Cleaning and maintenance

Sometimes we wonder how to clean our system, and which products should not or cannot be used. These doubts mean that cleaning our system is put off for longer than necessary. That is why, in this article, we teach you a series of basic rules on the procedure to follow and the materials to use.

The first golden rule is to avoid moisture, not even using damp cloths. Any water or liquid getting into our equipment (both loudspeakers and electronics) can be harmful. Our best allies will be the vacuum cleaner and the duster.

The best way to remove dust from grille cloths is to use the vacuum cleaner without resting it on them, to avoid the risk of snagging. A distance of about two centimeters should be enough. The outside of the loudspeaker cabinets should be cleaned with a duster, which should always be anti-static. Some models sold for cleaning car dashboards are very effective on loudspeakers. This is a process we should carry out regularly, at least once a month. We should also remember that all audiovisual products come with a protective cover. We should never throw it away, as it will be very useful for protecting our equipment, especially from dust, during long periods of absence.

In the case of amplifiers and sources, it is crucial to keep the ventilation slots unobstructed and free of dust. They are the easiest point of entry, and if we clean them regularly, even wiping them with a chamois cloth or simply running a hand over them may be enough. In addition, logically, these vents are located above the sections of our equipment most prone to overheating, so keeping that area clear is vitally important. Normally, it is enough to lift off the top cover. We can also use cotton swabs to reach the most inaccessible areas. The problem is that many devices have increasingly compact casings, to avoid vibrations, which turn a simple operation into a real chore. In that case, the easiest thing is to clean the outside more often, so that there is hardly any dirt that can get into the circuitry. For such a delicate area, we recommend compressed air sprays, which are widely used in computing. We can find them in any electronics store. Incidentally, they are also very effective on remote controls.

For external cleaning, the ideal is to use a duster, but it is important that it should be synthetic rather than made of feathers. Feather dusters always shed some fragments, and there is a risk of them getting into an electronic device through the ventilation grilles.

For other parts, especially potentiometers, propylene alcohol is recommended. It does not damage electronic components and is very effective. It can be found in hardware stores and specialist shops. Isopropyl alcohol can also be used.

As for speaker cables, the procedure is very similar to the one we use for grille cloths. They are usually located in an inconspicuous area, often hard to reach. The vacuum cleaner is a good resource. A handheld one, like those used to clean car interiors, will be particularly useful, and ideally it should be held at a moderate distance. It is also important to clean the loudspeakers' binding posts at least once a year, as they tend to accumulate dirt, especially with bare wire.

As for displays, there are special cloths we can use to remove dirt from them. The most advisable are those sold in electronics stores specifically for monitors (both TFT and LCD). They are similar to those used to clean glasses, and their advantage is that they do not shed threads that could scratch the surface.

As with the loudspeakers, the electronics require maintenance. A check and cleaning of the connections is particularly advisable. Although it may barely be audible, the fact that a connection is not seated with the utmost precision can cause a loss of signal, however small.

CDs and DVDs can be washed directly with soap and water without any problem. The only proviso is to follow the direction of the recording, that is, radially, and to dry them very well. This can be done with a cloth, but it is best to do it directly with your fingertips. They should be dried with a material that does not shed lint or threads. This operation is especially recommended for heavily scratched optical discs, since it can make a CD we had given up on readable again.

We should also assess the usefulness of the CDs or DVDs used to clean the lenses of our players. Many of them sometimes fail to deliver the expected result. In any case, bear in mind that they must be different for CD and DVD, since the position of the lenses varies noticeably, as is also the case with Blu-ray players. We should therefore be wary of discs that claim to be equally effective in CD and DVD players.

As for screens, both plasma and LCD, the priority is never to apply any product directly to them, but to the cloth or tissue. It is best always to use kitchen paper or similar or, failing that, an anti-static cloth. There are specific cleaning products, which can be found mainly in computer stores. Most of them consist basically of dry foam. In any case, we can also use distilled water, in a minimal quantity. This condition is important, as otherwise limescale marks could appear on the panel. Another point to watch is that whenever we are going to clean the screen, it must be cold. Ideally, more than an hour should have passed since it was last used.

Finally, and although it may seem obvious, we must never clean any electronic device that is plugged into the mains. Logically, this includes standby.

As regards the bezels of televisions, there are many products that are very effective, but all of them, regardless of the manufacturer, must meet a minimum of essential requirements: in the case of wipes or cloths, they must be anti-static, alcohol-free, ammonia-free and non-flammable. As for gels and sprays, we must make sure that the container is drip-proof and that, if they contain water, it is distilled.

Moving on to a different area, the treatment we should apply to projector lenses is very similar to that used in photography. That is, using a so-called photographic air blower to remove dust, and a small brush. In extreme cases, there are specific lens cleaning kits sold in photography stores. These usually include swabs and a liquid similar to that used for glasses. Even so, it is best to avoid touching the lens. The most modern projection screens are now washable. At least the fixed ones. In this case, we should use neutral soap and a baby sponge, although this is an operation that must be carried out with great care. In the case of roll-up screens, the truth is that there are not many solutions.

In conclusion, cleaning our equipment is not just a matter of hygiene; in many cases we can obtain an improvement in sound, and even avoid future problems in the form of overheating or breakdowns caused by foreign bodies. We have already shown how simple it can be, as long as we are somewhat disciplined. Let's weigh up fairly the effort it involves and the benefits we can obtain, especially in terms of the durability of equipment that, in many cases, has represented a significant financial outlay.