com – An in-depth look at cleaning the computer tower

Computerhope.com – General cleaning tips for computers and peripherals.

ehow.com – Links to numerous articles on a variety of cleaning information, including laptops

Crunchgear – A video overview of cleaning your computer