How to Clean Inside a Laptop Computer

Follow these steps to safely disassemble and clean the inside of your laptop

Co-authored by Yaffet Meshesha

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

You might not think about it too often, but the inside of your laptop does get dusty and dirty over time. When it comes to the life span and performance of a laptop, cleaning it regularly does make a difference.

Cleaning Inside a Laptop Computer

Shut the laptop off and remove the battery. Unscrew only the relevant screws for the area you’re trying to clean. Gently remove the touch pad portion and disconnect its wire. Do the same with the keyboard. Spray a can of condensed air over the laptop's interior. Finally, reassemble your laptop.

Steps

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There are signs engraved right under or beside the screw as a guide.

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Take your can of compressed air and spray all over the laptop.^{[1]
X
Expert Source

Yaffet Meshesha
Computer Specialist

Expert Interview} Concentrate the most on the fan, processor and memory.
- You should always keep the compressed air at a 90-degree angle upwards. If you turn it in any direction and orientation, the compressed air will actually spit out the hydrogen and it will turn into ice.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Yaffet Meshesha
  Computer Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
- Get a strong nozzle to pinpoint the direction that the air is coming out of, always aiming it into open vent ports.^{[3]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Yaffet Meshesha
  Computer Specialist
  
  Expert Interview}
Once done, the inside of a laptop should look like this.
Make sure you gently press the connector of a keyboard to connect it to the laptop as well as the touch pad.

Community Q&A

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Question

Can I use water instead? That's the only thing I have.

Community Answer

It's not advisable to use water, as you could seriously damage your computer. Compressed air is best.

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Question

Can I use a vaccum cleaner to do that?

Neel Jahan

Community Answer

You can try, but it won't really do much good, as the normal vacuum cleaner has a very broad nose.

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Question

How often should I clean my laptop? I usually use it indoors, and I live in a tropical rainforest country.

Gary

Community Answer

The location of the device doesn't matter as much internally. It is dust that normally coats the hardware like fans. If fans aren't able to circulate the airflow well enough, then it will heat the hardware and that could slow it down and even create damage. So, aim to clean it out every 6 months to a year. It depends on how well you cleaned it out last time.

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