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are electronic dust wipes safe inside the computer?


potatochobit

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I need something to clean the dust off inside

but like on PCI cards and other fragile electronics

the dust can works but not good enough

I would like to do some "spring cleaning" on the computer

 

so do they make electronic dust wipes for inside the case?

how safe are these things?

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I just use a small paint brush and a vaclum cleaner. I'm not sure how safe it is, but I haven't ran into a problem with anything shorting out. Than again, its completely disassembled. 

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I blast everything with compressed air from our compressor but if you don't have that then I would assume that'd be alright too

Yes I use my compressor to blow the dust from the main pc, fans ,cpu heatsink etc, then I'll wipe the top of the video card and mb heatsinks with a paper towel, and if I really want it clean I'll use a q-tip on the mb caps and plugs to get the excess dust off them. (That last part might happen once every 2 years )

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I use caned air to blow out fans and, also, a dusting brush on the end of a vacuum wand.

 

As for the eletronic dust wipes - make sure the power is off. The film they leaves dries quickly so you should not have any damagte at all.

Just give your computer a few minutes to air out.

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The wipes you've linked to are really only for surface cleaning of monitor screens and external equipment housings and I wouldn't use them directly on printed circuit boards. Once moisture gets under the surface mount components, especially integrated circuits, it can take ages to dry out properly.

 

I just use a clean soft paint brush along with aerosol air duster as others have already suggested. Does the job for me!

 

I also have one of these that is very handy to get into all the nooks and crannies using the vacuum cleaner.

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For quick cleaning with motherboard in case using soft paint brush with aerosol air duster is best,.. be vary carful using vacuum cleaners as they create static electricity,.. and air compressors can contain nasty condensation and oil droplets.

 

For deep cleaning a filthy motherboard you need to remove it from case,.. and do a Mean Green Hot Wash,.. http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1463&highlights=cleaning+motherboard     

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For quick cleaning with motherboard in case using soft paint brush with aerosol air duster is best,.. be vary carful using vacuum cleaners as they create static electricity,.. and air compressors can contain nasty condensation and oil droplets.

 

For deep cleaning a filthy motherboard you need to remove it from case,.. and do a Mean Green Hot Wash,.. http://www.badcaps.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1463&highlights=cleaning+motherboard     

The topic of static electricity affecting board components is GREATLY overblown and misleading. I have been working with electronic components for longer than most of the members of OCC have been alive. The ONLY time I use a wrist strap is when I am replacing an IC or transistor. Caps and resistors can not be hurt by static elec, and, once components are mounted on a circuit board they're grounded and not affected by static elec.Lightening stikes are much more damaging than any static elec discharge.

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I just use a small paint brush and a vaclum cleaner. I'm not sure how safe it is, but I haven't ran into a problem with anything shorting out. Than again, its completely disassembled. 

 

Oh god... the vacuum...  o_o Brings back memories of my buddy calling me, "Yo I just vacuumed the dust out of my cpu heat sink now it turns on but it beeps and just shows a blank screen."

 

..."Did you take the fan off before you vacuumed it?  Or at least unplug it?"

 

.."No..."

 

And he's an electrician.  

 

Personally, I would make sure to stay away from stuff like microfiber towels and the "dust attracters" because they're riddled with static electricity.  If you really want to clean it out, take it apart and use a DRY paper towel and, as the yonder aroused cow said a paint brush.  That's what I do.

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