Don’t press hard into the screen or try to scratch off stubborn spots – you could damage your screen. Use only the lightest pressure to wipe off surface dust. Remember to power off your laptop—and remove the battery if you can—before you start cleaning. In addition to being safer, it’ll be easier to see dirt and dust when the screen is off. [3] X Research source
Water can drip into your laptop and damage internal components, so make extra sure you’ve squeezed all excess liquid out. For particularly stubborn spots, add just a drop of gentle dish soap to the water. You could also make your own cleaner by mixing equal parts of distilled water and white vinegar. [5] X Research source If you have a touchscreen, consult your owner’s manual or the manufacturer’s website to determine what cleaning agents are safe for the finish.
Do not use regular glass cleaners, particularly those that contain ammonia, on any laptop screen. They can damage the screen. If you have a touchscreen, check to make sure the kit is listed as safe for touchscreens.
Start at a top corner and proceed in tight circles across the top of your screen, then back and forth until you get to the bottom. Don’t close your laptop until the screen is completely dry, or you could trap moisture inside the machine. Also, triple-check to be sure it’s dry before you plug the laptop back in. [8] X Research source
If you haven’t cleaned your laptop in a while, or if you regularly eat while using your laptop, shake it over a trashcan to avoid making more of a mess. If you’ve already cleaned your screen, you may want to give it another wipe-down with your microfiber cloth after you do this. Dust from the keyboard may end up on the screen.
Don’t use a super-powerful household vacuum, especially if your keyboard keys can pop off—the suction might cause you to lose a key! You can also use a can of compressed air. However, if you do, tilt your keyboard at an angle so that you’re forcing the dust out of your keyboard. If you blow the compressed air directly into the keyboard, you’ll just blow the dust and debris further inside. This is especially true for MacBook keyboards, which are open to the inside of the machine. [11] X Research source
After you use the pencil eraser, you may want to run the vacuum over the keys again, just to get rid of the stubble the eraser left behind. If there’s a lot of built-up grime on the keyboard tops, lightly moisten a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol, then lightly scrub the tops of the keys. Don’t go in between the keys with the cotton ball, and don’t press down hard—if you do, moisture could drip underneath the keys into your machine. [13] X Research source
If the area between the keys is sticky or really dirty, gently scrub them with a cotton swab lightly dampened with rubbing alcohol. Don’t press down too hard, and don’t soak the swab—if liquid gets underneath the keys, it could damage your laptop.
Check your owner’s manual for instructions on removing the keys. Keep in mind that you may need special tools to remove the keycaps without damaging them. You may want to take a picture of your keyboard before you take the keys off, just so you have a reference for where to put them back on. Once all the keys are off, you may forget the order, especially for function keys.
If you use rubbing alcohol, take care not to get any on your laptop’s screen. It can damage the anti-glare and scratch-resistant coatings on the screen.
You can use the same sponge and cleansing solution to clean your laptop’s touchpad. Don’t clean inside ports or vents with the sponge – you risk getting moisture inside your laptop and damaging its components.
As with the sponge, make sure the cotton swab is not too wet. Use light pressure to avoid squeezing moisture into the machine.
Be gentle with the toothpick to avoid scratching the surface of your case. Hold it at an angle, like you would hold a pencil, rather than bearing down with the point.
Never blow the compressed air directly into the port or vent. This will loosen the debris and send it deep inside your machine, where it could damage components.
Use moderate pressure, rubbing repeatedly until the spot is gone. If you previously had stickers on your laptop case, you may have more luck with an oil-based cleansing product, such as Goo Gone.
Once your laptop case is clean, you may notice spots of grime that you didn’t see before. Use a cotton swab or cotton ball dipped in rubbing alcohol to finish these last spots.
