amandasgramma

Or, I should have titled this "I THOUGHT I was a good housekeeper". I thought I'd share this with you...because so many people don't know about doing this simple maintenance!

I had to dig behind my computer screen for a pen and discovered TONS of dust on my computer hard drive...right on the vents. I'd noticed the fan would run loud and long the last few weeks, but put off cleaning it. My harddrive (the tower, or whatever your computer people call it) has screws....you CAN get in there without causing the machine to blow up. I unscrewed two screws and opened the machine. OMG..the dust, cat hair and god knows what else was caked in there! I used a "dust-off" spray, but I think I'll get a vacuum. It blew dust EVERYWHERE! Okay - got that cleaned out and then remembered something else. The keyboard.

The keyboard keys are VERY simple to get out. Simply use a pair of old scissors or a letter opener and pop them off. Keep them in order though! You won't believe what's behind/under them! Using the q-tip type swabs does NOT get all the gunk out! I used alcohol on swabs to get the hard stuff and just dusted with a rag on other stuff. I've heard of people actually putting them in the dishwasher but I haven't had the nerve yet. Below is what I got out of my keyboard AFTER I'd used the swabs!!!

I've done this for years......worked for a gov. agency that didn't believe in spending money (yip, you heard it here) and they wouldn't replace our keyboards if they got sticky. So, I experimented one day and never asked for another keyboard.

I figure today's antics saved me $50.00 or more for the keyboard and an untold amount for repairs if the fan had quit working!!!!



TTFN!

dee

Quiltforme

Wow....

Chasing Hawk

Gosh Dee !!!! Did you remember to put the keys back in the right spots?......LOL

Don't you live on a dirt road?
We do, I clean our computers monthly.
I take ours out to the garage and stand back a few feet and use a air compressor on it. Dust is a killer to computer, it clogs the power supply, the fans and the fan on the video card. I also take the keyboards out there too. We have gaming keyboards, I don't pop the keys off though. A little alcohol on a q-tip gets between the keys. And I use alcohol swabs to clean the track balls.

And to keep my computer cool I have two fans pointed on it. Those small 10 dollar ones from Wal Mart.

amandasgramma

Yes, Chasing Hawk, I DO live on a dirt road...LOL but that doesn't mean I'm smart enough to dust the computer!!! I've dusted tables, etc...but not the computer! I hadn't thought of Bob's compressor...I'll use that next time. I DID use q-tips between the keys...this is what I found AFTER doing that!!!

BTW - did you see the "vote" we're going to have in November for the Newberry Estates? The newspaper said it's the will be the smallest election ever here....just us in Newberry Estates get to vote (all 175). They tried out a new "thing" to put on the dirt roads to cut the dust...It REALLY works!!!!

Chasing Hawk

HHHMMM, what is the stuff called? We tried to get several of the homeowners around here to have dust control sprayed on the dirt road. But they all said no, and I haven't heard anyone forking over some gas money to the guy who grades the road in his spare time. Our little cul de sac is graveled. 5 of the 6 houses chip in for 2 loads of gravel to keep the dust down.

amandasgramma

Here's the article in the Bend Bulletin (if it doesn't come thru, look up Bend Bulletin and click on LaPine. http://www.bendbulletin.com/apps/pbc...ategory=NEWS01

We have a "road committee". We pay almost a $1.00 per thousand per YEAR for them to maintain the roads. it's included as an extra in our taxes. They grade, plow and now coat the roads!! good deal, huh!!! We were so lucky to get this place...we didn't even think about who would plow roads!!!

Chasing Hawk

I guess we live in the slums then....LOL

I don't think I have ever even seen a county vehicle within mile of our neighborhood. :shock:
For a bout a year our neighbor had a huge pothole in front of his driveway. That is until the man with the grader fixed it. He even put little ditches on the sides of the road so it wouldn't wash out so bad.

BettyB

I have a wireless keyboard and I spilled apple juice on it. I asked my computer expert son what to do. He laughed and said go buy a new one and then said no just put enough warm water in the bathtub and swish it up an down in it and let it dry on a towel upside down. I thought he was joking but he said no just do it. So I did and it was fine and CLEAN.

Gramof6

I am glad to see this as I thought my laptop was probaby the worst. LOL I popped off the keys one by one and cleaned under them 2 weeks ago. They just snap back on. WooHoo. I had one that stuck really bad. Not anymore! LOL There was so much wound up dog hair! OMG I would have been mortified if any of you had seen the yuck! LOL

amandasgramma

Kinda like when you move and someone moves your fridge out....and you realize you've lived there for 10 yrs and NEVER cleaned under it...:roll: I've just HEARD about people doing that.....it wasn't me :roll: ;-) :mrgreen: