How to clean dirty laptop physically/cosmetically?

I'm not sure which subforum im suppose to post this on so i posted it here as this here. Can mod move this to right subforum if its not right to put it here>


Have a dell xps 15 9550 laptop bought years ago. It works fine. The exterior of it is a bit dirty but because its silver, it looks good.


Now when you open the laptop and look at the touchpad and the areas around the keyboard etc, there is like dirty fingerprints around that area. Also there is lot of dust around the keys on the keyboard as well. I previously would just take some tissue and wipe the dirty spots. But of course its still dirty. I don't want to use water on it as that can cause damage. I do have these wipes called wet ones...which are meant to wash your hands though but those should not be used on this right?


Also when you go on ebay and see people selling an old laptop, you notice how the area around the touchpad has stains/fingerprints etc. But is there a way to clean this without risk causing damage to it? The thing is i rarely use this laptop by itself, its pretty much connected to 2 external monitors always. But the thing is this laptop seems to collect a lot of dust.


Also my monitors and external keyboard i use for this laptop is very dirty. I previously used some wet ones on it and it was okay but didn't clean it fully. Like on the external wired keyboard, you see dust under the keys on it. But i don't want to get a new external keyboard because i like this keyboard a lot. It was from an old dell desktop and the size of it is bigger than regular size keyboard and i always found it comfortable, which is why i havent bought a new wired keyboard.


Does anyone have tips on how i can clean safely my laptop... my monitor and the keyboard? I did recall i saw some computer wiping screen wipes at walmart that seem to do this. So those are safe to use?

 

For dust in the keyboard some canned air to get out the dust/debris between the keys. The screen cloths will work well.

For the area around the keyboard that is showing prints/etc I would recommend a high concentration Isopropyl alcohol applied to a lint-free cloth and just some light rubbing to remove.

 

Use alcohol to clean the dirt like stains. It will not help if the plastic has changed the color, but it may be possible to find a replacement for discolored parts on Aliexpress or similar sites.

 

A microfiber towel and isopropyl alcohol (found in drug stores and supermarkets) should get most of the dust and stains off, as noted. For the screen, I'd just use the microfiber towel with some tap water. Screen wipes will work fine I think they're a waste of money. Don't press on the screen when you're wiping it.

Cotton swabs can come in handy for getting into cracks and other smaller places; feel free to dip them in the isopropyl alcohol.

Canned air is a good way to blast things out of the keyboard area and clean out the ports. If possible, take off the bottom panel on the notebook and clean in there, too. Try not to blow the air into the notebook's fans without gently preventing the fans from moving with a finger or perhaps a toothpick; the brushless motors inside them can get damaged.

Charles

 

Those little alcohol prep swab squares for medical use are great in camera or laptop bags. They're not dripping wet.

 

remember cleaning the fan

 

Gas dusters often use a bitterant to discourage inhalant abuse and it doesn't leave your hands readily, so wear gloves and a mask if you are able to.