How to Clean A Laptop Fan? – 4 Easy Methods

Laptop fans remove heat from sensitive parts on the motherboard, such as the CPU.

They are, however, prone to get clogged with dust and debris from the atmosphere when they suck air in.

This will result in overheating. Keep reading to learn how to clean a laptop fan.

Dust and soil fragments can be blown away from the fan assembly with a can of compressed air.

A portable dust blower with relatively low pressure can produce the same results.

If you don’t have any of these things, a soft fabric, cotton balls, or cotton swabs may be used to clean them.

Of course, the amount of debris on the fan will make cleaning more difficult. In some cases, a complete fan disassembly may be needed to enter deeply entrenched dirt and soil.

How to Clean A Laptop Fan?

To clean the fan thoroughly, you must open up the laptop. A basic Philips head screwdriver can loosen several of the screws.

Others have a single body. The bottom cover must be carefully removed from the chassis at this stage.

A clean work surface is essential, and a method for arranging the screws you extract is also helpful.

Remove the fan from its mount when the laptop is open to clean it separately from the other components. To do that, unscrew it and unplug the cord from the motherboard.

Following the disassembly, there are four different methods to clean a laptop fan:

1. Compressed Air / Air Blower
2. Laptop Cleaning Brush Kit
3. Soft Cloth / Cotton Balls
4. Rubbing Alcohol

Clean A Laptop Fan With Compressed Air Can / Air Blower

Compressed air in a can is ideal for electronic use. No moisture will damage the electrical components because it’s dry air. Furthermore, the strain is closely regulated to avoid damage to your system.

You will point the compressed air nozzle at the part of the fan you want to vacuum. Short blasts of air can then be used to dislodge the fan’s dust and dirt.

With a hand-held dust blower, you will get the same results. Use just the ones designed for cleaning delicate electrical components.

Advantages

Compressed air is more suitable for difficult-to-reach areas. Furthermore, since it is under heat, it is ideal for dislodging even larger dust clumps and delivering a more detailed clean without causing the fan to be disassembled.

You can save compressed air cans and use them again the next time you clean your fan. Many hardware shops sell them at a fair price when they run out.

Caution

Understanding how to clean a laptop fan with compressed air properly is essential. Since they use so much air pressure, some dust blowers are unsuitable for fragile electrical components. As a result, using them on your laptop fan can result in injury.

It’s also worth noting that compressed air can often worsen the problem by catching dust particles in the fan. Consequently, it’s important to double-check the fan to make sure it’s as clean as you require.

Clean A Laptop Fan Using A Cleaning Brush Kit

Different sizes and types of brushes are available for cleaning other parts of the PC. Using brushes is an excellent alternative to compressed air. You must first choose the right brush to clean the laptop fan with meetings.

You can use slightly harder brushes since a fan is not as delicate as a motherboard or other electronic circuits.

Make sure you clean the rim as well as each blade. If the cable connector has accumulated dust, clean that as well.

Advantages

You can employ this method if you do not have a compressed air can or an air blower lying around. You can even use a spare toothbrush. However, if the toothbrush has stiff fibers, ensure you are very gentle with the cleaning processor.

Caution

Using a brush that is too rough will cause the electronics to be affected. Cleaning the fan blades and rims should not be a problem, but when cleaning fragile electronics with a brush, use a gentle one and apply very light pressure.

Clean A Laptop Fan With A Soft Cloth / Cotton Balls

Without using compressed air, here’s how to clean a laptop fan. You’ll need a soft, clean cloth for this. You may also use cotton balls or swabs, but avoid leaving any fabric fibers behind.

When ready, rub the dust off the fan, making sure to reach all the surfaces. This means that even the surface under the blade needs to be accounted for.

Cotton swabs are used in this phase. If they’re small enough, you can fit them between the fan blades or around them to reach the hard-to-reach areas. Any portions of the fan can need to be disassembled.

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Advantages

This system makes use of items you may already have on hand. As a result, it is much less expensive in the long term because you can handle it yourself.

Caution

When wiping down the fan blades, softly keep them down to prevent them from spinning on their axis. This should make the job a little easier.

It would be best if you didn’t use undue force since you do not want to harm the fan unintentionally. Too much strain on such a fragile part can be catastrophic.

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Clean A Laptop Fan Using Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol like isopropyl (IPA) will help when you have caked dirt on your laptop fan. To remove dirt, dab a little alcohol on a clean cloth and gently rub the area.

You should use the purest form of isopropyl on your electrical parts. You should have no difficulty doing so if the purity is 90 percent better, as it vaporizes quickly after application.

It can also be used on electrical parts because if the fan’s controller board is dirty, you can use it to clean it.

Advantages

IPA evaporates fast and leaves no residues. As such, it’s excellent for electrical components. It can remove anything from dust to greasy smears on the fan.

Caution

First and foremost, make sure that all isopropyl has dried up before reinstalling the fan. It’s also worth noting that the alcohol and the vapors are flammable, so keep the gadget turned off and away from any open flames while using it.

Although IPA can be used on metallic parts of the fan assembly, it can cause unintended reactions on certain plastics, so don’t use too many on the plastic fan blades.

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How To Clean A Laptop Fan Without Compressed Air

If you don’t have access to an air compressor or a can of compressed air, you can use a soft cloth and rubbing alcohol instead.

To use the rubbing alcohol, you must first clean the rigid and bulky dust from the fans. Compressed air can assist with dust removal, but you can also use a soft brush to softly clean the fan before using rubbing alcohol or a soft cloth to clean it properly.

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Final Thoughts

Knowing how to clean a laptop fan is a remarkable ability if you want to keep your machine running smoothly. Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) may be applied to the fabric to remove stubborn stains.

This can be done with a can of compressed air. You should also go to the manual road and brush the dirt away with a warm, dry rag.

Be gentle when cleaning the fan, and separate it from the rest of the motherboard to simplify your job. The laptop should also be turned off during the operation.

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