Cleaning Your Computer

Malware, Spyware, and buggy software aren't the only way your computer can be dirty. Just like how having a "dirty" computer can be bad for your privacy and your computing experience, a filthy computer can be detrimental to the lifespan of your hardware

To be fair this PC belonged to a heavy smoker; but the concept is the same. PC's are like air filters, they cycle air to keep themselves cool and in doing so just about everything in their environment ends up inside them. What you see in that picture is a combination of household dust and the tar from the cigarette smoke. It's actually damp as the tar traps moisture: it stinks, sometimes so much that you can smell it before you open the case. It smears yellow and stains, and you have to clean it off with a rag becuase of how heavy it is. It also degrades parts, encourages corrosion, and interferes with cooling. This is the worst case scenario for a "dirty" PC. This is the main reason for not smoking near your PC.

Luckily most dirty PC's are just infested with dust, animal hair, and the occasional dead bug. It can be a good idea to keep some dust masks on and make sure you clean them outside to keep from blowing the allergens all over your work area.
Keeping the inside of your computer clean is very important for several reasons. For one, it helps to keep it from overheating, which is caused by a build-up of dirt and dust over time. It is recommended to clean your computer annually or even more often if it is kept in a dusty environment, around household pets, or on carpet. Regularly cleaning the interior of a computer can help increase its lifespan.

Use a can of compressed air to clean out the interior, making sure to keep the can upright as you use it so fluid doesn’t drip out of it. If it does, simply let it evaporate before turning the computer back on.
First, start by blowing out the case vents and power supply vents using quick, short puffs of air. There are case vents located at the front, side, and rear of the case. Pay special attention to the vents of the power supply, and especially the vents found in the sides of the power supply unit (PSU). Also make sure to clean out the PSU fans, making sure to keep the fan blades from rotating as you clean by holding them in place or placing something in-between the blades. You don’t want the fans to spin under the air blast, as it could cause damage to some fans or cause back voltage. Make sure to also clean out the CPU fan and heatsink, as this is the most important part of the cooling system. Again, hold the fan blades in place or place something in-between them so they don’t rotate as you clean. Blow the compressed air through the entire system, making sure to clean the RAM sticks, expansion slots, I/O ports, and video card fan. You may have to remove the video card to access the video card fan. Our next lesson will help you decide whether you should upgrade, repair, or replace your computer.