How to clean a laptop and other electronics

Our electronic devices are often the one thing that we forget to clean when tidying up the house. We’re constantly handling our smartphones, laptops and TV remotes, items which have small spaces that trap moisture, dust and lots of bacteria, yet our electronics are something we don’t often disinfect. Since electronics are sensitive though, we cannot clean them in the same way as everything else. Here are a few tips that will help you clean your computer and other electronic devices the right way.

Ear buds are perfect for cleaning those small spaces between the keys of your keyboard. Dip the ear bud in a bit of rubbing alcohol for a sanitising effect at the same time. Before you clean a computer, remember to turn it off first.

How to clean laptop screens

Since most of today’s notebooks and laptops have LCD screens, they need some extra care when it comes to cleaning them. You’ll be able to find an LCD screen cleaner at most computer stores.

While some people like to use a little water when cleaning their screens, a dry lint-free or microfiber cloth is often a better option. When you use paper towels or cotton cloths to clean your screen, you can end up leaving scratches. If you will be using a liquid screen cleaner, only use a small amount on a cloth instead of applying it directly to the screen, which could cause damage.

Since we spend so much time in front of our computers, we often eat in front of them too, which leads to a lot of dirt particles landing between the keys of the keyboard, causing keys to stick. This is how to clean a keyboard the right way:

• Turn the keyboard upside down, allowing the dust and dirt to fall out onto the table.

• If you have stubborn dirt that won’t budge, you can always use a can of compressed air to blow the dirt out, a product that’s available at stores that sell computers & electronics.

• Use an ear bud to rub some alcohol onto and around the keys in order to disinfect it. You can now let the keyboard dry naturally.

Rubbing alcohol works really well if you want to clean your trackpad, killing any germs that may have been transferred by dirty hands. Your mouse will require a slightly different technique if you want to give it a good clean.

If you have an older style mouse:

• Flip the mouse over to remove the ball. Wash the ball and allow it to dry.

• Clean out any dust that might be present in the ball housing.

• Use some rubbing alcohol on a cloth to clean the casing of the mouse.

If you have an optical mouse:

• Remove any dust and dirt that might be present around the laser and clean the casing in the same way.

How to Clean Your TV

Today, most TVs have a plasma or LCD screen so you can use the same advice on how to clean laptop screens above.

A commercial glass cleaner can be used to clean your TV screen but it’s best to make sure that it’s free of alcohol or ammonia as this can damage the coating on your screen. If your TV is filled with grimy finger marks, a glass cleaner will work best, but if you’re simply giving it a quick wipe, you can simply use a microfiber cloth to remove dust or dirt.

How to Clean a Smartphone or Tablet

• Since smartphones are touch-operated, you can use a normal LCD screen cleaner to remove any bacteria or finger marks.

• Remember to turn your phone or tablet off before trying to clean it!

• Smartphones and tablets can be scrubbed more thoroughly than a computer screen because their screens are designed to take more consistent pressure.

• Your phone’s mouthpiece can often be the dirtiest area of your phone since it’s always near a human mouth so it helps to give this area some extra attention when cleaning your phone.

• Liquid screen cleaners work well but use them sparingly.

• Use a dry lint-free cloth to clean any LCD screens.

• Clean your smartphone with an antibacterial wipe at least once a week to get rid of any germs.