Expert: Gary Housknecht - 12/1/2004

Question
hi!

i didnt know who to ask this question to, i was wondering if you could tell me the proper way of cleaning my laptop, including the keyboard, if a vacuum would be too abrasive, and what to wipe it with.

thank-you!

ps its a toshiba satellite, i dont think that makes a difference but just in case...

Answer
Buy a can of compressed air at a local tech store like Best Buy or Radio Shack. While there, get a can of anti-static electronics cleaner spray.

Be sure to remove the drive from AC power and if it runs on a battery, disconnect the battery (if your system will not be affected). As for the battery, the main thing is to avoid accidently powering on while you are cleaning.

Hold your laptop propped so the keyboard is upright and leaning a little downward toward the table. Use the canned air to move up, down and across the entire keyboard area (in the spaces between keys). This will remove any dust and unwanted particles.

As long as you don't hit the power-on button, use the electronics anti-static cleaner spray with a light coat over the entire laptop, keyboard and screen. Use a clean soft cotton rag and wipe it all down with moderate pressure. Clean the screen a second time (last) with a fresh part of the rag using moderate pressure.

That will clean the entire laptop pretty good. Probably 5 minutes at the most. Do it once a month or once a qaurter.

Let me know if you have other questions ... Gary