Continuing this series of desk cleaning, how often do you dust your desk and clean accumulated grime off your devices?
Many of my clients who own an iMac other desktop computer only dust off their desks thoroughly when replacing their computer. Depending on how dirty one’s space is, this can lead to other unexpected issues, such as an overheating Mac or a nonfunctioning mouse.
Dust-Clogged Airways
Letting dust accumulate around your computing desk can cause the inside of your Mac to get congested. While modern Macs have less need for cooling fans, there are still vents where lint and grime can get sucked in and lead to overheating.
So, take some time periodically to clean the outside of your Mac and the area around it.
Tracking Interference
Lint and grime on your desk surface can also collect and stick to your mouse, so much so that it might appear to stop working. While both charged and connected, if the mouse’s optical sensor can’t see the tabletop, it won’t track movement either.
Disable Keyboard for Cleaning
A best practice is to clean dust and grime off a keyboard when it’s off or disconnected from a computer. However, what do you do on a MacBook, where the keyboard is built in?
The solution is to use an app called KeyboardCleanTool, a free utility that prevents keyboard input on command. Click the app’s single button to lock your keyboard and again to unlock.
As I wrote in Clean My Mac, I recommend avoiding spray bottles and just using water and/or alcohol on a lint-free cloth to clean devices when powered off. Apple provides additional cleaning recommendations, including many product-specific practices.
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