Cleaning up your PC is no joke

We computer pundits write about cleaning up your hard drive all the time, but less frequently do we cover how to keep your computer equipment clean... from dust, spilled drinks, and other gunk. Not only is it kind of nasty to type on a keyboard that's stained with Jolt Cola droplets, but having a computer case filled with dust bunnies can shorten the lifespan of your machine by restricting airflow and causing your machine to overheat.
The good news: Getting your PC clean is a relatively simple affair that anyone can perform in just a few minutes. Here's a quick step-by-step guide.

Start with a dusting:
Compressed air is your friend. Dust-Off is a fine brand, but really they are all the same as long as you get the "greenhouse gas" friendly canisters. A large can should last you for years. Open up your PC's case and take it outside if there's an excessive amount of dust. Give it a few quick blasts from the can with the goal of getting all the dust bunnies out of the box. Extended spraying is a no-no, as the air that comes out is quite cold and can cause condensation to build up on electronic parts if you hold down the spray button for too long. Use the nozzle straw attachment to get to hard-to-reach places like under the motherboard.

Dust some more:
Now turn your attention to the rest of the computer. Particularly, dust out the fans and intake grilles, including the power supply. If you have a notebook computer, this is especially important, as those fans do a lot of work and are especially prone to clogging. Flip your notebook over (turned off!) and blast it clean.

Clean your keyboard:
While you have the duster handy, use the straw attachment to clean out your keyboard. You could use a mini-vacuum, but they're more trouble than they're worth. A few quick sprays will send crumbs a-flying. Next you'll want to clean off the surface of the keyboard. Most are pretty tough, so you can use a regular household cleanser to do the job. Don't spray 409 directly on the keyboard, but lightly dampen a cleaning rag or paper towel with the stuff and wipe it down gently. You don't want liquid dripping between the keys. You can use a Q-Tip moistened with alcohol to clean anything that has dripped down between the keys. If you want to go crazy, here's how to clean your keyboard in the dishwasher.

Shine up your mouse:
You can use the same technique with your mouse, which you should clean on all sides. Mice pick up a lot of gunk on their undersides, so just scrape off anything that's accumulated there. If you still have a non-optical mouse that uses a ball (God help you!), open it up, clean off the ball with the damp towel, and use a Q-Tip to clean off the rollers inside. Alcohol works for rollers that are excessively dirty.

Turn your attention screenward:
Your LCD or CRT screen is probably disgustingly dirty. I've written specifically on how to clean LCD screens in this post, so just follow those instructions. The same technique works for CRTs, too. Lately I've been trying out something called Purosol Molecular Screen Cleaner, which works quite well on both laptops and TVs and even camera displays.

Miscellany:
Cell phones, PDAs, and peripherals can usually all be cleaned with a combination of the above advice: Use LCD cleaner on anything with a display and mild household cleaner on any plastic parts. Q-Tips do wonders for any nooks and crannies.

Cleaning LCD screens:
Old CRT-based TVs and computer monitors were tough. For the most part, you could spritz them with Windex and wipe them down when they got dirty. I never had a problem getting a TV clean.
But now the world has moved to LCD, plasma, and other flat-panel technologies. And with laptops especially, screens are very prone to getting filthy because people just can't keep their fingers off of them. But how do you clean an LCD? Here's what I do.

For starters: No Windex. While LCDs have glass inside them, they are coated with an optical film, and the chemicals in glass cleaner (namely ammonia) can damage that film. That film can also be easily scratched, so don't use paper towels or any dry cloth other than microfiber or other lint-free cloth either. Also, as with a TV, be sure to turn the device off before you try to clean it and until it is totally dry, as any liquid can cause a short.

Personally, I now use a commercial LCD screen cleaner (the kind that comes in a spray bottle and includes a special cloth) for all my LCD monitors, LCD TVs, and laptop screens. I've never had a problem (though I've read reports of people who've had discoloration due to these cleaners), and my screen always comes out sparkling. You can usually find them near checkout at any electronics or computer store, or get one online. That Belkin cleaner looks just perfect.

What I DO NOT recommend are the prepackaged wipes that are moistened with cleaning liquid. (You often get a second wipe for drying.) In my experience, these always leave residue on your display, and I don't trust the dry, paper wipes not to scratch the screen. After using them, I find the screen rarely looks much better than before I cleaned it. Since I switched to the spray-bottle products, I've been much happier with the results.
If you want to save some money, you can try mixing your own ammonia-free LCD cleaner. You could start with plain water, but use distilled water. I've also read that you can add a little white vinegar or vodka to the water to aid the cleaning, but I've never tried that personally.

On a related note, you might also notice that laptops get smudged and dirtied by keyboards, which can happen if the notebook is poorly designed such that the screen actually touches the keys when it is closed. To remedy this, I cut up an old t-shirt and place it over the keyboard when I close it. It also makes for handy dust rag for quick tidying up.

If you got any special tips for cleaning your LCD or plasma screen? Share them below!