new-41070_640Is your laptop looking less than its best? Maybe even a bit, well, grubby?

Here are some suggestions for the proper care of one of your most hardworking and useful possessions.

The Safest Cleaning Tools and Products for Your Laptop

The materials you will need for cleaning your laptop are a fifty percent solution of Isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and distilled water. The tools you will need are clean cotton swabs and several clean gentle cloths. Also purchase a good can of compressed air for removing dirt from your keyboard.

Cleaning your Laptop Keyboard

Before beginning the cleaning process, disconnect your laptop from the power source and turn it off. It isn’t necessary to take out the battery.

When cleaning your laptop keyboard you need to have a can of compressed air to blow out loose particles and dirt. It is safe to turn your laptop over for cleaning. This should be the very first step of your cleaning procedure so you do not end up repeating the steps after this part is done. This part of your keyboard has loose particles – cookie crumbs, dust, all sorts of small debris – and it will be the dirtiest part of your laptop. Begin with turning over the laptop and shaking the dirt gently from the keys and keyboard.

After you turn your keyboard over and shake the dirt free be sure to run your fingers across the keys so that you loosen any particles that remain. If you have spilled anything on your keyboard you can remove the individual keys for cleaning; this process is different for every computer so make sure you find the diagram online for your particular keyboard’s keys. It’s generally pretty easy to pop them in and out.

When you have removed your keys, use a cotton swab with alcohol for best results in deep cleaning dirt and grime. Change the swabs frequently, and repeat until all the dirt is removed.

Cleaning your Laptop Screen

Most normal household cleaners aren’t safe to use for cleaning your laptop screen. Use a new cloth that is moistened with distilled or purified water because regular tap water can damage your LCD display. Do not spray any of your cleaning solution directly on your screen, rather spray it on to your cloth fists.. This solution should be made of Isopropyl alcohol and water. Be sure to wipe your screen with easy circular motions so you do not damage the display; avoid pressing too hard. Clean first from left to right and then from top to bottom. Before finishing, look at the screen from all angles to make sure you haven’t missed any particularly grungy spots. Finally, clean gently with a dry cloth to bring your screen back to clarity and sparkle.

Cleaning your Laptop Case

Use your cleaning solution of alcohol and water with a clean cloth to polish up the outside of your laptop without scratching the finish. This will bring your laptop back to its original sheen. Start with the outside of the laptop and then proceed to open your lid and wipe all the areas around your laptop keyboard, it’s preferable to do this after you finish cleaning out your laptop keyboard for best results.

The whole exercise should take no more than a half an hour, and you will be rewarded with a laptop which looks good, with a screen devoid of irritating smears, and a keyboard which will be functioning to its optimum.

 

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