[SOLVED] Is it safe to vacuum the OUTSIDE of my PC?

[flo.walther90]

Hey,
I know that it's not recommended to vacuum the inside of a computer.
But what about the outside?
There's obviously no problem with vacuuming the chassis itself. But what about the openings and vents? Those are especially important to clean up. Is it safe to hold the vacuum nozzle directly on the opening vent of a fan? The fan is like 20cm underneath that opening (not directly on the wall). Is it still close enough to damage the fan (from the air spinning it too fast)?
What about the backside of the PC where all the high voltage stuff and slots are? Can I hold the nozzle on there?
And what about static dusters? Is static electricity a problem on the outside (particularly on the backside)?
How do you clean your PC from the outside?

 

[Newtonius]

It's fine, the main issue with vacuuming the inside is possibly knocking on the board and breaking off soldered on components on the motherboard. Also fans don't get into corners well. So yeah it's fine to vacuum the outside, though a simple paper towel and some elbow grease can be more effective.

 

[julienruc]

Hey,
I know that it's not recommended to vacuum the inside of a computer.
But what about the outside?
There's obviously no problem with vacuuming the chassis itself. But what about the openings and vents? Those are especially important to clean up. Is it safe to hold the vacuum nozzle directly on the opening vent of a fan? The fan is like 20cm underneath that opening (not directly on the wall). Is it still close enough to damage the fan (from the air spinning it too fast)?
What about the backside of the PC where all the high voltage stuff and slots are? Can I hold the nozzle on there?
If a vacuum is not okay, what about static dusters? Is static electricity a problem there?
How do you clean your PC from the outside?

Perfectly safe. I vaccum both the outside and inside every month for over a year. Just unplug everything and you should be fine.

 

[flo.walther90]

Thank you for your answers! And what about these static dusters? Is it okay to rub them over the backside where all the high voltage stuff is? They are very useful to catch dust.

 

[flo.walther90]

I'm curious tho, why do I have to turn off the computer when I vacuum it from the outside? I've also been keeping it on.