Tip of the Week: Cleaning Your Computer Is a Delicate Process

We often think of technology as something that is meant to help us, all without doing anything for it in return. The problem with this mindset is that you need to take care of your technology if you want it to keep your business ahead of the game. We’ll go over some technology maintenance tips to ensure that you know how to take care of your business technology--primarily your office workstations.

Of course, before you do anything to your computer at all, make sure you log off your computer, power it down, and unplug it from the outlet. Trust us--you don’t want it to be on while you’re cleaning it.

Don’t Spray Liquid on Your Computer
While it might make sense to wipe down your computer with some sort of cleaning spray, the last thing you want to do is let the potentially dangerous liquid gain access to your computer’s internal components through vents or other entrances. If you need to use a spray for any reason, just spray the liquid onto a cloth and use that instead of spraying it directly onto the computer.

Don’t Use a Vacuum Inside the Computer
It’s natural for your computer to collect dust throughout its lifecycle, but it’s a bit challenging to keep it clean. While it might be tempting to use a vacuum to clean up the dust, you should only use this on the outside of the device. If you use it inside your computer case, it could cause static electricity, which damages components. Furthermore, if you need to blow away dust that’s on your computer, you’re better off using a can of compressed air. Just make sure that you’re not blowing the dust into your computer.

Be Careful of Fans
If you are using a can of compressed air to blow dust away from fans, it’s not a bad idea to stick something in the fan to keep it from blowing with the breeze, so to speak. The reason for this is that the fan could generate power as it turns, pushing back power into the device.

Don’t Use Cleaning Chemicals
In most cases, a simple wipe down with a damp cloth will more than suffice for your technology cleaning needs. Cleaning chemicals could contain dangerous components that could damage the insides of your computer.

Eat and Drink at Your Computer Sparingly
It’s everyone’s nightmare scenario. You spill your morning cup of coffee all over your computer and it no longer works the way it should. This issue is alleviated by just not doing it at all, but business owners often have little choice. Still, it’s in your best interest to keep your food and drink consumption separate from your technology. Crumbs and liquids get into the keyboard, which can make the keys stick. You can always pop off the keys and clean underneath, but that’s a tale for another blog.

For more tips on how to keep your computer and other technology solutions clean, check back to our blog often.