These attachments are small enough to get in all the cracks and crevices, and the adapter that you use to connect them to your home vacuum is often designed to cut down the air flow to a level more appropriate for cleaning a PC. Most computer stores sell vacuum attachments intended for use with PCs. To begin, vacuum the exterior surfaces of the case, if you haven't done so already, and if necessary use Windex, Fantastic, Formula 409, or a similar household cleaning solution to remove grease and other accumulations from the case exterior.Īlthough you can get by with just a standard vacuum cleaner and a brush or two, it's easier to do the job properly if you have the right tools. Every few weeks to every few months depending on how dirty your environment is you'll need to do a more thorough job. Routine vacuuming of the case exterior helps keep the dust down, but it's not a complete solution. (Barbara asked Robert to point out that she vacuums thoroughly and dusts every week, but that Robert specifically asked her to make no special effort to clean this system so that he could use it as an illustration.) Figure 3-1 shows the back I/O panel of a PC that was left running 24 hours a day for 6 months in a typical residential environment which happens to be our home without being cleaned other than casual vacuuming of the accessible areas of the case. Routine weekly vacuuming of the case exterior helps, but is not sufficient. Pets, carpeting, cigarette smoking, gas or oil heat all of these contribute to dirty PCs. Typical home and office environments are much better, but still surprisingly bad. In a shop-floor environment, we have seen standard PCs become so clogged with dirt literally in one day that they stopped running because of overheating. Industrial environments are often filthy, so much so that standard PCs are unusable. The severity of the problem depends on the environment. If there's any dust in the air at all, the system fans will suck it in and deposit it inside the case, where it will become a problem sooner or later. Even in clean rooms, operating theaters, and other very clean environments, a PC will eventually become dirty. Fans suck dust, pet hair, and other contaminants into the case, where they rest on every surface. Dirt is nasty stuff.Ĭomputers become dirty as a natural part of running. Dirt worms its way into connectors, increasing electrical resistance and reducing reliability.
Dirt causes fans to run faster (and louder) as they attempt to keep the system cool. Dirt acts as thermal insulation, causing components to overheat and thereby shortening their service lives.
Dirt blocks air flow, causing the system to run hotter and less reliably.
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