How to properly clean a laptop

Laptops have become one of the most important gadgets in our everyday lives. Its everyday use makes it important to care for it. Laptops, known as mini offices, are susceptible to dust accumulation, spills, and other contaminants that can negatively impact their functionality.

This guide outlines the essential steps for effectively cleaning your laptop, which will help maintain its smooth operation and safeguard it from potential damage.

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Ensure that your laptop is turned off and your battery removed (if possible) before starting this cleaning process. While this will be safer for your PC, it will make it easier to see dirt and dust when the screen is off.

The Screen

Clean the surface dust with a microfibre cloth.

To clean your screen, fold a microfibre cloth and rub it gently across the full width of your screen. However, brace the screen gently so it does not move during the process. Also, avoid pressing into the screen and use only the lightest pressure to wipe off surface dust.

Use a barely damp sponge to remove dirt and grime.

Dampen a piece of cloth in purified or distilled water rather than tap water, as tap water can leave mineral streaks on your screen. With this damp piece of cloth, wipe your screen gently in a circular motion, using light pressure; do not scrub.

Ensure all liquid has been squeezed from the damp cloth, as the liquid can drip into your laptop and damage important components. Add a drop of gentle dish soap to the water for particularly stubborn spots. You could also make your cleaner by mixing equal parts of distilled water and white vinegar.

For laptops with touchscreen features, consult the manufacturer’s website to determine what cleaning agents are safe for the finish.

Alternatively, you can buy screen-cleaning kits. These kits contain a cleaner specially designed for laptop screens and microfibre clothes. For touchscreens, ensure that the kit is listed as safe for touchscreens.

Polish in circular motions to remove streaks.

After cleaning, use the dry microfibre cloth to gently rub your screen in a circular motion to eliminate streaks and particles of sponge left on the screen.

Don’t close your laptop until the screen is completely dry, or you could trap moisture inside the machine. Also, double-check to be sure it’s dry before you plug the laptop back in.

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The Keyboard

Shake off loose dust from your keyboard.

Turn your laptop upside down with the screen open. Ensure that you are holding it firmly while doing this. Shake the laptop gently to dislodge particles. You may also want to tilt it side to side so debris under the keys can fall off. Importantly, if you have already cleaned your screen, you may have to wipe it again with the microfibre cloth, as dust on the keyboard may end up on the screen.

Use a handheld vacuum to suck out dirt and dust.

If you have a hand-held vacuum, use the smallest part to vacuum the debris from your laptop without harming it. Move the attachment over the keys slowly, ensuring that all parts of the keyboard are covered.

Use an eraser to remove dirt from keycaps.

Laptop keys often have dirt on them, making the white part of the letters change colour. Using a pencil eraser, gently rub the keys to remove the build-up. If you use a vacuum, you can rerun it to clear off the stubble created by the eraser. You may also find that dirt has also built up between the keys. Use a dry cotton swab to sweep to scrub dirt and dust from these crevices.

Remove the keys only if you know how to fix them back

You may have to take off the keycaps to get total access to all dirt lodged under the keys. However, if you do not know how to return them, you should leave them alone. You may check your owner’s manual for instructions on removing the keycaps without damaging them.

Also, you should take a picture of your keyboard before you remove the keys, just so you have a reference for the arrangement when fixing it back, as you may forget the arrangement, especially the function keys.

The Case

Clean surface with a damp cloth

Rub gently over the outside surface of your laptop using a near-dry piece of cloth soaked in a cleaning solution. You can also use the same sponge and cleansing solution to clean your laptop’s touchpad. Don’t clean inside ports or vents with the sponge.

Use cotton swabs to clean dirt out of crevices.

Dirt is often found in your laptop’s crevices. Use a cotton swab to clean the dirt lodged in your laptop’s seams and crevices.

Dig out dirt from ports.

Using a toothpick, gently scrape the openings like vents and ports and pull out the dirt. Ensure to move the toothpick in an outward sweeping motion to avoid pushing the dirt further in. Be careful with the toothpick to prevent scratching surfaces on your laptop.

Use alcohol for residue.

If sticky spots on your laptop case do not come off with gentle cleaning, you may need to apply a cotton ball dipped in alcohol directly on the spot. Make sure the cotton ball isn’t too wet to avoid the alcohol running into your machine. Use moderate pressure, rubbing repeatedly until the spot is gone.

Polish and dry surface with microfibre cloth

After cleaning, wipe the entire case with your dry microfibre cloth in a circular motion. This will remove all moisture or streaks that may have remained after the cleaning.