Be gentle
If your tech is very soiled avoid the temptation to scrub too hard, as many screens now have anti-glare coatings. If you polish these coatings too much they can become shiny defeating the whole point of them. Use microfiber cloths at all times as their surface isn't too abrasive. Be careful when using products like Mr Clean Erasers, as they are basically very fine glass paper. Moshi offers a Terahedron microfiber, TeraGlove, which is designed to fit over the hand for perfect cleaning.
Kill the bugs
One of the issues with a build-up of dirt is that this can become a breeding ground for all manner of nasties. One of the best ways to deal with this is to invest in a UV light box. These are used to sterilise toothbrushes, but larger ones can be used to sterilise smartphones, keyboards, mice and any other smaller devices. Search eBay (Germix brand name) for a range of UV sterilisers.
Prevention is better than cure
Stopping your tech from getting dirty in the first place is also an option. There are many keyboard protectors as well as screen shields for touch devices. Suppliers including Protect Computer Products and even sealed peripherals from Seal Shield stop any dirt or germs reaching your devices. It is also possible to buy keyboards and mouse pads coated with an anti-bacterial called Microban.
Don't touch
Of course you can cut down drastically on cleaning by not touching the screen of your devices at all. When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone in 2007 he said that no one wants a stylus. Using a stylus, however, keeps fingerprints to a minimum.
Inside and out
Giving the outside of your tech a quick wipe down may be enough to make it cosmetically clean, but think about what could be lurking inside. Any device with a fan will inevitably let dust into the casing. Over time if this isn't removed it can lead to serious faults and of course all this dirt is yet another breeding ground for bugs.
Carefully open your device and use a vacuum cleaner if it has a very narrow hose head to remove the majority of the dust. Then use a soft paintbrush for any crevices the vacuum can't reach. And finally, canned air (available from Poundland) will blast away the remaining dust particles.
Cleaning your tech should become a habit you get into. Don't leave it months or even years between cleans, as this can lead to a serious health hazard in some extreme cases. Invest in the right cleaning tools for the tech you have, and to ensure your devices stay as clean and shiny as the day you unboxed them.
Image Credits: Ulrich Peters, Anne Helmond, Anssi Koskinen
