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Does it take more than 1 can of compressed air to clean out a desktop PC? I know it will "probably depend on the level of dust", etc, but how many do you use, on average? Or will one can do more than one PC?

[Edit]: Sorry, I know it sounds like the start of a bad joke, but its a genuine question :)

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I don't know - how many cans of compressed air does it take to clean a computer? – Majenko Apr 14 '11 at 9:42
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As many as you need Microsoft employees to change a light bulb. – Ivo Flipse♦ Apr 14 '11 at 9:45
Start with one, use sparingly and don't buy more than you need to. – tobylane Apr 14 '11 at 9:56
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how many buckets of water do you need to clean an elephant ? – Shakehar Apr 14 '11 at 11:23
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How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop? – BBlake Apr 14 '11 at 12:20
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closed as not constructive by studiohack♦ Apr 14 '11 at 14:32

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6 Answers

up vote 1 down vote accepted

Assuming your cans are the same size as mine (about 8" high) then you've got more than enough to do a laptop or standard desktop (ATX or smaller) case.

If you can't get it clean with a whole can, it's not going to get clean :)

If you intend to use a vacuum cleaner as well, keep it well away from any components, and preferably outside the case.

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up vote 2 down vote

I can do multiple netbooks per can.

I need many hundreds cans to clean a mainframe.

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A can usually lasts me 4 or 5 servers or maybe 10 desktops – Rory Alsop Apr 14 '11 at 12:17
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up vote 1 down vote

I personally despise the compressed air canisters that they sell. They never get all the dust out and after 1 or 2 minutes of blowing, they get cold (due to change in pressure) and lose all their power (gotta let em warm up again).

I don't know if its "static electric friendly" but I've been using my brothers air compressor to blow the blow the dust out of computers for years, never had a problem. I should warn you though, it blows with such force that you can destroy the fans in the computer, so either hold the fans still while cleaning or blow from a safe distance. This kind of thing comes in particularly handy for a large number of computers.

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1. Use a good filter on the output side of a compressor, 2. Most compressors have regulators, crank it down to 20-30psi. – Moab Apr 14 '11 at 15:52
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up vote 1 down vote

Compressed air is handy for connectors and hard-to-reach parts (eg: inside the PSU), but for general cleaning, get yourself two natural bristle/wooden handled paintbrushes (all natural materials and no plastics to build up static) - a 1" and a 2" one and use these to gently brush out the insides.

To comment on a few other answers, based on industry best practice:

1) Vacuum cleaners - not unless they are specifically designed for the job due to the static electricity problem mentioned.

2) Airlines - be careful with the ones designed to operate tools as their airflow might contain oil vapour to lubricate the tools (using one of these: http://www.about-air-compressors.com/air-line-lubricators.html), so you will effectively be spraying a thin film of oil into connectors, onto components and leaving a dust trapping layer everywhere. Also, as mentioned, the air pressure can be high enough to damage components.

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A small compressor for airbrushes is ideal. – paradroid Apr 14 '11 at 11:53
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up vote 1 down vote

It depends on:

  • Size of the can of compressed air
  • Size of the computer
  • How dirty the computer is
  • How efficient you are at cleaning (e.g. short bursts of air vs long bursts)
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up vote -2 down vote

One vacuum cleaner. It's more environmentally friendly.

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@HowtoGeek disagrees with you on this one. "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." – Ivo Flipse♦ Apr 14 '11 at 9:44
@ivo Well, I've done it many times without harm. Just make sure you have a good ground. – Keith Apr 14 '11 at 10:09
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