▷ How to thoroughly clean your laptop and not damage it 【step by step】

Cleaning the laptop is something we all face, sooner or later. Therefore, we have devised this tutorial to do it without damaging it.

Laptops are not like a PC tower, so maintenance, like how you do it, changes completely. In the cleaning process many delicate parts are exposed, such as the trackpad or mat, the screen, the keyboard, such as various components that we find inside.

Below, you will find a tutorial that will narrate step by step what you have to do. Ready?

Index of contents

Essential tools

Next, we are going to detail what tools or instruments you will need to carry out the process satisfactorily. You will not need to invest a lot of money, even if you do not invest anything because you already have the necessary tools.

Isopropyl alcohol

We refer to 90% isopropyl alcohol < because it is perfect for cleaning without damage. The reason for this is because it does not cause damage to the components, as it removes the embedded dirt that lives in them. It will help us to use it together with the microfiber cloth.

Avoid using alcohol to burn, it will leave residue. Best Isopropyl Alcohol

Microfiber cloth

We will use it for the keyboard case and external elements because it is not an invasive material and helps to remove dirt quickly. We always recommend it because it does not scratch anything, but it can be a scarce solution when we have to remove stuck dirt.

Buds or brushes

Either of these two are ideal for removing hairs, dust, or any debris that gets into small spaces. It is true that the brushes, having such fine tines , successfully sneak through the key slits, as well as the internal components.

On the other hand, the swabs together with the alcohol is a perfect combo to clean the laptop from top to bottom.

Compressed air

Finally, compressed air is something that you will not have at home and that you will have to buy. Do not be alarmed because its price is very low, not exceeding € 5. You can find them in many places, although we recommend that you take a look at specialized stores.

Failing that, you can use electric compressed air, so you do not pollute. We are going to use this product on the keys.

Screwdriver

We will need the screwdriver to open the laptop inside, since most laptops are assembled with star screws. What we always advise around here, is that you use a universal one to which the heads can be exchanged , because we can find screws of different sizes.

We are now ready to start cleaning the laptop, so less chatter and let's get to work!

Laptop interior

Before opening anything, you have to verify two things:

• That the laptop is disconnected from the power and turned off. Laptop warranty. If it is under warranty, we do not recommend that you open it because you may lose it. Therefore, clean only the superficial parts.

Without warranty and shutdown, it's time to open the laptop. The steps to follow are very different depending on the manufacturer, but we are going to give you some tricks that can help you:

• If you think you've removed all the screws, but the laptop won't open, check the non-slip rubber pads. On some Asus, you have to remove one of those adhesive rubbers to unscrew a hidden screw.

• Before pulling the cover, take a thin card (the DNI can help you) and pass it through the side seal to remove the tabs that the laptop has inside.

• When you see that the lid is completely loose, pull it out and set it aside. Be very careful with the screws because each one has its size and function, even though they seem the same. Some manufacturers put all the screws the same, but many do not.

Clean components

With the laptop open, we are going to focus on the CPU fan or heatsink . Grab a brush and give it a kick to get the dust out of there. Do not stop until you see that there is practically no dust left, being able to blow to push a little.

You can use compressed air for this task in order to blow the air from one side. You can also help yourself with a handheld vacuum cleaner. That said, we recommend that you remove the fan, although there are times when it is not necessary.

If you want to disassemble it, you should know that the thermal paste that these devices carry is very hard, so you have to throw away to remove it. Be even more careful when it comes to a heatsink with copper pipes or heatpipes .

Since we have removed the heatsink, why not change the thermal paste ?

Clean the chip with a swab impregnated with alcohol and, once cleaned, put a grain of thermal pasta rice on it. We only have to put the heatsink and we're done inside.

Before you close the laptop, don't forget to clean the slits to get hot air out of the laptop.

Keyboard and pad

Closed the laptop, we can start cleaning the keyboard thoroughly. For this, using compressed air is the best option because we reach the most remote places of the keyboard with almost no effort. Keep in mind that we are going to find dirt of all kinds: hairs, pieces of food, dust, etc.

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On the other hand, note that Mac laptops can follow other instructions, such as setting the laptop to 75 degrees (not temperature, but tilt) to use compressed air. Yours is to use this from side to side and start from the top. Then you have to turn the laptop around (yes, it is a bit strange).

Regarding the other models, unless the manufacturers indicate otherwise, you can do it normally. By the way, use the air at a safe distance, do not put it directly, keep a few centimeters between the keyboard and the tool.

The next step is to take the swabs with alcohol and start to pass them through the keys, as well as through the holes between them. We do not recommend sponges or products of this type because you can damage the keys. In this step, do it with grace because our keyboard may be very dirty.

I forgot! With the mat, do the same: a little alcohol on the well-drained cloth and do a few passes.

screen

Pay close attention here because the screen is very delicate, so you have to avoid certain products, such as cotton or paper cloths, on the other hand, be careful with using corrosive liquids, such as ammonia, too much alcohol, etc.

The best we can do is gently wipe a microfiber cloth without rubbing or circling. You can use wipes to clean glasses.

Another option is to take distilled water and impregnate the microfiber cloth with it because the lime from the tap water leaves marks. Wring the cloth well because it should not drip, it just has to be wet.

In the event that you cannot clean or remove stains from the screen, you will have to use a spray or product for screens. If it is spray, do not put it on the screen, but on the cloth.

You can make circles, but without pressing more than you should.

Case

Grab the swabs with rubbing alcohol and run them through the side ports of the laptop to remove any dirt. The next step is to take a microfiber cloth and impregnate it with alcohol, ionized water or white vinegar (the stream). As always, keep it from dripping by draining it properly.

The last thing to do is wait for it to dry naturally, never with hand dryers, or the like.

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So far the tutorial, why wasn't it so difficult? Has it served you? Do you know a trick that we haven't shown here? Enlighten us!