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The snow is finally thawing here in Montreal.
The first bulbs of spring are sending up their
shoots. It's time for spring cleaning!
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Monitor & CPU- Using a paper towel
or a cloth, clean the case with rubbing alcohol
or a commerical cleaner. Clean the glass of the
monitor with any window cleaner and a soft
cloth. Never spray directly onto the monitor or
CPU; instead spray onto the cloth.
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- Use the same
technique as for your monitor. Make sure that
the glass is very clean so that you get accurate
scans.
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LCD Panel
- Don't use the same
procedures as you'd use for your monitor. The
LCD screen is a soft plastic that can be
scratched easily. Use only a soft cloth, not a
paper towel, to wipe the screen. Never spray any
liquid directly on the screen; instead, apply it
to the cloth and then wipe the screen. Do not
use standard glass-cleaning solutions; use
rubbing alcohol.
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Keyboard
- After having tried
window cleaners, computer cleaner sprays, and
rubbing alcohol, I happened on to WD-40, which
worked the best and the most easily. Use a
cotton ball to clean the case, and use a cotton
swab to get the coffee and ink stains from
between the keys. You can also keep a spray can
of it near your computer for emergency touch
ups.
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- If you want to clean
out the cookie crumbs that have fallen under the
keys, you can do a more labor-intensive
cleaning. On most keyboards, you can gently pry
off the keycaps using a flat-bladed screwdriver
or knife. Don't remove the wide keys -- such as
Spacebar or Enter -- because they often have
special wires or springs that make them more
difficult to put back in place. Once all the
keycaps are off, you can vacuum or brush out the
dust and lint that accumulates underneath. The
keycaps will then just snap into place with a
firm push; just be sure to put them back in
their correct locations.
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Printer
- Open the case and
clean out all of the dust bunnies. Check to see
whether it's time for a new ribbon or more
ink.
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Desktop & Hard Drive
- Organize the desk
your computer is on. Give it a good clean, and
wipe it down. File your papers. Remove all the
stickies. Clean the bulb in the desk lamp. Put
your old coffee cup in the sink.
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- Clean your computer
desktop, too. Put files that you don't use daily
onto your hard drive. Put all loose files into
an appropriate folder.
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- Get rid of old files
from your hard drive. Put applications that you
don't use anymore onto floppies or other disks.
Do the same for files; make an archive of
anything you haven't opened in a year. For info
on how to get rid of old temporary files, go to
Alfred
Poor's Computer
Cures ;
it's a bit complicated, but it's cheaper than
having to buy more memory for your
HD.
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Mental Health
- When you finish,
you'll really feel better, and your computer
will too!
This month's tip was submitted by
Dr.
Sheryl Beller-Kenner. To
submit a tip, please send
tip to Dr. Sheryl
Beller-Kenner.
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