Spring Cleaning How To: Your Techs

Guys I get anal about spring cleaning. I’ve already shared how to quickly give your makeup brushes a good clean. Now, after a week of baking, my techs need a good dose of cleaning since I haven’t really been using them this week and it’s time to get some serious work done. I can’t tell you how much more productive and better work feels on a freshly clean laptop!

We hold our phones or are on the computer each day – touching buttons and the screen. Crumbs get in between the keys, the camera and lenses has clear signs of many food shoots. Grease marks from pounds of buttercream and icing lurked on my techs, and I knew a cleaning was in order. So how, and how often, should the things we use daily be cleaned? Honestly depends on much you use your products and in what environment, is it a home office or kitchen or hospital. But a good clean is quick, and I’ll share how to keep your techs clean.

You’ll Need

• Cotton Pads
• Rubbing Alcohol
• Q-tips
• Toothpicks
• Microfiber Cloth {I used the Febreeze duster buster cloths – they smelled so good afterwards}
• Soft Bristle Brush {I used a new paintbrush}
• Lint-free Lens Cloth {use for screen if you have one on hand}

Unplug and turnoff. Before doing anything you should unplug and power your tech devices, and let them cool a bit. You should also check the manufacturer website to ensure you won’t void your warranty. {If you don’t want to chance it, leave the deep cleaning to a professional instead, and stick to a quick wipe down of outer surfaces.}

First, make a DIY cleaner, by combining one-part water and one-part rubbing alcohol into a bowl.

Computer: Brush off the keys of your laptop with the brush, gently shaking it and removing loose crumbs. A fan paint brush or large clean/unused makeup brush is perfect for gently getting into tiny crevices. Then dip a Q-tip in the mixture, and lightly clean the keys. Don’t get the Q-tip too damp, as too much moisture can damage your keyboard. A piece of tape is also good for removing dust, crumbs or fingerprints from your keypad and other crevices on your laptop.

Phone: Dip a Q-tip in the alcohol-water mixture, and wipe down a plastic cellphone case. A water-dampened cotton swab can clean your camera lens, too. Because sometimes there is no greater feeling than a clean shiny phone. Feels like a brand new one, especially when you take your case off, like a load has been taking off your hand.
Protect your touch screen. Your phone’s screen gets dirtier than any other part, so using a screen protector is just as important for protecting against germs. Amazon and eBay have some great ones, with an Olephobic layer, which repels oil and makes cleaning easier. I don’t have a screen protector, it was getting annoying constantly coming off, but I know I should get one.

Phone: Screens are easy to clean, but not the time for standard window cleaner and paper towels. Brush away any dust you see before you start wiping it down. use plain water and a lint-free cloth. A lens cloth, like the kind you use for eye glasses or that comes with your phone, is perfect for this task. But the Febreeze Microfiber cloth I used worked just as well! Our cellphone screens should be cleaned frequently.

The same steps you take on your cellphone, you can follow on your iPad or personal pad too.

Computer: Computer and other screens should be cleaned on a regular basis, as needed. 

Tip: Never spray a cleaner directly on a monitor or screen because it could get into cracks and crevices and cause damage within.
Give the exteriors a good wipe down. The exteriors of your techs can be easily cleaned with rubbing alcohol. It removes dirt and grime, as well as residue from adhesives. Apply it with cotton pads on larger surfaces, and a Q-tip for small crevices. Then wipe it dry with your microfiber cloth, or on a more daily basis rub it down with a lint-free cloth.Don’t ask me about cleaning the inside of your phone or laptop battery, the technical stuff isn’t for me.

Tip: Never wipe a dry camera lens. Breath on it or use a moistened microfiber cloth or a disposable lens wipe.

I even gave my plastic laptop outer protector case a good cleaning, and it was about it time, it needed it. How gross, and that’s what was on the things we use everyday! All pretty and like new!

Do you have your own secrets for keeping your tech clean and germ free? I’d love to hear them!