Spring has sprung, and the dust has settled (literally). Now’s the perfect time to grab your mop and vacuum for spring cleaning, but have you considered cleaning your tech, too?
As many of us are spending more time at home, we’re also using our tech devices more than ever, so it’s especially important to keep those devices clean, both internally and externally.
Here are some tips from our Best Buy experts on how to add tech to your spring cleaning to-do list.
Disinfect your devices
- Turn your device off and unplug it before you start cleaning it. Let it completely air dry before turning it back on.
- Use alcohol-based disinfectant wipes to clean your tech (avoiding any openings) and tech accessories (e.g., charging cables, computer mouse).
- Wipe down your screens using a microfiber cloth or specific screen-cleaning wipes.
- Never apply liquid directly to your tech, and only use household cleaners if they’re specifically designed for tech.
- Use a can of compressed air to remove dust from your technology’s inner components. This can also be used for your keyboards and routers.
- Clean your phone or tablet case using warm water and soap if it’s a plastic case and a cloth, warm water and laundry detergent if it’s a fabric one.
Do a digital deep clean
- Clean up your desktop by deleting things you don’t need and organizing your files into folders.
- Delete apps you don’t use or update them to the newest version.
- Update your software, both your operating system and virus protection, to the most current version.
- Run diagnostics tests, which can be found in your computer’s settings, to ensure everything’s operating properly.
- Clear up space by uploading your photos and videos to a cloud storage service and deleting old text messages and emails.
- Upgrade your security by changing your passwords and checking what personal information different apps and websites have access to (this can be done in your device settings).
- Backup your data using physical storage (such as an external hard drive) or digital storage (such as a cloud service).
Cleaning and organizing your tech may seem like a daunting task, but you’ll feel so much better once it’s done. Here are more tips for maintaining your tech, and you can always reach out to Best Buy experts for help.