How often do you clean your laptop? (Picture: Getty)
The May bank holiday can be hit or miss with rainy weather – so why not take this time to clean your laptop?
In fact, if you think about it, when was the last time you actually did?
The surface may be covered with dust, grime or oily fingerprints, and for some people, there could be crumbs hiding away in between the keys.
Not only does this make your laptop look grim, but it could also harbour an untold amount of bacteria.
That may not only be gross to think about, but it could potentially reduce the lifespan of your laptop.
It’s good to regularly clean your laptop, and luckily there are easy and cost-effective ways to do it.
Using the right products is key so you don’t cause any damage (Picture: Getty)
What is the best way to clean your laptop?
Find the right cleaning supplies
The first step to cleaning a laptop is to find the right supplies.
The most recommended item is using a microfibre cloth, as it’s soft and non-abrasive, so will not hurt your laptop.
Experts also recommend using a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution, or rubbing alcohol, to be used alongside cotton buds or a can of compressed air, but other computer-friendly cleaning products can also be used.
However, Apple also warns not to use any products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide. As this is an electronic device, avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your product in any cleaning agents.
As an important side note, it is not recommended to use hand sanitiser to clean your laptop.
Keyboards can be flat-out disgusting (Picture: Getty/iStockphoto)
Cleaning your laptop keyboard
Firstly, make sure to save all work before switching off the device and unpulgging it from the wall and charger. This way, you don’t end up accidentally sending an email or deleting an important piece of work.
An easy first step would be to put down some paper towels, slowly turn the laptop upside down, and give it a gentle shake.
Depending on how much you eat over your laptop, you may find a lot of visible debris has already been removed.
Some laptops allow you to remove the keys and do a quick clean underneath – but make sure this is something you can do with your specific laptop, and be sure to test it out with a single key before removing the whole keyboard.
Then, taking the microfibre cloth, wipe down the keyboard and the surrounding area, as well as the back of the laptop lid to remove any dust.
Then, add a tiny amount of water and a safe cleaning product onto the cloth to rub away any stubborn dirt – but make sure not to spray any solution directly on your laptop.
The compressed can of air and cotton buds can help in removing any grime and dirt around ports and keys, but take care as it is still a delicate electronic device.
Most importantly, angle the nozzle correctly so the dirt is blown off the laptop and not further into it. Be sure to use lots of short blasts, rather than fewer longer ones.
Cleaning inside the laptop
Depending on the laptop model and your confidence levels in assembling and disassembling tech, you may want to clean the device’s fans and vents.
Only after consulting the official manual and understanding the steps, open the back of the laptop to reach the fan and vents. However, be careful not to touch any other electronics or wiring inside the case.
Then, use the cloth to carefully wipe any dust away and reassemble the back of the laptop.
Ensure to take care when wiping down your screen (Picture: Getty)
Cleaning the screen
Use the microfibre cloth to wipe down the laptop screen to remove any dust.
For a deeper clean, add a bit of water and a suitable cleaning product.
It is worth noting that using the wrong product, such as window cleaners or standard household cleaners, could damage the screen.
Cleaning the screen in slow circular motions is recommended to avoid any streaks, and the switched-off laptop helps highlight the areas that need the most care.
These steps should leave you with a clean laptop, and doing this every few months should be enough as a regular cleaning routine.