It doesn't really matter if you've got the latest phone, laptop or any other techie wonder that's fresh off the assembly line, if it's grimy and dripping with all sorts of invisible monstrous bacteria, it's disgusting.
Most of the expensive, specialized screen cleaners and cloths that are supposedly made only for your gadgets are actually just regular household items packaged nicely. With the exception of a few nifty cleaners, like the Cyber Clean putty, all you really need to sanitize your daily tools of the trade can be found right in your cupboard.
iKlear Apple cleaner? Forget about it!
1. Microfiber cloth
These little towels are perfect for wiping down cellphone, computer, and television screens. Unlike paper towels or regular dish towels, microfiber ones are not abrasive and leave no lint and extra residue. You won't have to worry about scratching that beloved display of yours, and for the mean time, a good wipe down will leave it clean and fresh.
(Click here for the best Computer Equipment & Supplies stores in the metro)
2. Distilled water
Unbeknownst to most, wiping any gadget with regular tap water leaves nasty streaks of white residue once it dries. Using a your microfiber cloth, slightly damp a section with distilled water and wipe the screen in a horizontal motion. Keep moving towards a clean section of your cloth to catch any loose dirt and grime. You really don't want to be rubbing your laptop the wrong way-- so keep the dirty side away! Extra debris will just harm your gadget even more.
Also, although most new screens and touch-sensitive surfaces are already made from scratch proof helicopter glass that also have self-cleaning screen coatings, using chemicals to wipe them down will definitely do more harm than good. Distilled water is mild enough, so just as long as you're careful not to get any of the wet stuff into open holes, then you're good to go!
(Check out EYP Deal Finder for the latest deals in Tech & Gadgets)
3. Isopropyl alcohol
For everyone who's ever told you that using rubbing alcohol on electronics is a nasty habit that should only be reserved for glass surfaces, well, they're wrong. Isopropyl alcohol can cut through dirt, grime, and oil in a jiffy, and will definitely sanitize 99.9% of the germs breeding all over your stuff. Remember, every single time you go to the bathroom and whip out your phone soon after, all the harmful bacteria from your fingertips have now found a new home on your cellphone.
Mixing equal parts of alcohol and water, you can sanitize your computer, phone or television screen-- just be careful when it comes to touch-sensitive devices. As mentioned earlier, these special screens have their own self-cleaning coating that keeps them scratch proof. Using plain alcohol OR specialized screen cleaners will only damage it further.
Your 50-50 alcohol-water mixture can be used on any plastic surface. TV remotes, telephones, keyboards, computer mice and any other gadget that gets regular use around the house or office should be sanitized once every two weeks to keep the bacteria growth to a minimum.
4. Rubber eraser
For white gadgets that have already gone grey with a film of dirt on them, a rubber eraser will do wonders to spruce up them up. White laptops and keyboards are prone to collecting dirt from constant use. More often than not, rubbing them down with a damp cloth almost always has no effect. The smooth rubber eraser, however, is not abrasive and picks up all the libag that's been accumulating over the past few months (or even years). When you're done erasing, brush off any rubber debris before they decide to get stuck into the crevices of your gadget!
5. Cyber Clean
Computer keyboards are one of the nastiest and dirtiest places in a home or office. They're basically a receptacle for all the loose dust, dirt, left over pizza and stray hairs that fall all over the place while you're hard at work. Some people have resorted to vacuum cleaners, or even a harsh whipping of their old keyboard to tap out whatever snack particles have been stuck there from a meal eaten ages ago, but we've recently gotten a hold of some Cyber Clean, and we're testifying to its amazing reviews.
Basically an alien-like substance in either bright yellow or blue, the putty is so soft and malleable that it can reach inside any crevice to remove all the hard-to-get grime. Safe on computer keyboards and even on cellphones, the wonder putty is definitely one cleaning tool we just can't live without.
6. Lenspen
Specialty gadgets like cameras require much more care, and definitely much more finesse when being subjected to a cleaning. You really don't want to mess up your dSLR because you sprayed some alcohol all over it, right? The Lenspen is a convenient brush and felt-pad in one that can gently remove dirt and debris from lenses and camera bodies. Using a regular cloth or paper towel will just leave behind streaks and lint that can damage the camera in the long run.
