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martyb writes:

This may be old hat for some here, but I found this article at The New York Times to be eminently readable and informative. May prove useful to forward to a less than tech savvy relative or friend. Here's an excerpt:

You know your laptop is filthy. You can see the dirt and grime on your keyboard. You can see that circle of skin oils on the middle of the trackpad. So when's the last time you cleaned it?

[...] Gather Your Supplies

"You don't need much to clean a computer," said Jolie Kerr, New York Times contributor, cleaning expert and host of the podcast "Ask a Clean Person." "I use exactly four things to keep my laptop clean: Rubbing alcohol, microfiber cloths, cotton swabs and canned air." Ninety percent or higher isopropyl alcohol is ideal, since it won't damage the internal components. And if you have some particularly tough grime or oil, a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser (or other melamine sponge) can also work wonders, though it should be a last resort since it's abrasive.

Don't bother with specialty cleaners you see at big box electronics stores — they'll work fine, but they're probably overpriced compared with what you have at home. "Some people like having them, or they feel better about using an Officially Sanctioned Product," Ms. Kerr said. "That is fine! They also make nice add-on gifts for people who are getting a new computer/tablet/phone for a special occasion." But don't feel like you need them.

The article includes these subsequent steps: "Start With the Inside", "Wipe Down the Outside", and "Get Rid of Nasty Smells".

I once used a vacuum cleaner with a bristle wand to suck dust out of a laptop keyboard. It worked great until one of the key caps came off. I'm a bit hesitant to give it a repeat attempt on my current laptop. Any suggestions?

What has your experience been with computer cleaning? What do you recommend [not] doing?

Original Submission