Tech Tip of the Day: Don't Be a Dirty McDirtyson

This tip is especially for those who keep their computers on a carpet, have pets, and don't clean the house as often as they should (you know who you are). And actually, everyone should be checking out the interior of their computer every few months, even if you think you are Mr. Clean himself. Some people have wiped their computer clean of spyware and yet still have a slow running computer. Well, today we are going to take a look at the other way to clean your PC.

The floor of a carpeted room is the worst place to keep your tower. Cookie crumbs, ashes (from those who smoke), pet hair and dander, and dust all wind up on your carpet - and then inside your computer. You ask "How can all that get inside?" It's the laws of physics. You have at least one fan in the back of the tower pulling warm air out of the computer - which creates a suction effect and pulls cooler room air into the front, displacing the warm air. With this suction effect, anything light enough to be drawn in likely will find its way into the innards of the computer. Once the fans are blocked with debris and the temperature rises enough inside, the tower will slow the processor down to protect itself. Continued overheating of the system will cause component failure. The older the computer, the worse it seems to be.

"So what can I do to prevent this?"

There are a few things you can do:

• First is to keep the room clean. Vacuum frequently - daily if there are pets residing in the home.
• Next - if the layout of the desk area permits - move the computer onto the desk. Or purchase a CPU Stand - note there are many to chose from - this link is just one example.
• Third (any anyone can do it) - shut down the computer and unplug all cables. Bring the computer into the garage, workshop or outside. Open the side panel and remove the front cover. You might wish to put on a particle mask, especially if you are allergic to dust or dander. With one of these Air Dusters, gently blow any dust from the interior of the case, and from the front panel as well as the rear of the case. Pay close attention to the processor's heat sink, your video card (where applicable), and the case fans themselves. You might need a set of tweezers to gently pull thick clumps of dust from some fan grills. Take your time, be gentle, and use caution if there are cables attached to the front panel of the tower. Reassemble the computer. While you're in the mood, use a Clorox Wipe to clean the outside of the tower. Bring the machine back inside and hook it up again. You can also use the duster on the keyboard to get those crumbs from between the keys.

If you have any questions or concerns stop by our forums and ask.

Do all this and we promise we will stop calling you Dirty McDirtyson.