So,
cleaning a laptop after regular intervals of time increases its
operating life. The main purpose for me writing this article is to
provide you with step by step easy guide on “How to clean laptop?”
This guide deals with cleaning only those components which improve performance subjectively as well as objectively.
Things you’ll need to clean your laptop:
- LCD cleaning liquid.
- Mild detergent liquid.
- A microfiber cloth.
- An Anti-static brush.
- A low power blower and a vacuum cleaner.
Precaution:
Turn off your laptop and remove the battery before you start with the
below steps. After battery removal, press the power button for a few
seconds to discharge the capacitors.
The
first thing to do is to brush off the dust clinging to the hinges,
grills, touchpad, keypad assembly, extension ports (USB, Ethernet, HDMI,
DVI), jacks (mic and headphones) and slots (card reader, Kensington
lock).
Inlets- The inlet ports are used for sucking in the
air but along with air, the dust particles also enter the laptop and
cause over-heating issues.
Heat is the killer of electronics.
Step 1: Use a blower to remove the dust from the ports located at the bottom of the laptop.
Outlets- The outlets remove the hot air and are usually located on the sides of a laptop.
Step 2: Use a low power vacuum cleaner to suck the dust from the exhaust port/ports.
Display: Glossy touchscreen displays are prone to fingerprints and look greasy even after short use.
Step 3:
Spray the LCD cleaning liquid over the display and then use the
microfiber cloth to rub off the smudges. Remember, LCDs are very
delicate, so try not to exert too much pressure while cleaning the
display.
Keypad: The keypad gets greased up with oils and dust and serve as a home to a lot of bacterium.
Step 4: Moist the microfiber cloth with a mild detergent and rub it off on all the keys.
Touchpad: Just like the keypad, the touchpad is also the abode of infection.
Step 5: Moist the microfiber cloth again with mild detergent and use it to remove the dirt and germs off the keypad.
Speaker grills: The dust trapped in the speaker grills make your laptop look dirty.
Step 6: Use the brush to remove settled dust.
Lid: The cleaner the lid, the cleaner your laptop will look to others.
Step 7:
Again use the microfiber cloth moistened with mild detergent to clean
the lid. Do not wield too much force on to the lid or you may damage
your LCD.
You can also clean the remaining parts like the back panel, front panel and the sides to make your old laptop look new.
I’ve used Dell XPS L502x
laptop to take these illustrative snapshots. The location of these
ports and slots vary among laptops from different manufacturers. Read
the system manual provided with the laptop or use your head to determine
the location of these slots.
How to clean laptop: Illustrative images
