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TORONTO & SOUTHERN ONTARIO

Many people will be surprised to know how truly dirty and infested with germs and bacteria their electronic gadgets and appliances are. Hamilton Estate Services offers this cleaning and even more extreme cleaning. Mobile devices such as your cell phones and tablets can harbour up to 600 units of bacteria. One in every six mobile phones has bacteria from fecal matter. Computer keyboards and computer mouse units are more likely to be five times dirtier than a toilet seat. Your home theatre system could easily be a cesspool of germs. Several studies wherein laboratory experts and scientists have done swab tests for electronic equipment showed that 30 percent of television remote control units harbour various kinds of cold virus bacteria.

Aside from the obvious way of setting up a handwashing rule at your house, it is important to regularly clean your gadgets and electronic appliances. You may have done all the vacuuming and the mopping of every inch of your home but many people will still forget to clean their electronic devices. Experts actually suggest a weekly and monthly cleaning of all devices and appliances. Below are some very useful cleaning tips and advice on how to reduce the accumulation of the bacteria which are multiplying in your home theatre equipment and gadgets.

The key thing to remember when cleaning TV screens and computer monitors is to use a light hand. Rubbing an LED screen with too much pressure will destroy the pixels. First, switch off the unit so you can clearly see all the dust and grime. Use a dry microfiber cloth with a lens cleaning fluid or solution. Do not spray the liquid cleaner directly to the screen. Grab a spray bottle if needed and just lightly wet the cloth.

Remember that TV monitors have vents wherein dust gathers the most inside these especially during the long winter months when you forego general cleaning. Using a lint-free cloth with a gentle cleaning solution, wipe all the ventilation grills and then use a dry cloth to remove all traces of liquid. To avoid streaks, just wipe in one direction. For those who aim to use only environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, a mixture of 50-50 water and white vinegar can be a great substitute. It would be better to use mineral water instead of tap water because the latter contains trace mineral and salt deposits which will leave streaks and worsen any grime build-up. If there are any brands that you currently use that can be used to clean electronic items, you can use those as long as they are non-abrasive and are not flammable solvents. During the cleaning process, avoid touching the LCD screen with your fingers. In addition, never use plastic or rubber cleaning materials. Some people swear by coffee filters as a replacement for expensive microfiber cloths and lint-free cleaning paper.

Of course, any home entertainment system includes surround sound speakers. Did you know that the fabric covering your speakers can be removed? Before assuming though, check the installation manual. If it says so, removes the cover and clean both sides with a lint-free cloth or a vacuum cleaner. Small paintbrushes can be used to dust the tiny crevices in speakers. It is not advisable to use any form of liquid cleaning agent to clean speakers.

Keyboards also need to be cleaned regularly as they are used the most. Compressed air, tiny toothbrushes and Mr. Clean Magic Eraser are all highly-recommended when it comes to cleaning keyboards. To remove the hidden dust between keys, compressed air should be blown to clean the dirty sections. A small amount of rubbing alcohol and microfiber cloth can remove oil. For a more thorough cleaning of a very grimy and extremely oil keyboard, it is best to remove the keys then use a toothbrush and rubbing or isopropyl alcohol to do a serious scrub-down. Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is often used now as a hack in cleaning not just keyboards but also laptops, computer mouse and trackpads. But using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser means that you should never use too much force as it has a tendency to disintegrate faster.

For those who have acetone-based nail polish remover, this can be a great solution to clean light-colored electronic gadgets. Use sparingly and always with a microfiber cloth. For busy folks, there are wet wipes now made specifically for cleaning phone screens, TV and computer monitors, and almost any other gadget or appliance. These ready-to-use disposable cloths are great for fast and easy clean-ups.