No matter how well you take care of our devices, sooner or later you are going to start seeing dirt, spots, fingerprints and other grunge that no device can escape. Sure, you can keep saying that you will clean your device later, but eventually you are going to have to do it. If you keep putting off cleaning your device because you are not sure how to clean it, the following tips will show you how to clean it efficiently.
Only Use Water on the Display
All the manufacturers of devices insist that you don’t treat the displays with any type of chemical, especially on your smartphones and tablets. Why? Your smartphones or devices with touchscreens are treated with chemicals that work with the natural oils of your fingers. This process will start to wear off with time, and the use of abrasive chemicals that are found in glass cleaners and other cleaners accelerate the process. That is why you want to avoid them altogether. To clean your phones’ and tablets’ displays and even your TV’s, you want to use a lightly moistened cloth, and with patience (almost without applying pressure) you can remove the spots and dust from the device. After using the dampened cloth, you can use a dry cloth to dry anything that was left behind. Remember, you should never, ever use alcohol to clean the display. It is not only harmful to the device, but you will also leave some horrible spots behind.
Try To Avoid Cream Cleaner
Can you use cream cleaners? If the spots on the display are too deep and you can’t remove them with water, you can turn to those cream cleaners that are specially made for displays. But be careful as not all of them work the same. You have to pay close attention to the label and make sure it doesn’t contain any harsh elements for the device, or you could ruin the device. If you are not sure what cleaning cream to use, it is best that you keep trying to remove those spots with water and avoid the cream cleaners altogether since they may get rid of the original shine your device once had.
Microfiber Cloths and ToothPicks Are Our Friends
The microfiber clothes that you can get at any store are a great item. But you shouldn’t buy just any cloth since not all of them are good quality cloths (especially the generic brands). These fabrics can cause scratches over the glass since they are made with the intention of them being used on other surfaces. Look for those cloths that specifically say that they were made for TV’s, smartphones, etc..
Toothpicks are also your friends, not only because they help you get that annoying piece of chicken from in between your teeth, but because they can also help you clean your devices. Thanks to their thin and pointy structure, you can use them to clean the micro-USB ports of your phones and get all the lint and dirt out. Remember to be gentle and to carefully clean out the ports since you don’t want to damage any connectors.
Clean Keyboards with Compressed Air
The keyboards on your computers or laptops are a real challenge to clean, but it is something that needs to be done. All those cookie crumbs need to come out so you can enjoy a decent keyboard, and no, making your cat lick the keyboard doesn’t count as cleaning. The best thing you can do is to buy a can of compressed air since the high pressure will do an excellent job of getting everything out. Remember never to spray any chemical over the keyboard, even if it is for cleaning. If you don’t want to get a can of compressed air you can always grab some tape, flip it over so the sticky side is on the outside and slide it in between the keys. It’s worked wonders for me. I am sure you will see cookies crumbs you haven’t seen in months!
What You Should Never Forget
Never clean a display of any device with alcohol or abrasive chemicals. Never clean a device that is on or connected to a socket. Never use cotton swabs to clean ports, connectors or any corner where it can get stuck since the cotton can come off and get stuck in your device. Never expose your device to water, only when you are cleaning it with a moistened cloth. Never try to take a device apart to clean it unless you absolutely know what you are doing.
Conclusion
We love using our devices but hate having to clean them. Let us know how often you clean your devices in the comments.
