How Do I Clean My Computer?

Before you can clean your computer properly, you need to have the proper tools available to accomplish this task.  Here is a general list of basic items you will need to clean your computer:  Screwdriver, canned air, lint-free cloths and mild glass cleaner.
How often should you clean your computer?  If you sit it on the floor, have pets in the house or smoke, you need to clean it every 3 months.  Otherwise, it would be best to clean it every six months.

(Make up a Computer Cleaning Kit to sell! 1 – Canned Air, 1 – Phillips Screwdriver, 1 – glass cleaner (no ammonia or alcohol), Lint-free cloths)  and another kit with furniture polish and scratching pad.)
Here are the steps to cleaning your computer:
1.  Make sure to completely shut down and turn off your computer.
2.  Unplug all the plugs from the computer and remember where each cable was plugged or label each one so you will remember where each cable is supposed to be plugged into the computer.
3.  Take the computer outside to avoid blowing all the dust inside your home.
4.  Depending on the computer you have, you will either need to push in the release buttons to open the computer or you will need a screwdriver to open the side panel opposite the motherboard to get the computer open so you can blow it out.
5.  Do NOT touch anything inside the computer.  Electronic equipment is susceptible to damage from static.  Even if you don’t hear the “pop” of static discharge when you touch an electronic component, it can still be damaged by a small discharge if you are not grounded properly.
6.  After opening the computer, use the compressed air to blow out the power supply, other fans inside the computer and anywhere you see dust.  Also use the compressed out to blow out the back of the computer and the front, especially the optical drives (CD and DVD Drives) and the USB ports.   
7.  After you have sufficiently blown out the computer, replace the cover or close the lid.  
8.  If the outside of your computer is dirty, use a general purpose cleaner or water with a paper towel and wipe it down.  Do NOT spray any cleaner in the back of the computer because it could possibly get inside to the components in the computer.  If you’re unsure where to spray cleaner or water, just dampen the paper towel and wipe it down.  If your computer is black and you have scratches on it, furniture polish is good for shining it up and removing scratches.  Also, if there are a lot of scratches, a scratch pad is useful for smoothing them out to reduce the appearance of scratches.  However, after applying furniture polish, it can become slippery, so you need to be careful when picking it up to move it.
9.  When you clean your keyboard, make sure the computer is turned off so that if you accidentally press keys, it won’t affect your data on your hard drive.  Turn the keyboard upside down to allow anything loose to fall out.  Then use the canned air to blow it out.  You can use a dampened cloth to wipe it off.
10.  Use a dampened cloth to wipe off the mouse.

How to Clean Your Monitor
If you have a regular CRT Monitor (The big bulky kind), you can apply either water or glass cleaner to a lint-free cloth and wipe it down.
Here are 3 simple steps to cleaning your LCD Display:
1.  Turn off the LCD Display so you can see the screen better to make sure you are cleaning it thoroughly.  
2.  Use water or a mild glass cleaner that doesn’t contain ammonia or alcohol to lightly dampen a lint-free cloth.  Do not spray any type of liquid on the screen.  Also, do not use a paper towel because it can scratch the screen.
3.  Wipe off the screen.  
BTW, you can also use this to clean your LCD or HDTV Displays.
(Ad for Klear Screen – Apple) (Lint-Free Cloths)

How to Clean Your Notebook/Laptop
Here are the basic steps to cleaning your notebook/laptop:
1.  Completely shut down the notebook and make sure it’s unplugged.  
2.  Remove the battery.
3.  Use canned air by pointing the straw toward but not inside the vents and blowing them out.  Then take the canned air and point it toward the keyboard and blow it out.  
4.  Use water or a mild glass cleaner that doesn’t contain ammonia or alcohol to lightly dampen a lint-free cloth.  Do not spray any liquid onto the keyboard or screen.  Use the dampened cloth to first wipe off the screen, then wipe off the keyboard and the rest of the notebook.   

How to Clean Your Printer
First, turn off your printer.  Then dampen a cloth with water or a general purpose cleaner and wipe it down.  Do NOT spray any liquid directly onto the printer.