Most laptop damage from 'cleaning' comes from using the wrong materials, not from cleaning itself. A careful routine keeps a laptop looking and working better for years.
Exterior and keyboard cleaning
- Shut the laptop down completely and unplug it before cleaning.
- Use a microfibre cloth lightly dampened with water, or an approved screen cleaner, on the display — never spray liquid directly onto it.
- Turn the laptop upside down and gently shake or use compressed air to dislodge crumbs and dust from between keys.
- Wipe the keyboard and casing with a barely damp cloth, avoiding any liquid pooling near ports or the keyboard's edges.
- Let everything air dry fully before powering back on.
Protecting battery health
✓ Do
- Keep the battery between roughly 20% and 80% charge for daily use where possible.
- Let it fully discharge and recharge occasionally if the software allows battery calibration.
- Avoid leaving the laptop plugged in at 100% for extended periods, especially in heat.
- Store an unused laptop at around 50% charge, not fully charged or fully flat.
✕ Don't
- Don't leave the laptop in direct sun or a hot car — heat degrades battery capacity faster than almost anything else.
- Don't use it on a soft surface while charging, which combines heat build-up with blocked airflow.
- Don't ignore a battery that's visibly swollen or a laptop that no longer sits flat.
- Don't use third-party chargers of uncertain quality — voltage mismatches can damage the battery over time.
Key takeaways
- Never spray liquid directly onto a screen or keyboard — dampen the cloth instead.
- Keeping charge between 20–80% extends battery lifespan meaningfully.
- Heat is the single biggest threat to battery health.
- A swollen battery needs professional handling, not a DIY fix.
