I just got a new Microsoft Natural Ergo Keyboard 4000 for my computer in the office and I am moving my old one to a little used back–up computer. I usually take the opportunity of moving a piece of equipment to a new place, or repurposing a piece of hardware, to give it a good old fashioned clean up. Usually my choice of any cleaning is soap and water but you really can’t use that on electronics so what do you use? — Canned air and Swiffers!! Don’t laugh—I am deadly serious.

Air comes in pressured cans with a neat attachable straw like item that allows the user to point and spray into tiny places. Keyboards are especially prone to itsy bits of dust and dirt and nothing works better than a good shot of that pressurized can. Hint: turn your head away from the spry trajectory as the dust will really fly and go right up your nose—achoo! I use the air on items I can’t move easily too. It’s great on stacked electronics, computer towers-just about anything that you can’t use common cleaning items on. Just point, press and spray—no dust!!

Swiffers are cloths that electrostatic ally attract dust to their fibers and you just take it away. They don’t hurt anything and collect dust like a dream. The Swiffers that you attach to a plastic stick allow you to use them on stacked electronics to get the dust in-between the stacks and under then to dust the furniture they sit on. The instructions say to throw them away (Swiffers) once they are dirty but I cheat and wash them to use again.

Well, that is my cleaning lesson for the week—next week—coffee cups!