Why you should consider it: The PC case is one sophisticated vacuum cleaner. It pulls every speck of dust through every opening. Shuffle your feet…dust. Get up for a cup of coffee…more dust. Dust finds its way into the PC case and molecule by molecule begins to build. Over time, and a very short time at that, something very frightening happens. (insert short violin bursts)

They lurk inside your PC case. Look inside and you may catch a glimpse of one.
They are inevitable. They are relentless in their onslaught. They attack everything
in the PC with mind numbing determination. They cause processors to overheat.
They bring cooling fans to a grinding standstill. They cannot be stopped but…they
can be slowed. The war never ends but battles can be won. The enemy can be eradicated
It is time to turn the tide against the DUST BUNNIES FROM HELL
(hell…hell…hell…hell)!

The PC case is one sophisticated vacuum cleaner. It pulls every speck of dust
through every opening. Shuffle your feet…dust. Get up for a cup of coffee…more
dust. Dust finds its way into the PC case and molecule by molecule begins to
build. Over time, and a very short time at that, something very frightening
happens. (insert short violin bursts)

Dust bunnies from hell are living in your PC. This is what happened. I only
turned my head for a little while; four months and THEY took
up residence. Dust bunnies were everywhere. They were in front of fans and behind
them.

They clogged up fan filters choking off the very usefulness of the cooling
fans.

They attacked the very heart of the PC and spread their sickness on every visible
surface. Audio cards where thick with dust bunnies as I wiped my finger across
the stain they left behind.

Video cards were not safe. Even the fans that hid underneath fell victim to
the dust bunny vermin.

Power cables were coated with dust bunnies. I imagined them eating away at
the insulation causing shorts, BSODs and lockups.

The dust bunnies even struck at the very mind of the computer infecting the
poor heatsink; last line of defense to stop the dreaded march of dust.

How could this happen? The room is clean. It is vacuumed once a week and it’s
only been a few months since the PC was built.

This may be a light hearted approach but seriously…dust gets in. The PC draws
air in and then expels it via the power supply exhaust fan and optional exhaust
fans. Dust will find its way into a PC case thorough holes in the bezel or slots
around the CD or DVD. Dust inside the PC case is inevitable. It can be slowed
by putting dust filters on the intake fans but all you’ve bought yourself is
a couple of months.

Exterminating the dust bunnies is simple and should be a mandatory chore every
4 to 6 months. It’s PC maintenance that we all forget to do. Dust can clog up
components like a heatsink. If the heatsink cannot do its job then the processor
begins to overheat and before you know it, you’ve got a sure symptom of dust
bunni-itis; the Blue Screen of Death.

Flushing out the dust bunny takes time. They hide and they hide everywhere
and well. Arm yourself with a vacuum and a selection of clean, unused paint
brushes. The vacuum will suck up all the dust that the brush flicks away. A
dust bunny is an incredibly strong creature and simply passing the vacuum near
one often won’t loosen it off. Dust bunnies have to be brushed off to be sucked
away by the vacuum.

STOP: Unplug
the PC before cleaning!

In some areas of the PC case the upholstery brush can be used but I do not
recommend using it on the motherboard, video card or sound card where delicate
parts can be easily knocked off.

Use a combination of short and long tipped brushes and work every nook and
cranny of the PC case. Work the brush into fan blades as you’ll be amazed just
how tenacious a grip the dust bunny has. After giving the PC case a thorough
once over…go over it again. Those with allergies may want to ask someone else
to hunt the illusive dust bunny.

This may be a very low-tech Tech Tip but it is a useful tip that everyone should
make a habit of. Remember:

• dust bunnies don’t bite.
• Use clean, unused paint brushes to brush components. You don’t want residual
  gasoline or paint thinner eating away at the PCB.
• Clean everywhere…twice…three times just for fun.
• Be careful with the bare vacuum nozzle. Static electricity can build up
  or you could break a component by accidentally shoving the end of the vacuum
  barrel into the motherboard.
• Be careful of loose parts. You don’t want to accidentally suck up that fan
  filter and have to fish it out of the dust bag inside the vacuum. *cough*
  NOT speaking from experience. *cough*
• Dust bunnies get everywhere and stick. Get the cleaning brush everywhere
  and use it to loosen those pesky devils.
• Use your brush like a brush. Don’t use it like an ice pick.
• Put your PC on a chairmat…you too. That will cut down on the dust/debris/fuzzies
  that Dust Bunnies collect.
• Redo your computer room in hardwood flooring…but that isn’t quite free
  is it. Those with non-carpeted flooring will have much less of a Dust Bunny
  problem.

A clean PC is a happy PC. Check out our other Tech Tips; Wire and Cable Organization,
– Rounded Cables and Faux Chrome Fans.