Computer Housekeeping 101 – Outside and Inside
Ken and I had a computer cleaning business. We actually cleaned and sanitized all office equipment, but the focus was on the computers. I wish I still had the lab reports we use to show companies what germs were found on office equipment. One was alarming, echoli and even feces were found on the keyboards.
There are probably around 2,696,400 germs on your keyboard right now! That’s equivalent to the number of germs on 539 toilet seats. Will hearing that make you feel bad? When you view reports, you’ll suddenly find yourself cleaning your computer and phone keyboards.
It happens easily, someone sneezes or coughs, many eat in front of their computer, play with pets, scratch themselves or use the bathroom and don’t wash (scary, but it happens). So let’s do a computer cleaning boot camp.
The product we use is a special solution that you will not be able to get. So let’s use what you have in your house.
Keyboards
First, make sure your computer is turned off. Many people tend to turn the keyboard upside down and shake it. A customer did this before he could clean his station and something went offline. She didn’t want me to see all the crumbs, so it’s not a great idea. Better to use a can of compressed air. Hold your keyboard at a downward angle so that as you blow, debris can be blown away and away from your keyboard, and not further under the keys.
We have vacuum accessories that look like a Barbie doll set, but it’s better to blow them with compressed air. If something was loose, it could be sucked into the vacuum.
The old keys on the keyboard could be removed for a deeper cleaning if they were sticky, but most have the newer keyboards that are very easy to maintain.
Now to clean it up our local IT guy said they use Fantastic or Windex on a cloth. Be sure to spray the cloth and not the keyboard. A lint-free cloth is best. I use a very weak solution of H2O2 and water that I keep in a spray bottle which also disinfects the surface. Again, spray it onto the fabric. If you need to get into tight areas, use a wet Q-Tip.
LCD screens
The LCD flat screen is not made of glass; therefore, it requires special cleaning procedures. It is important not to spray any liquid directly onto the screen and to use a lint-free cloth, such as a microfiber cloth, so you don’t scratch the surface. You can use a Swiffer duster if you are just dusting. The factory uses isopropyl alcohol to clean the LCD screen before it leaves the factory, so you can use that, or just a damp cloth.
GlassMonitor
A glass monitor screen can be cleaned with any window or household cleaner. Spray your cloth lightly or dampen it with water. If your screen has any anti-glare protection, it is best to use only water so as not to remove anything from this special surface.
Mouse
Don’t forget to clean your mouse too. The oldest have a removable bottom. You will have to blow that with air and clean the ball. The newer ones have an optical sensor that you can clean. Also clean the bottom to keep it free of debris so it moves freely.
INSIDE
Now that you’re in computer cleanup mode, let’s do some internal work as well. It would be good to get into the habit of cleaning up old files on your hard drive that you no longer need. Also to clean your emails. Don’t forget to empty the trash too, when you delete something, it’s still taking up space on your hard drive, so delete that too.
Mac
ANTI-VIRUS PROTECTION
If you have a Mac, your life is quite easy. I don’t have to worry about any antivirus protection, everything is built in. But for added security, and just for my own sense of well-being, I bought ESET Cybersecurity for Mac. It just added another layer of security to give me peace of mind now that I have an online business.
CLEAR YOUR HISTORY
Especially if you do financial or banking transactions online, get in the habit of deleting the history of the web page.
To do this: make sure your internet browser is open
Safari
Click “History” on the top bar
Then click “Clear History”
and “Delete” in the popup window
firefox
Click “Tool” on the top bar
Click “Clear Recent History”
CLEAR YOUR CACHE
Your cache is a collection of temporary data stored on your computer so that the computer can access this information quickly instead of going to the original source every time. It is basically duplicating the information and storing it in a separate memory. If you are a computer technician you can laugh at my explanation, but don’t bother writing to me. I like to explain things in a simple way. Clearing the cache regularly improves the overall speed of your computer.
To do this on your Mac, make sure your internet browser is open:
Safari:
Click on the word “Safari” on the top bar
Click “Empty Cache”
firefox:
Click on the word “Firefox” in the top bar
WINDOWS-PC
ANTI-VIRUS PROTECTION
This is an absolute must if you have a Windows PC. My IT technician recommends that I have antivirus protection and scanning software. This is what he recommended, and both are free:
Microsoft Security Essentials Provides real-time protection for your home or small business PC that protects against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software for free. You can download it here: Microsoft Security Essentials
malware bytes protect your computer by completely removing all forms of malware, including viruses, trojans, spyware, adware, and rootkits. You should update it and scan your computer about once a month.
DEFRAGMENT
If your PC is new or Windows 7, my IT technician said that it should be automatically scheduled by default to defrag your computer once a week. If your computer is older, you can do it manually. That is how:
Click the “Start” button
Select “Entire program”
Click on “Accessories”
Click on “System Tools”
Click “Disk Defragmenter”
Click “Disk Defragment”
Click on “Preferences”
Select the “Advanced” tab
Click on the “Network” tab
Under “Offline Storage”, click “Erase Now”
EMPTY YOUR CACHE AND CLEAR HISTORY
Open Internet Explorer
Click on “Tools” (or the icon that looks like a sun)
Click on “Internet Options”
In the “General” tab
In “Browsing history”
Click “Delete”
then select
-Temporary Internet Files
– Cookies
-History
Click “Delete”
UPDATES
Run system updates periodically if they are not set to run automatically.
Following these steps should keep your computer running smoother and faster for much longer.