Must have Tools for PC Cleaning, Repair and Maintenance

I strongly suggest that every Desktop or Laptop user should have the necessary tools for cleaning and making small repairs to their PC or Laptop. Taking care of your PC or Laptop is very important if you want them to last longer and does not want to compromise on performance either. Also, you don’t want to be stuck when you need to install some components or make some minor repairs. Cleaning and Repairing tools go hand in hand because for cleaning you do need repair tools to open the PC / Laptop covers and for repairs, you may need to clean the parts before you put them back together.

Cleaning tools include an electric duster/air blower, anti-static brushes, compressed air can, micro-fiber cloth, and repairing tools include a precision screwdriver kit, soldering iron, and a glue gun. So, here in this post, I am going to suggest some of the best laptop / PC cleaning, repair & maintenance tools that you can buy for your desktop PC or laptop. 

PC Cleaning Tools

Here are the various tools for PC / Laptop cleaning. Some of them are very important and some of them are optional as you don’t need them every time.

Electric Duster / Air Blower

Dust is the major killer of all PC and it gets collected pretty heavily inside your computer case and components over time. It can get to every component in your PC case including your heatsink, graphics card, fans, motherboard, and every part of your PC case including the corners. The best way to get rid of the majority of dust is by using an electric air duster or air blower. It is a device that blows out air at force and removes all the dust build-up. You can use a good air blower to blow off the dust that is building up inside your case and on the components.

I personally use a standard air blower to do this task but now there are specialized computer air blowers available too that are compact and are very safe to use, especially on computer parts and electronic devices. Also, they are much more economical and safer than compressed air cans, which are also used to clean the dust from the computer and its components. Below are some very good Electric Air Dusters that I recommend for cleaning your computer, and I strongly suggest you clean the dust from your PC using an electric air duster, at least once a month.

Check out Best Electric Air Dusters for Computer

Pro Tip: Use Fan Filters

If your computer does not come with front fan filters then you must install fan filters to prevent the dust from entering your case. Also, if you have vacant 120mm/140mm fan mount points then use the fan filters on them so that they can block the dust and thus the interior of your PC case will remain much cleaner. It is better to use a magnetic fan filter because it can trap the dust more effectively than a normal fan filter. Below you can check out some of the very good 120mm / 140mm fan filters that you can get for your PC case.

Buy 120mm Fan Filters from Amazon

Buy 140mm Fan Filters from Amazon

Important Note: Fan filters must be used on intake fans only and never on exhaust fans.

Anti-Static Brush

A brush is generally used to remove or scrape off the very fine dust that sticks to the fan blades and inside the fan frame. An electric air blower can remove most of the dust from the fan surface but not the fine one that sticks to the blades, and it can be removed only by brush. You can use any brush to clean the fan blades but to be on the safer side you can use an anti-static brush, which can also be used to clean the motherboard, keyboard, or other electronic components. After cleaning the fans or other components with the anti-static brush, just use the air blower one more time to dispose of the dust that is left behind in the case by the brush.

Buy 6 in 1 Portable Nylon Anti Static Brushes

Micro-fiber cloth

A micro-fiber cloth is used to clean the sensitive computer components that include your computer screen. You can also use it to clean your computer case and external devices including a mouse, keyboards, speakers, etc. It is better to choose a high-quality and soft micro-fiber cloth so that it does not scratch your components, especially the display screen of the monitor. Here are some good microfiber cleaning cloths that are very soft and are suitable for cleaning computers and laptops.

MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths

[For Cleaning Computer / Laptop Screen]

Buy MagicFiber Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (6 PACK)

AmazonBasics Microfiber Cleaning Cloth

[For General Cleaning]

Isopropyl Alcohol

If you want to remove stains or other marks from the computer components then the best way to do it is by using Isopropyl Alcohol. This is because Isopropyl Alcohol is electrically non-conductive and it evaporates after some time, leaving the component clean and undamaged. You can apply the Isopropyl Alcohol to a cloth, brush, or cotton swab and then deep clean the components that include the heatsink, motherboard, and case and can also use it to remove thermal paste completely from the CPU, GPU, or Chipset.

You can also give your motherboard an alcohol bath, but this is too much of a task and I don’t recommend this unless the motherboard is in very horrid condition. Isopropyl Alcohol is also known as rubbing alcohol and it is recommended to use 90% to 99% Isopropyl Alcohol solution for best results.          

Buy Mountain Falls 99% Isopropyl Alcohol

PC Repair Tools

Here are the must-have tools for PC and Laptop repair and maintenance. They come in very handy for installing or removing components to your PC or laptop.

Precision Screwdriver Set

I think every PC and Laptop user whether professional or amateur should have a Precision Screwdriver Set or Precision Toolkit so that you can open your PC or laptop for installing or removing components, or for making some minor repairs by yourself.

A Precision Screwdriver Set consists of various screw bits of various sizes and types, which can be easily attached or removed from a magnetic screwdriver handle. It comes in very handy for various small and big tasks, and they are also very cheap to buy. You can also use it open or repair other electronic devices such as cameras, mobile phones, smartphones, tablets, glasses, game consoles, etc. I recommend getting a high-quality Precision Screwdriver Set that has hard steel bits and overall strong build quality. Below are some good recommendations by me:

iFixit Professional Precision Toolkit

A high-quality Precision Toolkit set from iFixit, that is made for professionals.

Buy iFixit Mako Driver Kit (64-bits)

Budget Precision Screwdriver Set

Good quality budget Precision Screwdriver Set with bits made up of S2 Steel which are much harder, durable, and reliable than cheaper bits made from chrome vanadium.

Buy Kingsdun Precision Screwdriver Set

Soldering Iron

A soldering iron is not everyone’s cup of tea because not everyone can do soldering and it requires some professional skill too. However, I do recommend having a soldering iron in your arsenal as it can prove very handy for making small repairs by yourself. For example, I use it to change the micro-switches of my mouse, as after a few months or a year they start to double click, and it is much cheaper to replace the micro-switch or button instead of buying a new mouse.

If you have good soldering skills and have a good amount of knowledge regarding electronics then you do much more advanced tasks using the soldering iron by replacing components like capacitors, resistors, etc. Also, you don’t need a high-end professional soldering iron for this, because a normal soldering iron would do the job fine. Below I have listed some soldering iron kits that you can check out.

Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit (60W Adjustable Temperature)

Buy Tabiger Soldering Iron Kit 60W

Electric Soldering Iron (60W Adjustable Temperature)

Buy GLE2016 Electric Soldering Iron Kit 60W

Hot Glue Gun

Using a standard hot glue gun, you can attach components, fix some broken things, and can insulate the area or wires from getting short-circuited. For example, you can easily glue a fan controller hub inside the case using a glue gun or can shield a naked wire from being in contact with another one or from other electronic devices or PCB. It can also have various applications other than for use in computer repairs. You can use it for DIY projects and can fix other things too.

Buy Cobiz Hot Glue Gun (60W/100W Dual Power)

Final Words

In the end, I would only like to say that it is much better to have these PC and Laptop tools at your home because they can make your life so much easier, and you do not have to depend on someone else. However, if your computer or its component is having a much larger issue that you cannot fix, then you may have to take it to the service center or get it replaced if it is under warranty. However, for daily tasks and small repairs these tools are more than enough and they are not expensive either. If you still have any doubts or queries regarding these tools then please leave a comment below.