How often should you clean internals on laptop?

I read that you are suppose to clean computer internals on occasion to clean off any dust, remove gunk, etc.. I will be using qtips and 91% alcohol.. How often should this be done? I do not want to over-do it, but I dont want to regret not doing it either. How often do you clean yours?

 

I think once a year should be more than enough. You want to remove the keys and clean underneath first, it's were a lot of gunk builds up. You may want to rub the keys with alcohol too once you remove them, to remove the oils and gunk clinging to it too. Take a picture before removing all your keys at once, so you know where all the keys belong when you replace them. For more internal parts like fans, I don't recommend you unscrewing your laptop. If you want it thoroughly cleaned I recommend sending it in to a licensed PC repair place. They shouldn't charge much. If you do decide to open it yourself, you mainly want to clean up the fans, and maybe even apply new thermal paste especially if it is overheating or you game on the laptop.

 

I don't remember cleaning the internal of my laptop. I have been with IT most of my professional life but I don't bother to be techie when it comes to hardware, I am more interested in the software. And when there is a problem with my laptop, I would submit it to the tech in the office and it is their responsibility to check on it. With the cleaning, I don't think it is that necessary since a laptop is designed for movement so it is more sturdy compared to the desktop.

 

I actually have never done it. I tried opening my HP laptop back in March, and broke the panel that keeps my sata drive in place, not I have it taped down. I also messed up the pins that keep parts in place because I tried to pry it open like I did my car door when you take out all the screws.

It's been almost 3 years and I can see so much dust on the inside, even in the fan it looks bad, but I can't open it.

 

I barely think you have to clean them frequently but I do believe it has to be done at least once every six months or once every year, it's not something too common to do but it's really important for the device itself, I have never done it myself but I will try to do it soon, you just opened my mind, for real, by the way, be careful with what you use for cleaning electronic parts, watch out for the static.

 

Honestly, I haven't done it and I don't think I'll dare. I mean, if it's a desktop, I would have opened the casing and used a brush to clean the dust off. Back at the office, we don't do that either. Laptops usually dies out for other reasons before we can see the need to clean the internals.

 

Oh boy, this is where my nerves freeze as I don't dare removing keys or open up the back of the laptop. With my luck, I will break all the keys and the back panel. I think I will just have to take it to someone who is professional and knows what they are doing.

 

Well regardless of what the correct answer is I know that I am not doing it enough. It always kind of bugs me too, because I never really know the effect that it is having on the machine itself. That said, though, it does seem like some of the others do not do anything either, so maybe I will be okay. It is kind of depressing to think that the things die before we need to clean them, though, but that very well may be true.

 

In the past, I have had issues with laptops collecting so much dust that it starts to overheat the computer itself. Other times, I have opened them up to upgrade the RAM or the HD (two weeks ago) and saw just how much nasty stuff gets inside. Thats my personal reasoning on why I clean inside of them, Typcically about every 6 months I suppose.

 

Opening up your laptop constantly can damage how sturdy it is so I try to be as considerate as possible, but I personally clean my laptop once every 3 months. In that time period dust usually adds up and the computer starts heating up, I usually just take the back case off and use compressed air to get everything bad out of there.