On completion of this tutorial, you will be able to:

• Identify the procedures and materials you should use to clean the following devices:
  • Mouse
  • Monitor case
  • Keyboard
  • Touch pad
  • Drive heads
  • Power supplies
  • Fans

Introduction

The environment in which computer equipment is kept, and the way in which it is treated, can affect its life span. All electronic equipment, especially PCs, should be kept away from extremes of temperature or dusty conditions. Regular cleaning of a PC\'s components and inspection of its surroundings may increase the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failure) of many components.

General Preventative Maintenance Issues

Regular maintenance can increase the life span of equipment, but can also be very time-consuming. You may want to consider providing cleaning materials and procedures to users, and training them to perform these tasks themselves. To ensure that these tasks are performed regularly, you can also provide them with a schedule as suggested below.



General Cleaning Issues

• Do not use benzene, thinners, or any other volatile substances to clean plastics. They may damage the finish.
• Use only approved cleaning fabrics. Household tissue, hand towels and cleaning cloths leave behind fibers that can clog delicate mechanisms. Dyes can also dissolve in the cleaning solvent and leave deposits on the item being cleaned.
• Some solvents dissolve synthetic cloths. When surfaces are cleaned, the dissolved material forms a coating that sets as the solvent evaporates.

Computer Case Maintenance

You do not have to carry out much preventative maintenance on PC cases, as they contain no moving or functioning parts. However, you must always ensure that all expansion slot gaps at the back of the case are covered by a blanking plate to ensure that dust and debris do not enter the interior.

Any gaps will also disrupt the normal airflow produced by the PCs cooling fans, and cause components inside to overheat. Many PCs now have built-in facilities to produce an audible alarm if the processor overheats; you should check the BIOS settings to ensure this feature is enabled. It is also possible to buy add-on cards that produce an audible alarm if the interior of the PC reaches an unacceptable temperature.

Plastic and metal computer cabinets get dirty through frequent handling, and static charges on the surface also attract dust. Effective cleaning processes should not only remove the grime but also reduce the static charge.

Use one of the following items to clean a PC case:

• A soft, dry cloth
• A soft cloth moistened with water
• A manufacturer-approved cleaning kit
• A soft cloth moistened with a solution of water and a gentle, non-scratch household cleaner that does not contain ammonia

There is no need to turn off a computer before cleaning its exterior surfaces, but it is sensible to power down when cleaning near ventilation slots. In general, do not use spray cleaners near ventilation slots.

Cleaning a Mouse

Mice can sometimes malfunction due to a build up of debris on the mouse ball and on the X and Y rollers that produce horizontal and vertical movement of the mouse pointer on the screen. This debris is typically a combination of skin and sweat from your hand, combined with any dust present on the mouse mat. If the pointer on the screen does not move smoothly, the trackball is probably not gripping the X and Y rollers due to this build-up of debris, and it must be cleaned. To clean a mouse, follow these steps:

1. Shut the PC down and power it off. Disconnect the mouse cable from the computer.
2. Turn the mouse upside down and remove the trackball cover. Remove the trackball by gently turning the mouse over and letting the trackball drop into your hand.
3. Clean the trackball with a mild detergent and a soft cloth. Dry it with a clean, lint-free cloth.
4. Use a lint-free cloth or special mouse cleaning kit to remove dirt, grease and dust from the rollers inside the trackball compartment. The trackball compartment typically contains three rollers: two produce horizontal and vertical movement, and a pressure roller pushes the trackball against them. Rotate them during the cleaning process to clean the entire circumference.
5. Put the trackball back into the mouse and close the mouse trackball cover.
6. Plug the mouse into the appropriate interface on the PC.

To ensure that the mouse functions correctly, you should use it on a clean, flat surface, such as that provided by a proper mouse-mat.

Cleaning a Monitor

The monitor or Visual Display Unit (VDU) screen should be kept clean and free of smears to avoid eyestrain when using the computer for prolonged periods of time. To clean a monitor, follow these steps:

1. Turn off the monitor and computer.
2. Unplug the monitor from the wall outlet.
3. Dust the monitor by wiping the screen and cabinet with a soft, clean cloth.
4. If the screen requires more than dusting, use an approved VDU screen cleaner.
5. When cleaning the glass screen wipe horizontally across the screen and then vertically. Do not forget to clean into the screen corners.

Monitor "Burn-In"

If an image is allowed to remain on a monitor for very long periods of time it can become "burned" into the tube face.

To prevent this from happening, ensure that you use screen-saver software if the operating system provides this facility. Modern operating systems and are also able to automatically turn off the monitor after a specified period of time, such as Windows\' Power Management settings in the Control Panel.



Do not use spray cleaners near monitor ventilation slots. If a spray enters the monitor (or settles on keyboard contacts or motherboard components) it can cause malfunctions or high-voltage arcing.

Some monitors have special anti-glare coatings or mesh filters that must ONLY be cleaned with approved solutions and materials.

Notebook computer screens have plastic or polycarbonate front panels that may be damaged with the wrong cleaning materials - always check the manual.