For cleaning keyboards and other computer components not reachable with a cloth, I generally use a can of compressed air. However, the can is empty. What else can I use that would be a general household item? cleaning substitute-tool technology dust Here are some methods for keyboard I use: turn it upside down and shake it use cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol (one of these sticks for cleaning ears) use something sharp and wrap it with a piece of cloth and clean with it between the keys Generally for computers I often use a vacuum cleaner and reduce its power to the middle (it depends how powerful is your vacuum cleaner - adjust it for your needs ) Did you find this question interesting? Sign up for our newsletter and get our top new questions delivered to your inbox (). I insert a large diameter drinking straw [Starbucks has them in their Computer Cleaning Section of every store);-)] into the slim angled attachment which comes with most vacuums, I then tape the straw to the outside of the attachment creating a seal.

It is a simple matter then to take an ESP Brush as mentioned above and use it to brush the dust into the straw which sucks it into the vacuum cleaner. Where it goes from there I have no idea! I have encountered a similar problem while cleaning dust and grime off PCBs for re-soldering/repair. Usually, the dust has accumulated over time, and due to moisture which can't be removed with compressed air. Using a special ESP brush (size depends on each case), or a simple paint brush but ensuring correct ESP procedure clean surface and around/under gaps and components. A small amount of Isopropanol (Isopropyl Alcohol) can remove persistent grime. Harder cases may require a stiffer brush. This is useful for cleaning motherboards, GPUs, fans and heatsinks. If cleaning a CPU/GPU die, take care and use some Iso., both on the die and the heatsink contact. Always reapply thermal paste after. For keyboards, mice and other external peripherals, use cotton swabs with Iso. Keyboards (Desktop, mostly - laptops are difficult) can have their keys removed to clean between the key wells.

I was about to make a special tiny nozzle for my hair dryer (on cool of course), before I discovered a powered duster and bought that instead. You asked about a household item, so I'd go with the nozzle. I also briefly considered a balloon and a straw... Depending on how the crevice to clean is shaped, an old (but reasonably clean) toothbrush can work quite well. This seems to work well on the narrow spaces where plastic pieces come together, or decorative grooves in a device, where dirt or dust sometimes builds up. Instead of expensive cans of air, I use the blow gun on my cheap ($50-on-sale) 1-gallon compressor. There is a slight chance of water droplets forming, but it won't be as bad as human breath or the stuff that often falls into keyboards. For larger-scale cleaning, I use my electric leaf blower. I take my desktop computer outdoors once a year, open up the case, and blast away! This works well on furnace filters, too. How about just using a drinking straw and blowing out the dust?

I had pretty good luck blowing dust out of a CPU heatsink that way. Or, maybe blow up a balloon and wrap the end on a straw for more force. Breath is humid (relative humidity of human breath is 100%), so don't try this for anything that may be sensitive to moisture.air cleaner ashtray Note, prolonged blowing may cause dizziness.universal laser air cleaner cart Although I haven't tried it, I would imagine a bicycle pump would work. comma aircon cleaner reviewIf you taped the "straw" from your old can to the end you could probably make it more directional and higher pressure. The adapter for pumping up footballs might also help in this regard. I use sharp ended objects like toothpicks or mini screwdrivers. Weirdly, it's been a passion for me since childhood to clean such spots.

To clean a keyboard, fold a post-it note in half sticky side out and drag it between the keys and it will pick up dust. You'll probably need several to do a whole keyboard. (I have never tried it on the internal parts of a computer, but it should work) Anything that creates a stream of air: hair dryer if it has a no heat option shop vacuum that has an exhaust port I used to have a computer shop have blown out over 1000. For a keyboard, I like the compressor with a nozzle as it is hard to blow them out and they are not very sensitive. You can even vacuum on the keyboard. The downside to the compressor is you can get some moisture. I have never lost one to moisture but for the motherboard, I prefer the shop vacuum. Block the fans before blowing them out. I use a small screwdriver. With a compressor, you can get enough speed to spin (wreck) the bearings. The power supply will be the dirtiest. Blow it out in each direction. It is very hard to get into a laptop to clean it, but more important is it is smaller and the little fans and little fins can get impacted.

Use one these blower things to get those niches Sign up or log in Sign up using Email and Password Post as a guest By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.The most important part of your laptop that needs to be clean is… the heatsink. Yes, heat is the “cause of death” for most laptops. The heat not only causes all components to expand and contract a little (as you turn it on and off), but will also reach dangerously high levels and make your laptop crash or shut down if the fan(s) and the heatsink(s) are clogged with dust. All computers work a little bit like vacuum cleaners – sucking air form one side and blowing it out from the other. Unfortunately they don’t come with filter bags to catch all the dust and debris. After just a few months the fans and heatsinks are well coated with dust. If not cleaned, their effectiveness quickly drops and eventually goes down to zero when the heatsinks get fully clogged. For desktop PCs this process is somehow slower and less noticeable as there is a lot of air circulating inside the case, hopefully with both intake and exhaust fans pushing it through.

Also the CPU heatsink and fan are quite bigger and more powerful. There are also fans on the power supply, on the video card and probably on the chipset, for a total count of up to six fans making sure your PC stays cool. However laptops usually have just one or two smaller fans that have to do it all. I would suggest a little experiment. Look around you for a lamp with an ordinary 100W light bulb. Now turn it on for five minutes and hold your hand about an inch away from it (be careful not to touch the bulb, it will scorch you!). Do you feel it? Yes, that is the heat generated inside that shiny new powerful laptop you just bought.It’s easy: get yourself a can of compressed air and blow away the dust off the fan and heatsink. This has to be done every couple of months or after about 50 – 60 days of using your laptop. The compressed air is quite handy for the keyboard too, blowing away all the debris from between the keys. This is not a very well known fact, but it is the most important part of maintaining your laptop.

However if the heatsink has already been clogged, this won’t help. The compressed air will not be enough to unclog it. If you have never cleaned the heatsink and you had used your laptop for over a year, chances are that both the fan and the heatsink are clogged with dust and debris. The solution in this case is to remove the heatsink, clean it and install it back. This is best done in a laptop repair shop, as it takes quite a lot of experience and dexterity. One slip of the screwdriver may kill the laptop! Some newer laptops have a special removable cover on the back for easy access to the heatsink. But most laptops have to be disassembled to reach it. Another problem is that the thermal paste between the heatsink and the CPU hardens with higher temperature, so if the laptop has been overheating, chances are that the heatsink is stuck solid to the CPU, making it very hard to remove. The process also includes removal of the old thermal paste from both the CPU and the heatsink and applying a small dab of fresh thermal paste, preferably silver filled for better heat transfer.