In the same way as we clean our house or the car or change the oil to the latter, the computer also needs some maintenance so that it can remain in good condition for as long as possible, and of course cleaning the PC thoroughly is a task that Although it is arduous and nobody likes to do it, it is still necessary from time to time. In this article we are going to tell you everything you should do and how to do it to carry out a complete cleaning and disinfection of the interior of your PC, in the easiest way possible and, of course, safely.
Cleaning the interior of the PC should be done periodically, but that cleaning that we all usually do from time to time we could say that it is “above” and not a thorough cleaning as such, and that is to completely clean your PC the first thing What you should know is that you will have to disassemble every last cable , so that you can access all the corners of the interior and, let it be said, you can also clean the components themselves.
To clean the PC, you will need to disassemble all the components
And when we say all, it is all. If you really want to thoroughly clean your computer, you will have to remove all the components one by one (we have a guide to assemble a PC that you can follow in reverse to disassemble it), and that includes removing even the motherboard to clean it. properly front and back, as well as the metal plate on which it is mounted.
It is very important that you also remove all the fans from the case and, in fact, also the heatsink to take advantage of and change the thermal paste . The thing about fans is because they are the component that moves the air in and out of the box and therefore they are the components that usually accumulate more dust as a general rule. Likewise, it may be a good idea to disconnect all cables to clean them as well, as they also tend to collect dust and dirt even though it seems difficult.
How to clean the PC and all its components
There are many people who think that with a spray of compressed air (or even with the vacuum cleaner) the interior of the PC will already be clean, but nothing is further from the truth: by doing that you will only be moving the dirt from one side to another. Yes, we are going to recommend using compressed air in some steps of this guide, but only for specific things and, in fact, we recommend doing it if possible outside (since dirt will come out that will be distributed inside your house on the contrary).
Clean the PC case
We assume that you have already ginned all the components and are ready to clean the PC case, which should be only with the chassis and sides removed at this point. Our recommendation here is that you use a micro fiber cloth with a little cleaning product (which can perfectly be a duster) to clean the two sides well, helping you if necessary with a pointed tool (such as a screwdriver) always covered with the rag to reach difficult corners.
As for cleaning the rest of the box, the easiest thing to do now is to use a spray of compressed air, always outside, to remove most of the dirt, and then, just as you did with the side covers, clean everything. the interior and exterior with the cloth with special emphasis on the grates, since this is where more dirt accumulates.
If your box is one of those with many nooks and crannies that are difficult to reach, there is an alternative solution, which although we do not recommend doing it, can be quite effective. This solution literally consists of removing or sealing the connection panel (essential) with electrical tape and putting the box under the shower, removing all the dirt with water. Then it is important to dry everything immediately with kitchen paper or similar, or even with the help of a hair dryer. It is something quite radical and that can damage your box (especially the connection panel), but it is also effective. In any case, we repeat that we do not recommend doing so.
Clean the heatsink or radiator
Depending on the type of heatsink you have, cleaning can be easier or more difficult. If your heatsink is air and tower or double tower type, it is quite easy to clean it because literally, after disassembling it, you can put it under the tap and then dry it with kitchen paper and a hairdryer. Here there is no danger that anything will be damaged by the water since the heatsinks have an anti-corrosion layer, and if you dry them immediately they will not rust.
If the heatsink is of the shell type you can also do it like this, but be sure to disassemble the fan first, of course, since it will be damaged if it gets wet. In any case, you also have the option of cleaning it with the microfiber cloth slowly and being careful not to bend any of the aluminum fins, helping you initially with a compressed air spray to remove most of the dirt.
If your heatsink is liquid cooling and you need to clean the radiator, we do not recommend putting it under the tap under any circumstances; what we recommend is to spray it with compressed air in an outdoor area, or if you are very careful with a handheld vacuum cleaner, since that will remove almost all the dirt. Then go over everything with the microfiber cloth to make it very clean.
How to properly clean fans
As we have mentioned before, fans are the component most prone to getting dusty and therefore their cleanliness is of the utmost importance. With the fan removed and in an outdoor area you can start by removing most of the dirt with compressed air, but hold one of the blades because otherwise you will make it spin. You can also clean it with a brush and then, carefully inserting your fingers, use the microfiber cloth to leave it completely clean.
In fact, in any case it is always advisable to give it a good final pass using the microfiber cloth, which will be your best ally when cleaning the PC from the inside. If you want you can help yourself with ear buds for areas of difficult access.
Cleaning the graphics card
The graphics card is quite a delicate component, so we recommend that you take extreme precautions when cleaning it. If the fans can be removed without removing the heatsink, then we recommend doing so and cleaning them as in the previous point; If not, try to clean them with the cloth by putting your finger under the blades but trying not to bend them. What we do not recommend with the graph is that you use compressed air because something could be damaged.
If the dirt is very encrusted, you can use isopropyl alcohol on a kitchen paper, but we do not recommend using baby wipes because they have a product that can be harmful to plastic.
If your graph is already a long time and you are beginning to have a temperature problem, it might be time to completely disassemble it to clean the heatsink properly and change the thermal paste, but that is already another matter.
Be careful with the power supply and motherboard
Again we are facing components that are quite delicate. With the power supply we do not recommend opening it to clean it unless it is extremely dirty, and even so, we recommend that you be very careful and use the microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol and not compressed air. With the motherboard exactly the same, do not use compressed air so that nothing is damaged and instead use a cloth and isopropyl alcohol for cleaning.
For the motherboard you can use a soft hair brush to remove most of the dirt in the first instance, something especially useful to clean the PCIe sockets, those of the RAM memory and the connections.
Hard drives, SSD and other devices
To clean mechanical hard drives and SSDs in 2.5-inch format, you just have to clean them with the brush initially and then with our great friend the microfiber cloth to leave them like jets of gold. Now, if you have SSDs in M.2 format you will have to disassemble them and we recommend you to give them only with the cloth to avoid possible damage. There is not much more to add here, this component has no difficulty.
Take advantage and change the thermal paste to the heatsink
Since you now have everything disassembled and clean, you will have to reassemble the heatsink so you have no choice but to change the thermal paste you had. On this website you have a tutorial to do it, but we recommend having the mounting instructions for your heatsink at hand if you don’t have practice.
Having a tube of thermal paste at home is always a good idea (since it is advisable to change it every 6 months or a year), and they are not too expensive.
Reassembling it will be like having a new PC
Now that you have all the components cleaned individually, it is time to reassemble everything, and for this we have already linked a guide at the beginning of this article. Simply, while you are assembling, we advise you to look closely, since all the components will go through your hands again, they are completely clean, or else you can review them again before assembling them.
