Best way to dust the inside of my MP?

[Zerozal]

After almost 3 years of pretty much non-stop use, I've got a thin build up of dust on the inside of my air intakes, motherboard, heat sink, video card, fans, etc..

What's the best way to handle this? I'm a bit wary of canned air, due to the potential moisture in the can and the possibility to simply blow the dust around rather than remove it. I've considered using my vacuum cleaner with its dusting wand on very low power, but something tells me it still might be too powerful and could cause damage.

What have you all used to dust your MPs?

 

[odinsride]

I've always used compressed air and had no issues

 

[martinm0]

I've always used compressed air and had no issues

Agreed. Just take it outside before you let loose or it will end up everywhere (and back inside the MP eventually).

 

[wally21]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1209218/

I purchased the metro vacuum (which blows air, actually), and it works great.

 

[interrobang]

I purchased the metro vacuum (which blows air, actually), and it works great.

If you have a vacuum that can be used to blow air, then those are great. Be careful not to touch the hose to anything internal; just open the case and direct the air from a few inches away. Otherwise, leave the case shut and vacuum only the vents on the outside. And leave your Mac off, but plugged into a grounded outlet while vacuuming.

 

[Zwhaler]

I just dusted out my MP this weekend. Here's what I did:

Light compressed air to clean out the fans (obviously aim the air from the inside out of the case, not from the outside in) also this to get rid of dust in the heat sinks, and dust sticking to the front and back mesh. I took out the CPU/RAM tray, GPU, and even cleaned the hard drives using this method.
Use a soft cloth or vacuum to clean dust off the tops of some of the components like the GPU, hard drives, etc.
I took a small brush (like a small paint brush) and made strokes upward to dislodge dust inside the GPU fan, and also did this to remove the remainder of the dust on the system fans (compressed air didn't get it all). Happy cleaning!

 

[Macman45]

To avoid build up, once a week, I use a super fine top quality varnishing brush to remove any dust in the vents of my MBP and MBA..This sort of helps to avoid dust getting into the Macs, thus avoiding the need to perform surgery!

At least it's worked so far..

 

[firedownunder]

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1209218/

I purchased the metro vacuum (which blows air, actually), and it works great.

☝ Exactly, these things are awesome. Take it outside, or you'll have dust everywhere.

 

[charlieegan3]

I've always used compressed air and had no issues

this has always worked for me and my pc, sure it would be great for your MP too.

 

[jackrv]

☝ Exactly, these things are awesome. Take it outside, or you'll have dust everywhere.

And don't wear a black shirt when doing it. Years of dust + compressed air + black clothing = hiding in your cubicle for the day.