clean dust off inside pc

[might4]

Got old pc cover in dust try air can put left with a layer off dust
can i use a cleaning fluid ?

or big brush

[stilkun]

Do not use cleaning fluid, it contain chemical that can be harmful or damage your PC parts. I usually take my computer parts out to clean with lint free cloth that has alcohol and for fan I would use can of compress to clean it. I take the case outside and clean it with compress air.

Don't use brush at all to clean other PC parts as you can risk damaging parts, might be fine using small brush like toothbrush on fans.

There article on cleaning your PC:
http://www.howtogeek.com/72716/how-t...ktop-computer/
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/tuto...de-of-your-pc/

There are videos on youtube that you can watch if you are stuck.

[Thorsson]

LOL. I generally use Kitchen Roll; and, despite the paranoia on some sites, a vacuum to clean out the bottom of the case, the removed side panels and air vents.

[stilkun]

>__> It depends on how much dust is collected in the computer and how obsessive you are about cleanning. In one of my previous place I worked in retail company that had many SFF (Small Form Factor) computer. Seen this many time, after I have collected a computer back from shops due to boot failure and open up to see the computer has gather up so much dust it was like box of dust. Took me a while to clean up, had to clean up parts properly if they were re-usable.

At home, I don't use vacuum cleaner as I did damage a pc part badly before. I use compress can air from work to blow out some dust but if I don't have any, I use bog roll or kitchen roll (slightly damp) to clean and cotten bud in hard to reach area. I don't clean often as I have laminate flooring so every four months.

Things like thermal paste if they need to be re-apply... I use nail varnisher to clean and re-apply the paste.

[scaryjim]

I frequently use a soft paintbrush to clean computers. There's no way using a brush on a PC should damage anything, particularly if you get one made of natural fibres rather than plastic (the biggest risk is probably static). The advantage of a paintbrush (and by that I mean a 1" - 2" emulsion brush) is that you can get it into the edges around the motherboard and into the slots to properly clean out the dust.

I'd personally only use a vacuum on the outside of the case (unless the case was empty!) and removable vents, and I'd make sure I used a suitable hand tool with a soft brush. In the case of an empty case, I'd probably use the crevice tool to do inside the case, as it'd get into the corners. But then, if you've taken your computer out of its case to give it a clean, you've probably already got your own ideas on how to clean a computer

[scott1541]

I either use an air compressor or a paint brush. The paint brush doesn't have synthestic bristles to prevent ESD.

[might4]

thanks to all for you contribution to thread
clean that Case

[Konstantin1]

I'd also get dust covers for the intake fans, you can buy them separately for any size. And try to make sure you have positive air pressure (more coming in that going out), this will reduce the dust build-up even further.

[might4]

on dell have one fan yes one fan and on power supply air pressure good

[Pob255]

The damage you can do to pc's with a vacuum cleaner mainly comes in two ways, one you get too close the suction causes it to jump and you accidentally bash something and the 2nd more common way, fan spinning.
A vacuum cleaner creates a lot more air flow than a fan, so if you stick the vacuum nozzle on a fan you'll spin it really fast, manually turning a fan means you're changing the motor into a dynamo and the faster you spin it the higher the voltages it will produce and all that current and volts will flow back down the wire and into whatever the fan was plugged into.
This means you can easily end up feeding 40+ volts back into a fan header on your motherboard, which really isn't designed to handle current flowing in the wrong direction.
I've managed to fry a motherboard fan header before doing this, luckily that's all I did.
You can also do some serious damage to psu's too.

It is pretty easy to avoid damage from vacuum cleaners if you're careful, don't stick the nozzle to close to the fans, if you have to get a bit close or a fan starts turning just grab it with one hand to stop it spinning and don't do it while the pc is running.
I'll also note that you can still spin up fans with compressed air, so the same thing applies, don't blast directly at fans unless you immobilise them in some way (hold them or stick a cable tie between the blades, just stop it from spinning)
unplugging your fans is fairly safe but a charge can build up in the cable.

I prefer the paint brush method over just air, a soft paint brush (not a tooth brush, too stiff) will help loosen dust and fluff so you need less air movement to shift it.
even with close up blasting with compressed air you're still generally left with a film of dust, which a brush helps shift.
A tooth brush is useful for wet cleaning things like heat sinks, ie not when they are in your pc, basic cheap washing up liquid, warm water and a toothbrush will get a heatsink really clean a good soak in the warm water, a couple of drops of washing up liquid on the tooth brush and then get in between the fins to shift the dust.
again a paint brush will also help as the bristles are generally longer so you can get deeper.
Leave to dry fully before putting the heat sink back on.

My one big tip is if you're a smoker, then don't smoke around your pc, all the tar will turn the dust is to a sticky mass which really gums onto components (note people always call it nicotine stains but it's not it's the tar, nicotine is a clear volatile liquid left exposed to air it evaporates) the only way to clean a heatsink in a smokeing environment is with liquid (the warm soapy water trick is easiest) blasting it with air or suction does little.
(a pc in a greasy environment like a kitchen will suffer the same effects)

[Thorsson]

Let me add to that: if you're a smoker, STOP. That gunk which turns dust to a sticky mass, also does that to your lungs.

[might4]

that smoking can stick ti a PC is a first for me ...can get a vacuum pipe for PC cleaning

[deejayburnout]

If you can get access to a small air compressor, then blow your case out with that.

A good shot if air will clear most of the dust out. Try and clean PC every month or so, makes a big difference if you keep on top of it.

[might4]

air compressor ...got to also use a air water trap stop water in fed of air

[deejayburnout]

for the amount of air you will need, water should not be a problem.