How to Clean Dust From Your PC
Cleaning a PC is essentially just dust removal.
Your tools are canned air, a computer vacuum and a dust mask.
Cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol (for the case only) are optional.
The basic idea is to blow dust off of components while catching it with a computer vacuum if possible.
Use a well-ventilated space, or have a good vacuum on hand to collect the dust as you go.
Do not use a household vacuum cleaner on your box.
Using a household vacuum close to internal components carries the risk of damage from static electricity.
The computer vacuum is to suck up dust as you go.
Do not use the computer vacuum directly on internal PC components.
Remove the side panel on your PC to gain access to the internal components.
Using canned air, start blowing off components.
Work from the top down to avoid having to re-clean components as dust settles.
Here we start by blowing off a fan that’s located near the top of the case.
When cleaning computer fans, blow from both directions to remove the most dust.
Blow dust off and through the external ports, starting at the top.
Clean off the external peripheral connectors.
If necessary, use a cleaning gel, cloth, or cotton swabs.
Blow dust off the power supply.
In this case, the power supply is located at the bottom of the case.
If you have a CPU air cooler, locate it and remove the fan or fans.
Blow the dust out of the cooling fins from both directions.
Clean the dust from the CPU fan.
Once the cooler and the fan are both clean, reassemble.
ensure you didn’t accidentally unplug the fan from power.
Starting at the top, blow the dust off your peripheral cards and themotherboardbehind them.
Some cards, especiallyvideo cards, are covered with shrouds and may include components like heat sinks and fans.
Continue working your way down, blowing off any additional peripherals, the motherboard, and any additional fans.
Continue working your way down.
In this case, the power supply is near the bottom.
Once you reach this point, you could blow out and clean the bottom of the case.
Blow out the individual drive bays, catching the dust with a vacuum if necessary.
If your power supply has a filter, examine it to see if it’s dirty.
Blow off your power supply dust filter if necessary.
Reinstall the power supply fan filter.
What Parts of a PC Should You Clean?
When you finish cleaning your PC, there should be as little dust left as possible.
Focus particularly on the fans andheat sinks, but don’t stop there.
When Is It Time to Clean Your PC Again?
In general, you should plan on cleaning out your PC between one to two times each year.
