How To Clean Your Keyboard & Computer Screen
Kal Kozomos
2 September 2020
Now that a lot of us are spending more time working from home, we are glued to our home-working-station. Digestive biscuit crumbs, crisp remnants and tea stains lie forgotten in your computer keyboard but now the office cleaners aren’t around to help us, how do you clean your computer screen and keyboard properly? Put down the washing up liquid and sponge, you need the expert products for something so important.
Aside from the bit of chocolate in your keyboard, the common culprit that can cause your computer equipment to become dirty is dust, moisture and grease from our hands that we often transfer onto the keyboard and mouse. This dirt can make the electrical and electro-mechanical contacts of the entire system less efficient. If you don’t clean these items regularly, the resulting damage can also be very serious. So how do you clean your keyboard and computer screen?
Things you will need
Vacuum
Soft bristle brush
Screen cleaning liquid
Microfibre cloth
WD‑40®® Specialist® Anti-Friction Dry PTFE Lubricating Spray
Cotton swab
Step 1
How to clean the computer
First, disconnect each device and the power cord from the computer. Then, remove any dust that has accumulated in the fan suction grilles using a vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle. If possible, open the computer’s case and vacuum all its components. Experts will also be able to extract the RAMs from their slots and disconnect any other connections that can now be treated with WD-40® Specialist® Fast Drying Electrical Contact Cleaner Spray before putting them back. If you are not sure how to do this, you can skip this step.
Step 2
How to clean the keyboard
This is often the dirtiest part. Grease, dirt and dust are trapped between the keys and on the surface. First, disconnect it from the computer, then turn the keyboard over and gently shake it to remove the dust. Whilst keeping it upside down, pass a soft bristle brush over the entire surface. Next, use a vacuum to get any stubborn bits of debris. Then finally clean the keyboard by dampening a microfibre cloth with a special keyboard cleaning liquid, then passing it several times over the keys and the entire surface. You can also use WD-40® Smart Straw Multi-Use for this purpose. Be careful not to apply too much liquid that could end up between the keys.
Step 3
How to clean the USB and monitor connections
After a general cleaning with a vacuum cleaner and brush, apply a drop of WD-40® Specialist® Fast Drying Electrical Contact Cleaner Spray to the connections, which quickly penetrates the hard-to-reach areas, drying without leaving any residue. You should also use the same product on the ends of the connection cables. The same applies to any connections of external hard-disks, printers, scanners and other devices. You should also organise the cables of the various devices using the various systems available at specialised stores. When different cables and wires tangle it can cause accidents and various problems.
Step 4
How to clean the mouse
Turn the mouse upside down and remove any lint clogging the area around the LED optical reader. Then, remove any grease from the areas where it comes into contact with the table.
Step 5
How to clean the scanner
Most scanners provide access to their inside, where the optical reader scroll bars or guides are located. These must be regularly lubricated, otherwise they could jam or slide discontinuously, reducing scan quality. The ideal product is WD-40® Specialist® Anti-Friction Dry PTFE Lubricating Spray, which leaves a dry film whilst providing excellent lubrication that does not attract dust. The scanner’s glass should also be thoroughly cleaned on both sides with glass cleaner.
Step 6
How to clean the printer
Next, open the device, remove its moving components, clean and vacuum it internally, and then apply a few drops of WD-40® Specialist® Anti-Friction Dry PTFE Lubricant Spray onto a cotton swab and apply to the mechanisms. Remove the cartridges of the various toners and clean the insertion guides with a clean cloth, as well as the electrical contacts, with WD-40® Specialist® Fast Drying Contact Cleaner.
Step 7
How to clean the computer screen
Finally, use a cloth and a suitable cleaning product such as window cleaner to wipe clean the monitor.
Learn more ...
Now that you know how to clean your computer screen, keyboard, and other devices, why not learn some more of our DIY tricks in our Tips & Tricks blog. Learn how to service your lawnmower, lubricate your garage door, and remove bath sealant in our how-to blogs.
The uses shown and described for WD-40 Multi-Use Product were provided to WD-40 Company by the users themselves. These uses haven’t been tested by WD-40 Company and do not constitute a recommendation of suggestion for use by WD-40 Company. Common sense should be exercised whenever using WD-40 Company products. Always follow the instructions and take heed of any warnings printed on the packaging.
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