Image courtesy of djukami
Air quality affects everything in your home – from the people in your home to the amount of dusting you need to do. It should come as no surprise that air quality can affect your electronics as well, and not just the outside of them, either.
Even though you can’t see them, the air around you is filled with millions of microscopic contaminants such as dust mites, allergens, pen dander, smoke particles and even tiny insect parts. Because they are so miniscule, they can easily find their way through the smallest crevices – from those slim spaces on your computer keyboard to the space around the buttons on your television. Unfortunately, these tiny particles don’t have as easy of a time getting out of these spaces and they often build over time.
Here’s what you need to know about air quality and your electronics:
Effects of dust accumulation
Many complications can occur when dust and pollutants settle inside electronics. Moving parts – like the tiny fan that keeps computers cool – can become bogged-down with dust and stop working properly. When that happens, overheating may occur. The longer dust sits inside a machine, the more likely it is that it will fail to work.
Ways to prevent build-up
Cleaning the outside of your computer is a great start to keeping the inside clean, since dust and debris from the outside can easily migrate inside when left for too long. Keep the area around the device clean as well by consistently dusting and wiping down entertainment cabinets, office desks and other nearby furniture. Keep pets, cigarettes and plants away from your electronics at all times to minimize the risk of pet hair and other substances polluting electronics.
Use cans of compressed air to clean your electronics at least once per week to keep the inside as clean as possible. Consult your owner’s manual to see if and how you can take the device apart to conduct a thorough cleaning at least once every six months. Seeing a computer repair expert is also a viable solution for thorough cleanings throughout the year.
Another helpful tip is to improve the air quality in your home overall by vacuuming and cleaning regularly, continually changing out your air filters, and purchasing an air purifier to prevent dust and allergens from contaminating the air in the first place. This not only benefits your electronics, but your own health as well, since breathing in these impurities can irritate allergies and cause general health complications. Fortunately, the solution to this problem is easy and requires just a few simple life changes to fully correct the problem for better functionality and preservation of these expensive items.