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Spring Cleaning Your Devices

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Spring is a time of renewal. Flowers are blooming, and you drag everything out of the Tupperware cabinet and re-organize. While you’re at it, you should spring clean your devices too. From wiping the dust from under the case to managing apps and cleaning up your files, this post will give you some helpful spring cleaning tips for your devices.

Actually clean your device!

  1. Clean your screens with a micro-fiber cloth.
  2. Clean keyboards with compressed air and rubbing alcohol.
  3. Clean computer vents with compressed air.
  4. Clean your phone and case with micro-fiber cloths, soap and water, and rubbing alcohol.

Clean your screens

One helpful place to start when spring cleaning your device is to literally wipe it clean. To clean your monitors and TVs, do NOT use:

  • Windex
  • any other spray cleaner
  • hot water
  • any other liquid cleaner.

Instead, DO use a dry, soft, lint-free cloth like a micro-fiber cloth. A clean, dry t-shirt can work in a pinch too.

If your screen is really caked with crud, you can use a very diluted solution of dish soap and warm water. 1 drop of dish soap per cup of water. Dip your cloth into the soap, wring it out, and gently wipe your screen. Rinse your cloth and wipe the soap off of the screen. Be careful to avoid water drips. Then use a clean, dry cloth to wipe the display dry. You can use that soap and water mix to gently clean the outside of your laptop too. Don’t throw away the soapy mix yet. You’ll need the same solution to clean other electronics too.

Clean your keyboards and vents

To clean keyboards, you’ll need a can of compressed air and isopropyl rubbing alcohol, and the soap and water mix. Before you start, remove the battery from your laptop if you can or unplug the keyboard from your desktop computer. Use the compressed air to blow out any stubborn crumbs between the keys. Then gently wipe down the keys with the rubbing alcohol using another clean micro-fiber cloth. Be careful to avoid letting the alcohol drip between the keys. If your computer has dusty vents or overheats easily, blow out the vents with the compressed air. It will help keep the inside of your computer clean and running smoothly.

Clean your phone and case

Lastly, clean your phone and case. Dust and dirt collects inside and outside of your case like you wouldn’t believe. Your screens are also covered in germs.

Cleaning your case is easy, and you will probably only need that soap and water mixture from earlier and a micro-fiber cloth. Start by removing the case. You can use YouTube to search for how to remove the case easily without breaking it. Then simply wipe it down with a soft cloth and the soapy water mix. To really clean the crevices of your case, you can use a cotton swab with rubbing alcohol on it.

It’s also important that you clean your device carefully. Power down the device first and be extra sure to avoid drips into any open ports or buttons. Clean ports by lightly applying pressure with a dry toothbrush. Don’t scrub, let the bristles do the work. You can wipe the screen and back of the device clean with that soap and water mixture very carefully. Avoid drips and make sure to wipe it completely clean and dry.

Organize Your Device

  1. Backup your device.
  2. Organize apps.
  3. Delete old apps.
  4. Reorganize your home screen.
  5. Download photos, videos, and music to the computer and delete unwanted ones off the device.
  6. Clear your downloads folder.
  7. Clear the cache, cookies, and history from your browsers.
  8. Clear off your desktop.
  9. Empty the Recycling bin.

Backup your device

Make sure to plug your device into a computer and back it up before you start organizing your device. You can also backup your device to the cloud without plugging it in. Either way, backing up your device is an important step. This way if you accidentally delete something, you can restore your device to the backup.

Organize your apps

To clean up your iOS device, you can start by creating folders and sorting apps into them. Delete old apps that you don’t use anymore including old games. Anything that you haven’t used in a few months, send to the trash. If your device prompts you to save app data, you can choose to accept or decline. Choosing to accept will save your settings and saved data for the app, so you can pick up where you left off if you ever re-download the app. However, this will take up memory on the device still.

Reorganize your home screen

You can also reorganize your home screen with your most frequently used apps. An organized home screen allows quick and easy access to your favorite apps.

Download and delete old photos, music, and videos

While your device is plugged in, download all of those photos to the computer to free up room on your device. You can create albums of your favorite photos to add back to your phone. Do the same with music and videos and just keep the things you want on your device.

Android users can follow similar steps to keep their devices organized, clean, and ready to go.

Delete old files

To keep your computers clean and organized, delete old files, store new files into folders, and delete old photos. Clear out your downloads folder and clear the cache on your internet browsers. For more information on clearing the cache, cookies, and history on your browsers, check out this article from Indiana University.

Clear your desktop

Next, clear your desktop. A cluttered desktop slows down your computer. Put away photos and documents you stored to the desktop. Put others in the task-bar for easy access or put them away in an easily accessible folder.

You can save files to your Network Folders to clean up room on your computer while also protecting those files.

Empty your trash!

Lastly, make sure to empty the trash bin on your computer when you’re done.

Optimize your Device Performance

  1. Install system updates.
  2. Install app updates.
  3. Run virus protection software.
  4. Don’t hesitate to ask for help!

Install updates

With your device clean inside and out, it’s time to optimize performance. Start by installing updates. Making sure your device is up to date is vital to ensuring optimal performance of your device. This includes both app updates and system updates.

Run virus protection software

After your device is completely up to date, run virus protection software to check for any viruses, bugs, or other spyware that could be causing your device to lose performance or putting you at risk.

Ask for help!

If you have any other questions about keeping your device clean and running smoothly, don’t hesitate to ask ITS. Stop by for free assistance with your device in Nicarry 125, send us an email at helpdesk@etown.edu, or call us at x3333.

 

Adapted from: http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-clean-and-organize-your-electronics-devices/