Dust can accumulate within your computer over time, causing damage if kept unclean for an extended period of time. Moreover, if left unclean, dust can begin to build up, causing your PC’s cooling system to deteriorate and potentially shorten the lifespan of your internal parts due to the high temperature. It can also cause your PC to slow down.
You might ask, how can you keep your PC cool? To keep your PC cool, you should clean the inside of your computer at least once every six months. You might think it’s difficult, but it’s actually not! It’s quite easy!
But before we get to the cleaning part, let’s talk about a few reminders you should know before starting. Let’s get into it!
Important Things to Take Note of Before Starting
- Wear an anti-static wristband to prevent any accidents.
- If you don’t have an anti-static band, just make sure to regularly ground yourself by touching the case.
- Wear a dust mask or respirator. This is incredibly important to prevent yourself from breathing in any dust or other particles.
- Clean your computer in a well-ventilated area.
- Unplug everything.
Tools You’ll Need
- Compressed air
- Screwdriver
- Rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs
- Wipes
- Broom/vacuum cleaner
Here’s how you can easily clean the insides of your PC
Step 1: Gather all of your cleaning materials.
The very first thing you have to do before starting to clean your PC is to gather everything you’ll need, like your compressed air, screwdriver, and broom or vacuum cleaner, to clean the dust off the floor.
You’re making it easier on yourself by gathering all of your tools beforehand.
Step 2: Turn off your computer.
Before anything else, you must turn off your computer and unplug it from any electrical outlet or surge protector. Make sure that your computer is not plugged into any electrical outlet, because if it is, you are at risk of getting electrocuted. And even if you’re wearing an anti-static band, it’s best to be safe at all times.
Step 3: Open up the computer/tower case.
The next step is to open your computer case or tower case, depending on which one you have. You may need to use a screwdriver to open it. When you’ve finished opening the casing, keep the screws in a secure position so they don’t get misplaced.
Step 4: Use compressed air to remove the dust.
After opening the case, you can now start to use your compressed air to remove the dust.
Remove the dust in the internal parts with short bursts of air only. Make sure that you are at least a few inches away from the surface of the computer’s motherboard, CPU, GPU, memory, and other parts. Being too close to the internal parts of your computer could cause more damage than good.
Next, use the compressed air to dust off the fans of the computer. To prevent the fans from spinning, use your hands to keep the fans in place. Be careful when you’re holding the fans because they’re quite delicate and could get damaged when too much force is put into them. After dusting them off, you can either use rubbing alcohol and cotton swabs or wipes to finish cleaning the fans.
Note: If the fans are too dirty, it would be best to remove them entirely from the case for easier access.
Now, just clean everywhere that has dust inside using the compressed air with short bursts of air only. Just remember to be extra careful of the internals to prevent any damage. Don’t forget to keep the compressed air a few inches away from the internal components.
Step 5: Clean off all the excess dust in your space.
After cleaning the inside of your PC, clean your surroundings and remove all of the loose dust so that when you close up your PC, none of the loose dust gets back inside.
Step 6: Close up your computer and test it.
Now that you have cleaned your computer and your area, you can now close up the computer and see how much faster your PC runs and how smoother the fans have become.
That’s a Wrap
It’s very important to clean your PC to keep it running smoothly and to prevent any kind of damage. But if you’re not confident enough to do it yourself, you can get a professional to do it for you!
We hope this helped you!