We all rely on a multitude of electrical appliances in the home to go about our daily business. Whether we’re storing food, cooking or entertaining ourselves, we use these gadgets and gizmos to make things easier.
But electrical appliances attract dust and dirt — and cleaning them is potentially dangerous. Follow these basic cleaning guides to ensure you electrical appliances are clean, in good working order and safe at all times.
CLEANING TVs AND COMPUTER MONITORS
Please note: You should always refer to the manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines before attempting to clean your TVs and monitors.
There was a time when a quick rub down with a cloth would be good enough to clean the average TV, but not anymore. State-of-the-art LCD screens are very delicate, and just a small amount of pressure can permanently damage their pixels. It’s therefore essential that you take great time and care when cleaning the latest TVs.
Start the cleaning process by switching off the TV. Shine a bright light directly onto the screen — so spots and marks are easily identifiable. Wipe the screen and the casing with a microfibre cloth, but apply the minimum amount of pressure required. If you can’t remove marks from the screen, dab a tiny amount of water onto it, then lightly rub again. In most cases, this will suffice.
If you can’t remove annoying spots and marks from the screen, don’t apply more pressure. Instead, mix up a solution of one part water and one part white vinegar, apply a small amount to your microfibre cloth, and repeat the process of gentle rubbing. However, make sure you use distilled water, as the salts in hard water can leave nasty residues.
CLEANING MOBILE PHONES
In most cases, a thorough rub down with a microfibre cloth will be enough to clean smudges, spots and grease from your mobile phone. While you will still need to be gentle with your phone’s screen, you can afford to apply a little more pressure than you’d use on an LCD TV screen. But check the manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines first.
If you find that certain accumulations and marks won’t budge, repeat the process of wiping with a solution of water and white vinegar. You may also find that alcohol-based screen wipes remove the most stubborn of marks.
CLEANING KEYBOARDS
Keyboards are highly susceptible to accumulations of grease, food and dust, so it’s important to stay on top of cleanliness. Start by blowing compressed air between the keys to dislodge hidden dust and dirt. Then, use the crevice tool of your Shark vacuum cleaner to suck up any loose debris.
To clean your keyboard thoroughly, you’ll have to tackle each key individually. Dab a cotton bud in an alcohol solution, and gently dab each one in turn. It’s also important to rub around every key as you go. If you need something a little more robust, use an old toothbrush to scrub each key clean.
CLEANING LAPTOPS
Please note: You should always refer to the manufacturer’s cleaning guidelines before attempting to clean your computers and laptops.
In most cases, using a very slightly dampened, microfibre cloth to clean the casing, trackpad, keys and screen of your laptop will suffice. If you’re having trouble with stubborn accumulations of dirt and grease, create a solution of three parts water and one part non-acetone nail varnish. Apply a very small amount of the solution to a microfibre cloth, and repeat the cleaning process – making sure you’re gentle with the screen, the trackpad and the keyboard.
CLEANING GAMING CONSOLES
Switch off your console, and completely disconnect it from the power source. If you’re cleaning controllers too, make sure they’re off and that any batteries are removed.
With a microfibre cloth, dust the exterior of your console thoroughly. To prevent further accumulations of dust within a few days, apply a light coating of electronics dusting spray first, which you can buy from major electrical retailers and various online stores. But to avoid the spray finding its way into your console through vents and openings, apply the spray to the cloth, and not the device.
Dust can wreak havoc on the insides of a gaming console, so it’s best to remove it from vents and openings as regularly as possible. To do this, blow compressed air into each opening – making sure to position the nozzle at least two inches away from the console; this prevents condensation from forming inside.
Finish the cleaning process by using alcoholic wipes and cotton buds to clean the d-pad, thumbstick and buttons of your controllers.
Keeping your electrical gadgets clean is not just a cosmetic issue — it is also crucial to their correct functioning. By implementing a schedule of regular cleaning, you can ensure your gadgets have a long and problem-free life.
