How to clean your computer and avoid Asthma Attacks
Cleaning your computer is like cleaning or changing your car’s air, oil or fuel filter. A clean filter will make the car run efficiently and your engine will last a long time. Your computer’s hardware such as the computer’s fan and vents on the computer case would allow clean air inside to increase air flow. If dirty air, grime, and dust go inside the computer, both your hard drive and some parts around the CPU might be dirty or yet damaged; your computer will end up overheating, and you probably do not know about it. Cleaning your computer can be tedious work, but it can be a lot of fun if you do not have anything else to do around the house. Here are some basic tips that you need to remember while cleaning your computer:
Note: If you have any pets at home, make sure to keep the cats and dogs as far away from the computer as possible while you are working.
-Turn off Your Computer—
Make sure everything on your computer is turned off and let it cool down before you do any maintenance on it. If you were working on a car, you would not want to work on a car with a hot engine, would you? Of course not. Make sure your computer’s tower is turned off as well as your monitor and your computer mouse (if you have a wireless mouse). Wait for at least 5 to 10 minutes for your computer to cool down, and proceed to the next step, which is to unplug the cables.
-Unplug the cables from the back of the computer—
Cables for the printer, mouse, keyboard, monitor, speakers, network router, etc. need to be unplugged in order for you to gain access to the computer tower. Make sure to check, double-check, and triple-check to see that every single cable has been taken out from its port. If your computer is located on the bottom of your computer desk, take your computer out [gently], and place it on a flat surface. I would not recommend putting it on carpet since it is not as stable as a regular desk.
-Obtain all Necessary Tools—
Obtaining all necessary tools to clean your computer is vital. First, you would need a 00 screwdriver (available at various hardware stores or office supplies stores) to unscrew the computer case. A can of compressed air (Dust-Off is a good brand; a pack of 12 costs $35 at Costco) is needed to spray the dust from the CPU fan and the motherboard. Finally, a used dust rag or a microfiber cloth would be used to do some final cleaning for the smaller or hard-to-reach areas.
-What to do with the Can of Compressed Air-
The kids may think of the can of compressed air as a toy. It is NOT! Compressed air contains a lot of chemicals, especially Freon and additives that may be harmful to children if used orally or near the eyes. To start spraying, spray little squirts of the compressed air at the dirty areas of the computer; long squirts will do two things that would aggravate you and make you sick: 1) The dust and dirty air flying around the room might lead to severe illness for people who have asthma problems; 2) The Freon in the compressed air does lessen by a wide margin if used in long, frequent squirts. Oh, and make sure to get those USB ports too.
-Clean Your Monitor and Keyboard Too-
Your computer is not the only thing that might be dirty. Your monitor and keyboard might gather up a lot of dust in the long run, and you might not be able to see a thing from your monitor, no matter if it is a cathode-ray tube (CRT) or a flat LCD screen. The compressed air is considered a multi-tasker and your monitor and printer will also thank you for the job you have done. How would you like to have a clean monitor and keyboard after a couple of months of excess usage?
-Put Everything Back Together-
Now that your computer is cleaned, both inside and out, it is time to put everything back together. If you hear a quiet hum of the CPU, that means that you have done everything the right and efficient way. Congratulations, you have just learned how to clean your computer.