I would say clean the machine good once a year or twice, timing depends and in between doing this to reduce dust accumulation in the room, because you can't stop it accumulating on the electronic:
Remove pets, especially birds and cats from the room. These help dust accumulate.
Seal up cracks. Dust can get into the room through these and affect your device.
Clean dust frequently. Dust that accumulates in the room can get into the device. Airing a room is important, but avoid hot dusty days.
Remove cluttering items and pack away things neatly. Dust can accumulate in corners and on objects.
I haven't really used air purifiers, but I have cleaned air filters, the article says get air purifiers. Air purifiers remove dust and other stuff from the air.
Things I use:
Whisk the outside clean with a brush. This doesn't clean the inside but may loosen inner dust.
Now swab with cotton swabs, you can get longer ones.
Since the swabs probably loosened the dust, taking a vacuum or shop vac and sucking with it should remove loosened dust and the stuff you couldn't reach.
Using water should make the dust stick together, which from my experience is not a good thing. Blowing the dust pushes it farther away which is not a good thing either. A cleaning where you take the electronic a part is good to do once or twice a year.
Vacuuming should be done first and then you should do blowing to loosen more dust and finish with more vacuuming. Don't vacuum vigorously as this can loosen and injure pieces of the device.
Alternate Methods:
Taking microfibre clothe attached to a small long object usually works, as well. You can use this to reach inside of the vents, but make sure you can see through to what you are doing. This loosens dust and can make using a vacuum more effective.
Keep in mind that none of these methods work as good as taking the machinery apart. And probing your machine through vents when you have no idea of what you are going to touch is a bad idea. So always make sure you know what you are going to touch and are aware of any dangers. The machine should be off, if not it is not safe and cleaning should not be attempted.
howtocleanstuff.net
Before completing any cleaning method on your computer, it is
important to back up all of your files. Even though this is unlikely
to cause any damage, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Shut down the computer and unplug all of the cords from the CPU. Take
it outside or in an area that is well ventilated. When we get further
into this process, the dust will start flying.
And be careful about vacuuming and compressed air.
It’s bad to clean the inside of your computer with a vacuum cleaner
because vacuuming creates a large static build up that could (and most
likely will) discharge into the sensitive electronics inside your
computer case. There are specialized vacuum cleaners designed for
cleaning out computers and electronic equipment but given the limited
amount of use a single user would get from such a purchase it’s not a
very wise one—they start at $300+ and can easily break the $1000 price
barrier.
What we’d recommend doing is taking your computer case into a well
ventilated area (outside on a sunny day or in your garage is a great
place), grounding the case to protect against static discharge
(although the risk here is very very low) and using compressed air to
clean the dust off. If you’re using an air compressor (as opposed to
just a can of compressed air from the computer store) make sure to
start a good 24″ or so away from the case and work your way in closer.
You want to use just enough air pressure to blast the dust off the
surfaces and out of the case without overdoing it and pushing dust
into even more difficult to remove places.
One important thing to consider: compressed air (from a compressor,
not a can) contains minute amounts of water vapor. Although we’ve
never actually heard of this happening to anyone it is (however remote
the chance) possible to blow moisture into the connectors on your
mother board and damage it if you were to boot it immediately
afterwards. This is in the range of lightening-strike remote, however.
None the less to be extra cautious we would recommend that you leave
the computer off and in a warm dry location for a few hours after you
give it a good air-compressor cleaning to allow any residual moisture
(if it’s even there to begin with) to evaporate. This borders on
paranoid caution, mind you, but better safe than sorry.
Additional Info
homesessive.com:
Compressed air: Sold in a can, compressed air is perfect for blasting
dust and dirt between keyboard keys and other tight crevices.
Electrostatic cloths (Swiffer, Pledge Dry Cloths, etc.): These dusters
are typically made of finely woven synthetic fibers with tiny "hairs"
that create a magnetic charge and pull dust particles.
Microfiber cloths: Unlike paper towels or rags, microfiber cloths
easily trap dust between their fibers instead of spreading more dust
and lint. Bonus: Unlike wood-source products like napkins and paper
towels, these cloths won't scratch sensitive surfaces and can be
washed up to 500 times.
Stuff I haven't tried.
From the User Ainimache:
Is to blow through a straw. I'm sure I'll be told that's not clean
air, but it's better than nothing, and does a fair job.
Especially when you're cleaning out someone's older computer that
simply is caked in dust inside.
You can use the straw to direct the air flow somewhat, and if you
can't get the force you can out of a can of air, blowing through a
straw doesn't freeze what you're cleaning.
Get Rid of Dust
Fox News:
- Don't use feather dusters.
Feather dusters only aggravate existing dust and cause it to settle
elsewhere around your home. Instead, use a damp cloth or moist
towelette to wipe down surfaces.
It may look gorgeous, but carpeted floors are high-maintenance and
magnets for dust mites. They should be vacuumed daily, but even that
may not be enough for people with severe allergies. If you're attached
to your carpet, consider investing in a vacuum cleaner with a
double-layered microfilter bag or a high-efficiency particulate air
(HEPA) filter, which prevents dust from being re-introduced into the
air. Otherwise, stick to hardwood, vinyl, linoleum or tile flooring.
