During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.
April 30, 2013 Project
Today’s project is to clean all your electronics (computer, TV, iPad, iPod, smartphones, etc.)
If you’re a family who has very few electronics, then you have a pretty easy day today. 🙂
Does anyone have any great tips or tricks for cleaning electronics easily?
Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll have a linky so you can link up your pictures of your accomplishments today!
Join in the Chatter
::Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.
::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!
My other half blows out the computer tower and laptops with the air compressor. He also mixes rubbing alcohol and water to clean screens, which I also use to clean the surface of my laptop.
One thing we found out is that at least some Mac books are extremely susceptible to liquid damage. It’s something like this- The fan on them is under the keyboard and will basically suck any bit of liquid in and it messes up the hardware. We paid a couple hundred dollars to mail this to be repaired, maybe thru ebay. It worked to fix it but we never have liquids near it. (It was given to us broken so it only cost us the repair to have a working Mac book.) We found this is a common Mac issue.
I am working on cleaning the oven today and I will also clean the computer, iPad, phones and remotes.
I usually clean my screens with a soft cloth and if there is something stuck on it I will use a slightly damp rag. I just cleaned our tv this way and it worked great.
This is a great project. Cleaning electronics is one of those things that I “forget” and dread doing, but must be done…
Phone is being stupid…
Cans of air by the way are a god sent if you have nicknaks with small crevices. You can find them in probably any office supply store and I know Sam’s Club carries them also.
Cleaning up cables around your desk can help making cleaning easier. I personally like the twist around plastic wraps but you can use tape. Most of us don’t climb under our desks often so it can get pretty icky. I actually just did this job on Sunday. The same can be done for organizing your cords for your TV if you need to aka have gaming systems, speaker set up, etc. It will make dusting much easier not having to push through cords to get along the wall, behind the tv, etc.
As a wife of a computer hardware guy our house is Filled with electronics. I find the little swiffer duster does make it easier to clean under things. Never Ever EVER use things like pledge or windex on LCD TVs and monitors (aka not the huge bulky old style) there is an outside coating and it will ruin your stuff! You may think, “but that is hat I have been doing” and I’d say STOP now! Unless you just enjoy replacing things. Use electronic wipes. Windex actually has some out now that work well. Or a dry, clean soft cloth if it is just dust.
You’d also be surprised how much dust can build up in your computer. I suggest taking the side off your computer at least once a year and blowing it out using canned air. Do not use liquids! Also you. May notice a considerable amount of ick on your processor fan if you have not done this before. Do not remove it! Unless you know what you are doing. Just simply spraying out your PC will not only remove ick but also will extend the life of your PC and believe or not help out over all because it will cut down on heat.
Thanks so much for these tips!
Just as a disclaimer… Make sure your PC is OFF and unplugged before you clean it. 🙂
Good project.
With regard I’ve cleaned with Johnson and Johnson’s all surface pledge. Don’t recall if its safe for ALL surfaces, such flat T.V. screens, etc., but it worked fairly well on other surfaces – to include some electronic surfaces, e.i. the T.V. bases, edges, etc. At least as far as I can recall. 🙂
Haven’t bought it lately, as it’s pricey and I’ve come up w/ other ways to dust, like w/ those cloths with which one can dust without dealing with the fumes from the store bought dusting/polishing sprays.
I too would love a great tip on how to safely flat T.V. screens. Didn’t really try the all surface Pledge on the T.V. screens, as my husband didn’t trust it.
I don’t know that this qualifies as the “easiest” way to clean electronics, but as the wife of a computer engineer/technology junkie nerd (and I mean that with love 🙂 ) I have found the most effective way to clean these things is to use the vacuum hose with a brush attachment for getting the bulk of the dust/crumbs/hair etc… off the items, canned air to blow out the smaller particulates from crevices and a microfiber cloth to get the rest of the dust and to clean fingerprints off of screens, monitors and the like. I’ve had a lot of practice with these techniques…we have approximately 10 computers in our home (ranging from desktops with multiple monitors, to laptops, to tablets), smartphones, TV’s, game consoles, cable boxes, etc… This would be a multiple hour cleaning process for me if I didn’t keep up with it on a regular basis.
I hate cleaning but I’m looking forward to the decluttering challenge! I’ve been in a decluttering mood all this month and made HUGE progress. We’re hoping to move in the next year and it will be to a smaller home so we need to declutter and simplify! 🙂
Hi Jessica,
We’ve been decluttering like champs at our house for the past few months too and for the same reasons that you are. We’re hoping to move next year and that move will probably be to a smaller home. Good luck!