Products you should NEVER use to clean your PC

When we talk about PC internal cleaning, most users tend to use a combination of compressed air (be careful with that, in other articles you have already been warned that it can be dangerous because it can move things, etc.), brush and microfiber cloth, and normally that can be enough if it is not too dirty .

However, peripherals such as the keyboard and the mouse or even the screen, which we touch constantly, tend to get dirty more than the inside of the PC, and therefore we can often be tempted to use cleaning products… not to do, and you will soon understand why.

These products will harm your PC if you use them to clean

For many of you, the products we are going to list below are a no-brainer, but the reason we make this list is because we know there are people who have used them, often with fatal consequences. . So, it doesn’t hurt to know which products you should never use to clean the PC or peripherals, so here we go.

Ammonia, bleach, vinegar and household cleaners

He ammonia in particular, it can be very useful in removing dirt and greasy residue, so many people may be inclined to use it on PC. However, this product is highly alkaline and believe it or not it will eat aluminum and other metals so you should keep it away from your PC and peripherals unless you want to see its effects, out of curiosity. However, to save you that test, in the photo below you can see what happens to metals with prolonged exposure to ammonia.

On the other hand, the bleach it will cause the same effect on metals, with the added bonus that it will also damage some plastics, including the ABS plastic from which most PC cases, keyboards and mice are made. Be careful with this. For its part, vinegar is also frequently used to clean, but it is an extremely acidic liquid that can also corrode metals, so don’t even think about trying to clean your PC with vinegar.

Finally, household cleaners are also usually quite acidic (even the ones that say they’re PH neutral), and as you can already guess, they’ll end up damaging your PC and peripherals as well, although it’s true that this will usually happen more in the long run compared to ammonia, vinegar or bleach.

Sanitary alcohol, glass cleaner or dishwasher

Sanitary alcohol is quite effective in cleaning dirt from PC, especially peripherals and monitor screen. However, it is a type of alcohol that is too strong and can corrode the screen and discolor your devices, so it is not recommended to be used. What you need to use is Isopropylic alcoholwhich is less strong and disinfects in the same way without damaging the plastics or the screen of the monitor.

Looking at the image above you will also realize that you shouldn’t put your devices under the tap, but actually you can with some like CPU air cooler as long as you make sure it has dried completely before reassembling it. Other than that, what not to use is water with dish soap (Fairy, Mistol, etc.) as some experts recommend… for the same reasons as the rest of the products we have seen so far.

Also, if your case has a tempered glass side, you might be inclined to use window cleaner. Ok, if you ONLY do this on the tempered glass, no problem, but be careful that it doesn’t splatter anything else as this happens the same as with previous products. Be sure to remove the glass for separate cleaning if you intend to use this product, and that it is completely dry before refitting.

Toilet paper, tissues or other paper products

Although they are not cleaning agents, they are often the ones we use to spread product or to scrub and remove dirt. In this case it is not that they will directly damage the PC or the peripherals, but because they are made of paper, as soon as they get a little wet they will tend to leave residues and detach parts, which can get caught in unwanted areas of the equipment. .

To clean your PC, always, always use a microfiber clothThis is what gives the best results and what is the least dangerous.

And what products CAN be used to clean the PC?

As we have already told you in this article and in many others, the PC and peripherals need regular cleaning to keep them working properly and to prolong their life, but unfortunately it is not worth anything to do so because they are also delicate. Therefore, there is a specific list of products that you can use to safely clean your PC, although obviously using logic and reason (for example, although isopropyl alcohol is safe for electronic devices , that doesn’t mean you have to flood them with it).

These products are:

• Isopropyl alcohol (Isopropanol).
• Microfiber cloths.
• Ear swabs for the most inaccessible areas (with great care that they do not leave traces).
• Water with neutral soap (never dishwasher, and always let dry very well).

You can find isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol in the pharmacy area of ​​most stores, but to make it more comfortable for you, we’ve been using it for a while and it works great (it lasts as long as , because it is a litre).

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