Dusty, dirty equipment is an eye-sore but also can affect performance too. In extreme instances, there can even be a risk of a fire. This is due to thermal buildup in a computer that is unable to properly ventilate due to accumulated dust on both the intake and outtake fans in the case itself.
In our previous post, we went over some simple maintenance steps that SuperSalon users can perform during their regular cleaning duties. While that post was focused more on the software aspects of SuperSalon, this one will cover the cleaning of hardware.
Other than an active construction site, there are very few other environments more potentially dangerous to computer equipment than a busy beauty salon. This is due to fine hair particles, chemicals, and other pollutants that are constantly present in the air. These substances will then either accumulate on the touchscreen, or the insides of the computer itself by way of its ventilation system.
Properly Cleaning a Touchscreen Monitor
Touchscreen monitors were a game changer for service businesses when they were first introduced in the early 2000’s. With them, salon staff who were not particularly computer literate could navigate a point-of-sale system with ease. However, due to the static electricity generated by the monitor, these pieces of equipment need to be cleaned quite often to maintain touch sensitivity.
Luckily, cleaning these devices is quite simple, and can be accomplished with just two items: a microfiber cloth and a gentle cleaning agent. Both of these items can be purchased at any electronics retailer, and the cloths are also available at any eyeglass store. Cleaning solutions that are rated for laptop use can also be employed in the cleaning of a touchscreen monitor.
- Step 1: Turn off the power to the device.
- Step 2: Spray a small amount of the cleaning agent onto the microfiber cloth. Do NOT directly spray it on the screen.
- Step 3: Using only slight pressure, wipe the touchscreen monitor in straight horizontal lines until clean.
- Step 4: Weight for the touchscreen to completely dry before reactivating it.
Cleaning PC Case Fans
While most people never go a few weeks with a dirty touchscreen monitor, the necessary chore of reading PC fans of dust is often neglected by users. In extreme cases, the computer will begin to suffer performance issues due to overheating. Though extremely rare, there have been instances where dusty computer fans have caused a literal meltdown.
Compressed air is the usual go to solution for cleaning computer fans, and these were great on laptops. However for the desktops that are the usual systems powering SuperSalon, it’s best to use a combination of this compressed air, and a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment in tandem. This allows the dust that is ejected from the machine to be quickly and efficiently disposed of.
- Step 1: Shut down the PC, and disconnect the plug from the power outlet.
- Step 2: Disconnect all attachments from the PC so that only the case remains. If needed, you can write down where each wire goes so that it can be easily reassembled when finished.
- Step 3: Using the vacuum cleaner hose, get as much dust and grime out of the nooks and crannies of the outside of the case, as well as the connection ports.
- Step 4: If the PC appears to be relatively clean, and the rear fan has no more dust, the task is complete, and you can reconnect the devices, and turn it back on. If not, move on to step five.
- Step 5: Carefully open the PC case, using the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Step 6: Using the can of compressed air, use short bursts to disperse the dust in the rear fan, and the vacuum cleaner hose to collect the cloud that forms.
- Step 7: Close the PC case, reattach the input and other devices, plug it back in, and turn it back on.
Ideally the “spring cleaning” should be done quarterly as opposed to once a year. If you ever find yourself stuck, or unsure as to how to perform any of the steps listed in this post, please feel free to confer with our Support department at any time, and they would be happy to walk you through these procedures.