How to Safely Clean Your Home Office

Your home office should be a space you relish, so make it clean and inviting. Banish dust from the home office like you banish your spouse and kids during your strict working hours. By storing only what you need, and keeping it organized and in covered boxes and bins, you’re off to a good start.

Computer Keyboard

Unplug the keyboard before cleaning. It’s no fun to find that you typed a bunch of nonsense
after cleaning the keyboard in your home office.

* Turn the keyboard upside down over the waste basket to dislodge any crumbs or debris.
* Dampen a lint-free cloth with water and wipe down the keyboard and trackpad (for laptops).
* Wipe down the bottom of the keyboard.
* For stuck-on substances or the sides of short keys, use a cotton swab to clean the edges.
* Frequency: If you use it daily, clean it daily.

Cell Phone

Your cell phone may be the only phone in your home office so keep it clean. For a smartphone or touch screen phone use a screen protector to keep scratches, dust, and dirt from directly touching the screen. Many phones including those pesky and dark areas between the keys may be wiped down with cotton swabs dabbed with isopropyl alcohol, but always check the manufacturer instructions first.

Computer Monitor

Safely clean the computer screen with a soft and dry cloth. There are special cleaners made for computer screens if you know which type of computer screen you have. An ammonia-free glass cleaner may be used as well.
* Never use acetone or alcohol-based cleaners on the monitor.
* Always spray cleaner on the cloth, not on the monitor.

Flat-bed Scanner

Not cleaning the glass regularly results in lower-quality scans or scans with mysterious specks and lines. The glass on the flatbed should be cleaned at least monthly with a lint-free cloth. You could also wipe down the surface with any ammonia-free deionized glass cleaner. Always spray the cleaner on a paper towel and never directly on the glass.

* Avoid placing recently printed images or any items with glue that is not completely dry on the glass flatbed surface.
* Never use an alcohol-based cleaner or pure isopropyl alcohol to clean a scanner’s glass surface.