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Thread: Dust, your computer, and you.

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    Post Dust, your computer, and you.

    Saw there was a hardware forum, and there was no posts either, so here's a guide on how and why you should eliminate dust in your computer.

    Dust. We all have to deal with it around the house, almost everyone dusts off their tables, TV's, etc. Not many people bother to worry about dust affecting your computer. Besides the unpleasing visual, dust can hinder your computer's performance, and eventually cause problems for your computer if not taken care of. It's everywhere, on your monitor, in your keyboard, in your computer tower. I'll give a breakdown of the importance of getting rid of it.

    A dusty monitor is most obvious and easiest to fix. You get dust on your screen, and you just wipe it off. You can picture what a dust covered screen looks like versus a clean one. There are special rags and sprays you can get for your screen, a normal cloth rag will typically do, but the special ones are better. Avoid the use of paper towels or napkins on your screen, it can scratch (not immediately noticeable but eventually is.)

    Your keyboard. You use it anytime you're on the computer, it's out in the open and has gaps between the keys. Dust, hair, and other things can easily build up underneath the keys. Sooner or later the buildup will make one of your keys “sticky”, having it get stuck down or have it move slowly up/down. An easy solution is to keep it cleaned out with some computer dusters, basically canned air that shoots out at a moderately high pressure to blow dust and such out. If it's been over a year without ever dusting it, I would recommend popping the keys out and cleaning the keyboard with paper towels or q-tips. It would also be a good opportunity to soak your keys to keep them shiny and clean.

    Your tower, case, whatever you want to call your actual computer, is typically dust gold mine. You have one or more intake fan(s) in your computer that blows air into your computer to help cycle heat so your parts don't get too hot. Areas that receive the most dust are fans. Intake fans, output fans, power supply, GPU fans, processor fans, and any others you might have. Once again, computer duster is the easiest solution. If you haven't dusted out your computer in the last 6 months, you'll want to do this outside. Follow instructions on the duster can and spray out the dust from the fans starting from the highest fan and work your way down, then blow out the dust that has settled on top of any drives and on the bottom of the case.

    Dusting out your computer will provide you with quieter fans, better cooling, and in some cases increased performance. I recommend doing a swift spray over of your keyboard and the inside of your computer once a month. If you don't know about computer duster, you can buy them in office stores, some grocery stores, and of course online. I recommend finding one that specifies that it has an anti-inhalant formula., there tends to be a strange smell from the ones that are “normal”.

    Liquids. When you use the spray for your monitor, it's usually better to spray it on the rag instead, unless otherwise specified by the spray's instructions. Best to have your monitor off for 10-20 minutes (so it's cool/cold instead of warm.) You can use a damp paper towel to clean the top of your keyboard, mouse, outside of PC case, plastic of monitor, and your table. DO NOT USE LIQUID INSIDE YOUR COMPUTER CASE. For that matter, hold your computer duster right side up. If the can is upside-down then it will spray a liquid, this can easily ruin your computer.

    Using vacuums, as Capricorn reminded. You could use vacuum on your keyboard, on and around your computer too. But DO NOT USE A VACUUM INSIDE YOUR COMPUTER. It generates large quantities of static electricity and could fry some of your parts. You can use them on your fans, but better safe than sorry, so you should take them out to clean them.


    EXPENSIVE ALTERNATIVE TO GET RID IN-CASE OF DUST FOR GOOD
    If you have some money, there's a wonderful thing called mineral oil. It's non-conductive. So you can fill an aquarium with it and submerge your computer parts in it. No decay in performance, temperature is fine. Read here for more info if you're interested.

    http://www.pugetsystems.com/submerged.php
    Last edited by scubajesus; 12-09-2009 at 09:10 PM. Reason: Added new section.

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    Yes! People please clean your computers. Do it a little bit every once in a while, so I don't have to deal with 3 years worth of build up all at once.

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    Sorry but why does your post look like a copy and paste XD?

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    First I typed it up in OpenOffice and pasted it here. Secondly, it's the robot writing style school taught me. Sounds a lot more official. I repaired computers for a while, learn how to explain stuff to people. Intro paragraph, body paragraphs, and conclusion. I thought about including this picture, but it didn't send well from my phone.

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    Also, vacuums are a NO-NO

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    Quote Originally Posted by Capricorn View Post
    Also, vacuums are a NO-NO
    Oh really? I use them all the time at my computer
    (Ofc only at the fans after I took them out, and at the gfx card directly).
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    Thanks for reminding me about vacuums Cap and Markus.

    Just added on an extra two paragraphs about vacuums and liquids.

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    Nice. Never noticed the Hardware forum before Good to see another newcomer who contributes to the site

    Rep +

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    Quote Originally Posted by scubajesus View Post

    Dusting out your computer will provide you with quieter fans, better cooling, and in some cases increased performance. I recommend doing a swift spray over of your keyboard and the inside of your computer once a month. If you don't know about computer duster, you can buy them in office stores, some grocery stores, and of course online. I recommend finding one that specifies that it has an anti-inhalant formula., there tends to be a strange smell from the ones that are “normal”.
    Haha, yeah what you say is so true. I remember once when my PC overheated from having too much dust clogging up in my heatsink.

    I'm just curious: do you think an average toothbrush can substitute an actual computer duster for cleaning inside the computer?

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    Quote Originally Posted by darktank View Post
    I'm just curious: do you think an average toothbrush can substitute an actual computer duster for cleaning inside the computer?
    For the less tech bits yes, like the fan blades. You'll still need duster to get the hard to reach spots, like your power supply's fan, and if your heatsink has a series of long fins, and would be best on your motherboard and GPU.

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    Quote Originally Posted by scubajesus View Post
    For the less tech bits yes, like the fan blades. You'll still need duster to get the hard to reach spots, like your power supply's fan, and if your heatsink has a series of long fins, and would be best on your motherboard and GPU.
    Ah ok thanks, I'll get a duster some time this week, but overall, thanks for the advice.

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    Isn't it possible to dump your whole computer into a bath tub filled with water and then let it dry (for a week or so)? Of course, the power switch should be turned off..

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    Yes. You could soak your computer in the tub if it had no electricity going to it. It would eliminate dust pretty efficiently, the problem is time. It would be best to read Brain's post (#15).

    Some people don't want to wait a week for their comp to dry. The other problem is knowing when it is dry.

    For example, my 8800.

    You'll know when the outside is dry, but you can't tell with the inside. Same with a power supply.

    But it would work once completely dry.
    Last edited by scubajesus; 12-10-2009 at 07:19 AM.

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    Hmm, would removing the keys on my Acer Aspire 5720Z laptop be wise? Could i put them back on with ease, and take them off with ease?

    Thanks.
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    Water could cause corrosion, so if you feel the need to dunk electronics in a liquid I would use denatured alcohol, if you can't find that, use the highest percent (>90% at least, since it contains water) isopropyl alcohol you can find. It is safer too, since alcohol has a greater resistivity than water, and evaporates much faster.
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    Dan, I've never done it with a laptop but here's a guide I just picked up on Google. A little more complicated than a normal keyboard.

    http://www.computing.net/howto/simple/keyboard/

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    I always use vacuums on my PC when I clean it. It won't fry your parts, just make sure your PC is off. It never has damaged my computer and I am sure heaps of other people around the world vacuum their PC too.

    You just have to be careful
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    Quote Originally Posted by Capricorn View Post
    Also, vacuums are a NO-NO
    Of course, me and my computer are going for most dust ever, I've got a collection building up at the 4 120mm intake fans at the side that makes even the dustmonster under my bed jealous!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Freddy1990 View Post
    Of course, me and my computer are going for most dust ever, I've got a collection building up at the 4 120mm intake fans at the side that makes even the dustmonster under my bed jealous!
    Lol. Hobbit would be happy there , but not in the clean PCs :S

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    Believe it or not some techs use low end electric leaf blowers.

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    I have used vacuums numerous times BUT it can be very bad. This is due to electric charge building up while you vacuum if it is released it can cause irreparable damage to your motherboard or any other device your vacuuming.

    Like Boreas said the low psi blowers/vacuums are best. I've even use a static discharge chord on the computer while I vacuum if it has a lot of dust, as well as wear one on my wrist.

    Edit:
    Ah he added it at the end, good.
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    lol thats funny i havent seen a post for cleaning computers before. Haven't cleaned mine since I got it in 2005 good thing im getting a new one the only time I opened it was like 8 months ago to add ram. lol and then it look so dusty it was hard to find the ram. Maybe I'll clean it tomorow it will give me something to do.

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    Quote Originally Posted by death12652 View Post
    lol thats funny i havent seen a post for cleaning computers before. Haven't cleaned mine since I got it in 2005 good thing im getting a new one the only time I opened it was like 8 months ago to add ram. lol and then it look so dusty it was hard to find the ram. Maybe I'll clean it tomorow it will give me something to do.
    Get that blow air stuff, and put it next to like, a fan. Cuz I did the same and my whole room was just like FULL of dust haha.

    hakuna matata ;)

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    I clean my computer everyday.because dust is damage our computer and damage computer performance. I clean CPU every month by soft cloth like silk. We can clean the inside CPU by pressure air.Computer need service after regular time.

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    I usually just use compressor to blow air into the computer, and then suck the dust with industry vacuum cleaner.
    There used to be something meaningful here.

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