My laptop fan was so loud I tried cleaning it with a toothpick, then a can of air.

The toothpick just moved dust around, but the air can blasted it all out in seconds. My fan is quiet now and my CPU temps dropped 10 degrees. What's your go-to method for cleaning electronics without taking them apart?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimg571mo ago

That soft brush idea is solid for keyboards. My go-to is canned air for the inside stuff, but I always hold the fans still with a finger so they don't spin up and get damaged. For the outside and vents, I use those little makeup brushes, the kind with the soft bristles. They get into the tight spots without scratching anything.

sanchez.mary1mo ago

Remember when people used to vacuum their computer keyboards? That always seemed like a bad idea to me, like you're just asking to suck up a keycap. A soft brush works better for that kind of thing, right?

kevinr231mo ago

Actually, a vacuum can be fine for keyboards if you use the brush attachment. The trick is to hold it a little above the keys so it pulls out the dust without pulling off the caps. I've done it for years without losing a single key.