Maintenance in cleanliness is one of the most important things to pay attention to when it comes to electronics. Other than prolonging its lifespan, you'll also avoid certain damages that will cost you for repairs. This is especially true for PC towers, so here's how you can deep clean them properly.
What You'll Need:
Rubbing Alcohol
Microfiber Cloth
Cotton Swabs
Compressed Air/Blower
Disconnect from Power Source
The very first step would be to disconnect your tower from its power source. Not doing so would put you at risk of electric shock when you clean the interior, which you will be doing later on. Hold the power button for about 30 seconds to make sure that there is no residual power.
Unplug All the Cords
It will be harder to clean out your computer when there are wires in the way. Remove all cords such as the power cord, mouse, keyboard, headphones, etc. You should also let your PC sit for about 15 minutes, as suggested by OEVEO, to decrease the chances of static discharge.
Move Your PC to an Open Space
Once you start cleaning your PC, you can expect collected dust to fall off of it, so it's advisable to do all your cleaning in an open space where you can easily sweep off the debris. It's also best to do it by morning outside so you will have ample lighting and you can see better which parts need a thorough cleaning.
Blow All the Dust Away
It's important to invest in a blower for your PC or buy a can of compressed air since it will make your job a whole lot easier when getting rid of dust build-up. It will help you clean out areas that you won't be able to reach, and save you a lot of time since you won't have to wipe down every surface area.
You will also need it to clean out vents that accumulate the most dust since it is for airflow, which prevents your computer from overheating. Simply wiping it down may not be enough since some vent holes are too small for any type of fiber to get into.
Read Also : How to Clean USB Ports in Laptops, Computers, and Smartphones, and Why You Should Do It Now
Open Your Computer Tower
This is when the real work starts. Once you open the tower, you're going to want to use your blower/compressed air again to get rid of the remaining dust inside. If you have a PC tower that has a lot of openings, it's likely dusty inside as well.
Spray a little bit of rubbing alcohol into a cotton swab and start cleaning the blades of your CPU fan and heatsink. The edges of the fan blade will be the filthiest so you'll probably be using a lot of cotton swabs for all your tower fans.
Once that's done, wipe down your case vents and PSU vents next. Even though you've blown away most of the dust using a blower/compressed air, there are still stubborn dust particles that need a good wipe to remove.
Cleaning your vents will help with airflow to avoid overheating components. The next thing you'll need to clean is your GPU fans. Usually, the fans are located under the GPU itself, so it'll be harder to clean, but it's not impossible.
You shouldn't forget about the ports. The ports you use often will have more dust than the unused ones, as pointed out by HP. You can use your blower/compressed air to get into it, and then use a damp (with rubbing alcohol) cotton swab to wipe the surfaces you can reach.
All Done
Once you're done, you can close your tower, wipe the exterior one last time, and let it rest. Although rubbing alcohol evaporates quicker, it's still better to let your tower sit for another ten minutes before you plug everything back in. It's good sense to do this every six months so your computer stays clean.
