Like everything else in your home (or pockets), gadgets tend to get dirty. An unnaturally large number of people are not too particular about cleaning their gadgets and that is the reason we end up with layers of dust on our high-end speakers and keyboards caked with dirt.

Apart from the obvious hygiene reasons, it is important to clean your gadgets to ensure that their performance doesn’t suffer and so that they don’t die on you a lot sooner. Yes, well-maintained gadgets do tend to last longer than their ill cared for counterparts. Due to the complex electronics involved, cleaning gadgets isn’t as simple a task as mopping the floor. You need to handle components with care and ensure that you don’t damage them while trying to do a basic clean-up. That is just what we will cover in this guide. Read on to find out how to safely clean your gadgets.

What you’ll need

While different gadgets need different cleaning materials, here’s a brief list of the items you will need during clean-up drive:

1. Microfibre lint-free cloth: This is the cloth that’s used to clean eyeglasses. It’s cheap and widely available. A must for cleaning displays.

2. Dust blower: This is a portable dust blower that you operate with your hand. Helps remove dust from nooks and crannies you can’t reach easily. Available in electronics stores for as low as Rs. 50.

3. Compressed air: A slightly more expensive alternative to the dust blower.

4. Rubbing alcohol: It’s not a good idea to use water to clean gadgets. Rubbing alcohol is a much safer choice.

5. Flathead screwdriver: You’ll need it when cleaning keyboards.

6. Lukewarm water: Works when you’re cleaning plastic components such as the keys in your keyboard. Not to be used with electronic components.

7. Toothpicks: Very useful for removing accumulated lint from charging ports. Be careful not to break them though!

Once you have these components, you’re ready to clean most gadgets you own. Let’s get right to it.