Something in the air

It seems just about everything in the air is bad for your computer. Dust and dirt can clog ventilation ports and form insulating layers on chips. That can lead to overheating, which can damage or destroy chips -- especially the hot-running CPUs in many newer PCs. And airborne particles can corrode and even fry your computer's delicate circuitry. Even worse, the damage occurs slowly, leading to intermittent errors and problems that are hard to track down.
The biggest airborne threat to your computer is cigarette smoke, which leaves a sticky film that's hard to remove.
The easiest way to keep your PC clean is by making sure the air around it is also clean. In a large office there's not much you can do. But if you work in a smaller office, you can buy a small High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filtration device that removes airborne particulates. Honeywell (1300 363936) offers several models ranging from $375 to $635.

The broom closet

Before you clean your PC, you need the right tools. Paper towels and rubbing alcohol may work at a pinch, but to do it right, visit your local computer or electronics store. For a few dollars, you can get everything you need.
Lint-free wipes, swabs, and brushes. Regular paper towels and cotton swabs can leave particles behind. Special lint-free foam wipes and swabs are readily available, and some even come premoistened with an antistatic cleaning solution. A small, high-quality brush is good for dusting plastic surfaces.
Cleaning solutions. For cleaning plastics, a lint-free cloth dampened with soap and water works fine. But for cleaning electronics you'll want an alcohol-based antistatic cleaner. Garden-variety rubbing alcohol can't be trusted because it may contain impurities. Always spray or pour the cleaning solution onto the wipe or swab, never onto the object being cleaned.
Compressed-gas duster. A can of compressed gas is indispensable for removing dust and particulate matter from hard-to-reach nooks and crannies such as the space between keyboard keys. Get a brand that's non-flammable and doesn't use Freon or other ozone-depleting gases, and make sure it's meant for electronic equipment. Some dusters, designed for other purposes, generate static charges.

Tips for good housekeeping

Roll up your sleeves and clean up:
Motherboard and I/O cards. Clean out your system every three to six months, depending on the air quality in your location. Before digging into your PC, make sure that it's turned off and that you are grounded. Especially in dry, cold weather, your body can build up a strong electrostatic charge that can destroy delicate circuits. Always touch the PC's metal chassis before making contact with any electrical component. To be safe and make sure you're grounded, leave the computer's power supply plugged in and touch the power supply's casing.
Next, remove the PC's cover and check the ventilation ports for dust and other obstructions. Use a duster to blow loose debris off the case, power supply, and motherboard. If you have a vacuum cleaner, use it in conjunction with the duster. The goal is to remove the dust, not just move it around.
If your computer is in a very dusty environment, you may want to cut up an inexpensive air-conditioner filter and place it over the air intake vent on the PC's case. But remember -- a smooth flow of air through the case is essential to dissipate your PC's heat, so clean the filter often.
After removing I/O cards, use the duster to blow away dust on the cards. Then clean the edge connectors with lint-free wipes and cleaning solution. Take care not to touch the edge connectors -- oil from your skin can corrode their thin gold coating -- or to apply a pencil eraser to them. Also take a swab to the I/O slot connectors on the motherboard.
Mouse. Cleaning your mouse regularly can extend its life significantly and often cure problems such as a sticky cursor.
Unplug the mouse and open its circular cover on the bottom by rotating it in the direction of the arrows. Next, take out the rubber ball and clean it with just soap and water -- chemical cleaners can damage the ball and other mouse parts. And clean out the ball cavity with a lint-free wipe.
If your mouse jumps or won't move smoothly in one direction, there's a good chance that one of its rollers is dirty. Examine the three rollers in the ball cavity. (Two control the mouse's movement on screen -- one for vertical motion and one for horizontal; the third roller just helps to hold the ball in place.) Use a swab and non-alcoholic cleaning solution to remove any dirt. If gunk is really caked on the roller, you may need to scrape it off with a toothpick. Don't let caked debris fall into the mouse. Let everything dry, then reassemble the mouse.
Keyboard. Like mice, keyboards collect oil and dirt from your hands as well as whatever might spill onto them. To do a quick clean, flip the keyboard upside down and use a duster with its straw attachment to clean under the keys. Wipe the keys and surfaces with a damp cloth.
For a more thorough semi-annual cleaning, you can pop the keycaps off the board. On most keyboards, the caps are easily removed by gently prying up on opposite sides of the key. But before you try this, make sure you're clear about which key goes where. Also be wary of the springs under the keys; on some keyboards they pop right off when the key comes up.
Once you have all the keycaps removed, clean the board with a damp cloth or specialised cleaner. If you've got a real mess (say, from a soft-drink spill), you can be liberal with your application of cleaning solution -- or even water. Just make sure the keyboard is completely dry before plugging it back in.
Monitor. Desktop PC displays are dust magnets, literally. They build up a strong static charge that pulls dust toward them. Wipe down the screen with a soft lint-free wipe dampened with an antistatic, alcohol-free cleaning solution.
Notebook screen. Gently use a clean, soft, lint-free cloth without cleaning solution.
Floppy drive. Cleaning kits for floppy drives come with a special cleaning-pad disk that strips the oxidation off the drive's read/write head. Unfortunately, it can also wear down the head. Unless you are already getting frequent floppy errors, wait for the first sign of trouble before cleaning. A quick blast from the duster could do the trick, too.
CD-ROM drive and discs. Cleaning a CD-ROM drive means cleaning the small lens that focuses the drive's laser beam. Cleaning kits are available with a special CD that has brushes attached to its surface. As the disc rotates, the brushes clean the lens. But before you spend money on a new gizmo, try directing a healthy blast of gas from your duster into the drive. Also, many drives are self-cleaning, so buying a special kit may be overkill. Check your drive's documentation.
Finally, keep your CDs free of dirt and oil. To clean the discs, moisten a clean, soft cotton cloth. Gently wipe the shiny side of the disc with strokes that start at the centre and move radially outward.
- Kirk Steers