Computer and hardware cleaning

[chip]

Ammonia....leaves no trace of DNA behind.

It's gotta be true I saw it in Boondock Saints.

Originally Posted by billybunter

I'm waiting for a spunk tip.

[palo5]

A 50-50 mix of mouthwash (xylitol or something) and water will clear your external hardware very well, especially keyboards

[Jism Jim]

Originally Posted by knobby109

The dishwasher works brilliantly. It brings it up like new.
Unfortun

As a matter of fact, I have cleaned the keys in a dishwasher. It works brillantly, but of course take a photo of the keyboard before you remove the keys.

[Ninjaturtle]

I'm old fashioned

[buttsie]

All good advice above



In similar fashion forget the cleaning and move your computer into vaccuum sealed room
and become bubble boy - say goodbye to dust

Remember dust is nothing more than our own dead skin cells accumulating so the outfit of choice while computing would be that of a scuba diver.

You could ignore this sound advice and simply use a leaf blower as recommended on
toms hardware by no less than a tech.

other tips which sounded logical

Compressed air can actually cause moisture so airing of the case after cleaning has finished for a decent amount of time is paramount to avoid things shorting out later on.

In a similar way dust blown around during a clean finding its way into an empty slot which is later used but not cleaned before hand a recipe for something shorting or worse.

[40plus]

Neat gin seems to work well on keyboards etc. Bit extravagant in these austerity driven times perhaps.

40+

[billybunter]

Originally Posted by palo5

A 50-50 mix of mouthwash (xylitol or something) and water will clear your external hardware very well, especially keyboards

Vodka comrade.

[Darth Joules]

For general grim cleaning; a kitchen towel with a little Ecover Multi-Surface Cleaner sprayed on it. If the keyboard has accummilated too much grim I'll dismantle it for cleaning.

For screen cleaning; Isopropanol/Isopropyl alcohol.

Originally Posted by buttsie

You could ignore this sound advice and simply use a leaf blower as recommended on toms hardware by no less than a tech.

Surprisingly this works so long as you have the space. I watched a mate do this in his garage with his mega-leaf blower and it blasted the case so hard it toppled over and off his workbench.

I do sometimes use a big Swiss dust blower. It's a hand held squeezey thing. It's a bit like trying to herd cats, but you can eventually get the dust bunnies into a group for the vacuum cleaner to suck up.

Good dust filters on intake fans will prevent most dust ingress, but they do need cleaning regularly.

It might sound like advise your mother would give you, but my biggest tip for a relativily dust free PC is...vacuum the room your PC(s) are in every week and dust down every two. A dust free room = dust free PC.

And do not smoke around your PC(s). It acts like glue for the dust and sticky dust grim is quite nasty to clean out!

Compressed air can actually cause moisture so airing of the case after cleaning has finished for a decent amount of time is paramount to avoid things shorting out later on.

Not only that, but some poorer quailty brands will spit propellant everywhere. I use Servisol's cans, from Maplin, which don't.

And do be careful with compressed air cans, excessive blasting can make the them so cold you might end up with the metal of the can stuck to your skin.

[9876543210]

scoundrel,

Originally Posted by scoundrel

Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping your computer clean, other than not being a member of VEF?

Here's what I use:

http://www.amazon.com/CRC-05101-QD-E.../dp/B000CCMLD0

It works pretty well on electronic contacts and isn't expensive. It even does a pretty good job of cleaning tobacco smoke residue from components. Although alcohol seems to do just as good of a job for that.

I will have to agree with others about WD-40. Don't use it on electronic components as it leaves an oily residue which can create electron pathways between places where they aren't supposed to be. This stuff is made for electronics.

I don't know if you can find CRC in England but just about any contact cleaner should do.

[DTravel]

Some of you people scare me.