Discussion on:

PC spring-cleaning

Easiest way to clean the keyboad while getting all those grubby marks off that you spend hours scrubbing away out Is to
firstly, Use the air compressor to get all the lose bits out from under the keys
Secondly, take some cleaning fluid that you would normally clean the keyboard with and spray it onto a cloth,so the cloth is quite damp.
Thirdly, place the cloth over the keyboard then take a shoe cleaning brush (One without shoe polish on !!) Use the brush on top of the keyboard across the keys.
This pushes the cloth right into all those hard to reach places
Just finish off with a dry cloth an you keyboards should look like new!
This works particulary well on textured keyboards as well.

Soak the whole keyboard in a sink of warm water for a few hours. You'd be amazed what comes out. Let it dry for a few days. Looks brand new.

Bobb Todd

If I have a keyboard that is really dirty I use the bucket method. Clean it out with compresses air first, then use some liquid fabric cleaner and warm water to get all the grease and dirt out of it giving it a good scrub helps there. After you can then rinse it with cold water to get all the soap out then dry it out for a few days. The liquid fabric cleaner is great for washing clothes its designed to clean greasy deposits like the ones you get from the ends of fingers, food and all the stuffthe keyboards attract.
It wont do any damage to key boards as its biological and only breaks down organic substances.

If there is a real hurry, you can dry the keyboard in a 150-degree oven for about 3 hours...

Just throw a grubby keyboard into the dishwasher. Let it dry out for several days and it'll work fine.

In our office all PC's are cleaned by professionals every 6 months. This is money well spent, as we almost never loose equipment, except, when time (and the software developers of Microsoft) makes the PC's unable to perform, simply because technology is too old.

WHAT IS THE BEST SOFTWARE FOR CLEANNING YOUR,
PC IS IT NORTON CLEANSWEEP,WITH SO MANY DIFFRENT ONES ON THE MARKET WHICH ONE DO I CHOOSE,
PAUL2U@NTLWORLD.COM

I've been using Norton Systemworks 2000 / 2001 for a few years now (which include Cleansweep) and in a nutshell it's kept my computers running in tip-top shape since the word go. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED SOFTWARE is the only definition I can give for Norton Systemworks 2001.

We used to clean the old IBM XT keyboards you used to get years ago. You could actually wash these and they would still work! Nowadays we replace any mice or keyboards that appear to be faulty - life is too short for cleaning! Apart from cleaning monitor screens, we rarely if ever clean any equipment (possibly apart from printers) as cleaning itself introduces a risk you will damage the equipment. Plus the fact we are lazy

Kevin Geoghegan

As pcs age, they get dirty, yes. But they often become obsolete before they malfunction from a cleaning related issue (ala dust bunnies). Hiring a part-time worker at 6, 7, or 8 dollars an hour to clean keyboards or mice still doesn't outweigh thecosts associated with simply replacing a $10 keyboard. You have to add the costs associated with reviewing applications, saving/storing the apps (most laws require this for a specified period of time even for those people you don't hire), phone calls, interviews, and any additional Human Resource type expenses (initial paperwork, etc...). Outsourcing may be a viable alternative, but again - 1 keyboard may get faulty from dirt and outsourcing may have a larger minimum commitment than simply replacing an inexpensive component like a KB.

If a quick blast of compressed air under the keys, or a quick scrape of the roller bars inside the mouse doesn't do the trick - replace them. The cost of a mouse or a keyboard is cheaper than the time it takes to actually do a thorough cleaning job. I do think that time should be spent on cleaning the system box, but not the peripherals.

With new keyboards coming in at ?3.50 a pop it costs more in labour to clean them than a replacement is worth. Mice are worth cleaning, I do mine about once a month as it always seems to get cruddy inside. I spend more on my mice than on my keyboards

As pcs age, they get dirty, yes. But they often become obsolete before they malfunction from a cleaning related issue (ala dust bunnies). Hiring a part-time worker at 6, 7, or 8 dollars an hour to clean keyboards or mice still doesn't outweigh the costs associated with simply replacing a $10 keyboard. You have to add the costs associated with reviewing applications, saving/storing the apps (most laws require this for a specified period of time even for those people you don't hire), phone calls,interviews, and any additional Human Resource type expenses (initial paperwork, etc...). Outsourcing may be a viable alternative, but again - 1 keyboard may get faulty from dirt and outsourcing may have a larger minimum commitment than simply replacing an inexpensive component like a KB.

I have an Access database set up with a strict maintenance schedule that tracks the last maintenance date and projects the next due date. Most workstations are on a 12 month schedule however, some that are considered more critical to operations (including the server, are on a 6 month schedule. The dust is blown out of the cpu case, keyboard and mouse. The keyboard and mouse are cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.
Any new updates available for operating system, BIOS, installed software and hardwaredrivers are also installed.
After deleting any temporary files, scandisk is run with the "thorough" option and then defrag. Both are run in safe mode which works out much better than trying to figure out what may be running in the background causing these utilities to restart.

why replace a computer component if it isn't bad? just clean that puppy real good, and get back to work.

Working for a State government
agency we don't have any extra
funds to play with. It's like
pulling teeth to get the money
for even the most "semi-disposable"
items like a mouse or keyboard.
Because of this we do quite a bit of
maintenance & cleaning, trying to
keep what we have in good shape.
But I agree with many of the other
comments - we have to watch the cost-
effectiveness and be sure not to
introduce new problems or damage
a PC that's working fine because we
were overzealous in our cleaning.

I always try to clean parts first, normally that's all that is required.
Components cost enough as it is.

Coincidentally, I just published a similar article in the last company newsletter. But a word of caution is in order here. The use of compressed air is ideal for hunting dust bunnies, but be careful around fans. The fans used on PCs are driven bypermanent magnet motors. When spun manually by a blast of compressed air, they become dc generators, capable of generating enough voltage to damage their electronic drivers on the motherboard or in the power supply. I advise my clients to immobilize the fans with a toothpick other non-metallic object while directing compressed air over them.

That's a great tip about immobilising the fan of a power supply before blasting it.

I'm really not convinced about the keyboard in a sink of water comment though - why introduce the risk of rust???

Most of the cleaning done here is either Monitors or mice. There's no point throwing out a perfectly good mouse when a few minutes will get the thing back on track.

I agree most of your focus should be on keeping the base unit clean. Especially mission critical servers.

I may try someof those other tips on my home PC though 8D

I didn't know there was any steel or iron in keyboards that could rust. Our techs, who have over 200 PCs to support, recommend and use the keyboard in the bucket method. Apparently it works well.

It's also a very good idea to use a static charge dissipator like a wrist strap. These straps have a metal interior that keeps your body and the hardware at the same voltage potential. Thus not static charge build up.

If you don't have a wrist strap you can still hold onto a metal part of the chassis but it's a little awkward when cleaning.

And DON'T BECOME A SHOCK ABSORBER..make sure you are unplugged.

I clean our PC at least three times a year. I know this isn't possible with big company, but with a small SOHO, or one with last than ten systems, I've found this is better than a once a year cleaning. Not only do you prolong the life of the sysetm,but you normal see a increase in overall performance.
If you use a rotation schedule for cleaning then you can make sure all the syetem is clean, as well as giving you a chance to inspect the physcial condition of the PC's.
"If the system is clean and run properly, then your syetem can do it's part in running your programs."

Lonnie Owens
The Family Owens

I am quite certain the cost of replacing a couple keyboards, mice, and a few power supplies in a year is far less than the cost of labor and canned air at $6 to $10 a pop. Besides...the mindless task of cleaning a couple hundred pc's could put anyone over the edge.

When a mouse stops working, I try to clean the balls which usuall y helps. For the keyboard, a lot of staple, office pins & clicks could get stocked, so dusting it out helps. If this fails, just change them.

I have worked with all kinds of electronic equipment (including PCs and servers) over the last 25+ years. Using compressed air, whether from an air compressor system or a can, is one way to clean up some kinds of equipment, and may be the only way to dislodge stubborn dirt buildup. But, for most working environments, blowing the dirt out into the environment to only be pulled back into equipment with cooling fans is not the best idea. Some people are subject to health problems from dust; those that have athsma, emphysema, or allergies. The compressed air creates it's own static charge that can result in CMOS component damage. And the chemical propellant in canned air can damage or destroy components if it contacts components directly. Besides, it can be quite impractical to move equipment out of work areas or equipment rooms (like rack mounted servers) to avoid blowing the dirt into the working environment. And, when working with laser printers, you do not want to blow toner particles into the work environment because of the health risks associated with toner.

A few years ago, I spent a short time working for a service arm of IBM. The solution IBM provided was a specialized, portable vacuum cleaner designed for working on andaround computer equipment. This vacuum had a filter that would trap the very small toner particles, along with dust and dirt from machines. It was designed to be anti-static, so could be used safely around CMOS components. The dust and dirt particles were trapped in the filter, not blown into the work area. And there was no need to move the equipment out of the work area.

There are several vacuums available from several different sources. If you go to http://www.specialized.net/, and search on vacuum, you will get a list of available vacuums. The one I used was the 115-v Field Service Vacuum.

There certainly are a lot of opinions out there about this topic. In the old days the cases were cleaned out as a by-product when they were opened up regularly due to troubleshooting (to "check connections" and reseat cards). There was even special conductive anti-oxidant cleaner and paste to apply to the edge connectors.

Today, I'm not so sure of the need to do this anymore. These are appliances now. When was the last time you cleaned your T.V. or VCR even?

I DO think the exteriors, KB's, and mice need attention, but just as something to do while interviewing the user about problems s/he has with the machine/software. After all this is Customer Service, right?

I agree with the cost/benefit aspect mentioned in other posts. I could maybe see keeping dirty, swapped keyboards until you had a washer full and doing a load if that's your thing, but anything more is a waste of time. Do you open up your video tapes and splice out the bad tape?

Machine oil may work adequately for some people on the printer's carriage bar, but you will often find that it splatters around the inside and on the paper as the carriage assembly returns. I get better results with a thin film of white lithium grease. Usually, it works better to wipe on a thin film to loosen the dirt that has accumulated on the bar, wipe that off with a clean cloth, then wipe on a fresh film.

Cleaning inkjet printers, you would often do well to remove the cartridge and GENTLY scrub a water-moistened cloth or disposable tissue across the foil at the bottom of the cartridge to clean off dried ink deposits.

While I agree with what you say and hope that TechRepublic readers are savvy, it's always a toss-up to suggest lubricants. On the one hand they are necessary and do get wiped off, worn off, and evaporate.

But on the other they are complex compounds that were designed for specific uses. Using the wrong lubricant, or the right lubricant in the wrong way, can cause problems as well.

Remember that a little goes a long way. You aren't filling a crankcase here. Too much lube and it will migrateto other areas, and can catch and hold dust which adds to problems down the road.

The machine oil can get away from you. (As a rule if you can see it on the part, it's probably too much.) And "3-in-1" ain't machine oil folks. It's only slightly better than salad oil.

But lithium grease can be pretty thick and may dampen (retard) the action of some components if used in excess, too.

Also remember that petroleum byproducts present in most lubricants can eat up some of the plastic and rubber materials used in modern printers. HP is very cautious about what to lubicate with, and reccommends only water to clean most user-serviceable areas.

Light machine oil can be placed on the bar by putting the oil on a paper towel or soft cloth, then rubbing the bar with the moist cloth. Hewlett Packard recommends using a cotton swab with filtered or distilled water to clean inkjet print cartridges. I once used alcohol to clean a print cartridge, then tossed the cartridge in the trash can before I discovered that hint from HP

A good cleaning keeps most printers in good shape. Canned air in a laser? Not likely, unless you want to come out looking like a chimney sweep, never mind the fact that you'll be breathing the toner. Get a toner vacuum, especially made to filter the toner so that you're not reintroducing it to the air.
The feed, separation, pick-up, and exit rollers can always use a good cleaning. Don't use alcohol though, it dries them out and a dry roller can't grip paper as well. Use a non-alcohol cleanser such as "simple green". It keeps those rollers in good shape for quite a while. And on the subject of rollers, don't touch the transfer roll or wipe it with any chemicals. This can cut down on your print quality over time.
Injet printers and officejet fax machines need to have the carriage rod and the encoding strip cleaned occasionally. Ink spray can cause them to clog up, causing "print jams" and poor print quality. Use alcohol, and yes, you can use machine oil on the carriage rod..but it only takes a drop , then allow the carriage assy to run over the rod once or twice. Any more oil than that, and you can get messy pages. Feed tires get the same treatment as those in lasers.

I am currently serving in the U.S. Army as an Automated Logistical Specialist and your article on cleaning up your pc and such is right on track. We always took care of our equipment in the military, especially the weapons and vehicles but over thepast couple of years we have really started taking care of our automation equipment. And we really put our equipment through the ringer. Keep up the great writing and thanks for keeping us informed.

I have been searching in vain for a way to clean laptop LCD screens.

Tried both ordinary screenwipes and safe-foam - but they both smear badly.

Any ideas ?

I read this article to see if I could learn anything new. Actually I spend about 15 minutes a week with my alcohol, compressed air and an old clean cloth. The result is easy to figure. My PC always looks like new and functions as expected. As for the human, I drink coffee and snack like many others. This way my PC can tolerate me!

The article said not to use a vacuum cleaner but how about the vacuums, such as the Data Vacs, that are suppose to be made for PC's ? Also I thought a vacuum was suppose to be used on a laser printer since any loose toner would go everywhere. It is difficult to move computers and printers to another area just to blow them out so a vaccum comes in handy.

We always try cleaning a mouse before replacing it. We find cleaning usually fixes it. We have not experienced any keyboard failures that cleaning would fix.

I've been cleaning computers (as a business) for 8 years. Most mainly need to have a few dust bunnies removed and fans cleaned annually. But the one that got me started belonged to a man with his computer in a farm shop. Overheating (apparently a small fire - there were char marks on it and the inside of the case when I opened it) killed his hard drive. He lost a management program (from a defunct company) he really liked because his floppy drive had gone bad from the dirt and ruined his backupfloppies when he tried to reinstall. He was lucky--he could have lost the entire shop, and the $100,000+ tractor he had parked in it.

I have seen other computers with dust bunnies and sawdust 1/2" thick on the boards (in a 3-yr old computer), spider webs, and mats of pet hair that block the air intakes for the fans. These all belonged to businesses where the owner didn't want to be bothered, and I clean all their computers on a regular basis. So far, they all seem to think it's money well spent. They only upgrade when forced to (Y2K or equipment failure) and consider $600 a lot of money.

If you have a dirty environment, clean the computer! Computers generate heat, dust traps heat, and fires, though rare, can destroy a lot more than that commodity computer.

Plan ahead when you set things up and cleaning doesn't need to take long (especially if you don't worry about anything except the box). Including keyboard and mouse, it takes me less than an hour for most computers, and at least 15 minutes of that time is spent crawling under desks and moving furniture to disconnect and reconnect cables. If the computer box is where you can reach it easily, it takes less than 15 minutes to open the case and clean inside. If you don't have time or the inclination, back up your data and have a professional, who guarantees to replace hardware if he breaks it, come in to do the job!