How clean is your office computer? Spills, dust and fingerprints are unsightly, and can slow down your work as you battle with sticky keyboards or a sluggish mouse. Here is some advice from Intel on how to keep your computer equipment clean and running smoothly without damaging any circuitry.

Computer casing / Notebook cover: Mix 1 part liquid dish detergent to 5 parts water. Wet a sponge or soft cloth with the detergent mixture, and gently clean your cover or computer casing. Rinse off the soapy residue with a clean, slightly damp sponge or cloth, and dry with an unused a soft cloth.

Notebook or Laptop keyboard: Do not shake the notebook or laptop, and do not turn it upside down. Doing so could damage the internal workings. Instead, spray compressed air between the keys to get rid of debris. Next, put a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on a clean cloth and wipe the keyboard. Use a cotton swab to clean between the keys, and dry with a soft cloth.

Desktop keyboard: To begin, unplug the keyboard from your computer. Turn it upside down and tap it gently to dislodge dirt. To get rid of more debris, spray compressed air between the keys. Next, put a small amount of alcohol on a clean cloth and wipe the keyboard. Use a cotton swab to clean between keys, and dry with a soft cloth.

Mouse: If you have a separate rollerball mouse that is not rolling properly, unplug it from your computer and turn it upside down. Remove its protective disk and the interior roller ball. Use a cotton swab to gently remove dirt from inside the mouse. Wipe the roller ball with a cotton cloth. Reassemble and plug back in.

Monitor: The simplest way to clean your monitor is with water and a cotton cloth. This will help you avoid the cost of specialty cleaning products, streaks from glass cleaners, lint from paper towels, and scratches from anti-static drier sheets. To start, turn off your monitor, and then gently rub it with a moist cloth. If this does not remove all the dirt, mix a small amount of isopropyl alcohol with water and wipe with a cotton cloth. Use a separate cloth to dry the monitor when you are done.

Have you ever damaged your computer by accident? Share your spills or cleaning disaster stories.

This weeks blog is written by Elaine Mah from Intel of Canada Ltd.