Cleaning With Compressed Air Has Its Benefits
Certain cleaning tasks require a specific tool to get the job done effectively, and sometimes there’s just no substitute for a can of compressed air. I usually do the bulk of my dusting with microfiber cleaning cloths, but when they’re too bulky for the task at hand, I reach for a can of compressed air.
Sometimes called “canned air” or “air duster”, what’s inside these aerosol cans isn’t actually air at all, but a gas compressed into a liquid form. When you pull the trigger on the can, the gas expands forcefully as it exits the can — forcefully enough to blast away whatever dirt and dust may lie in its path.
Not only does compressed air have no trouble fitting into small and hard-to-reach spaces, but you don’t have to worry about moisture, films, or residues like you do with wet cleaning methods. For both of those reasons, it’s a popular tool for dusting and cleaning computer hardware and accessories.
But compressed air can be used for cleaning around the house too. Today we’ll be exploring 9 spaces and items that are quick and easy to clean with the help of compressed air!
9 Ways That Compressed Air Can Be Used For Cleaning
1. Keyboards
As I mentioned, compressed air is ideal for cleaning computer keyboards, because you can remove dust and dirt from between the keys without taking anything apart. If you use a keyboard for work every day, this is one cleaning task you should be doing regularly (especially if you’re a desk snacker like I am!)
2. Device Ports/Jacks
As easy as it is to clean your phone’s screen, the little nooks and crannies like charging ports and headphone jacks are a totally different story. But with the help of my handy can of compressed air, I can blow dust, lint, sand, and other particles out of all the nooks and crannies in my phone and other devices!
3. Coffee Grinders
Are chunks of coffee beans jamming up your grinder? Blast them away with compressed air! No matter what type of grinder you use, compressed air is a great tool for cleaning it out to keep it running smoothly. After all, a clean grinder makes for better tasting coffee!
4. Delicate Keepsakes
If you decorate your home with trinkets, souvenirs, or nostalgic memorabilia, you may dread the painstaking and time-consuming dusting sessions required to keep them dust-free. Compressed air is gentle enough to use on all kinds of decor, and it tends to clean intricate objects more effectively than standard dusters.
5. Car Dashboard & Center Console
No more trying to jam a rag between the air vents in your car! Use compressed air to blast dust and dirt out of vents, displays, cupholders, and other areas of your car’s dashboard and center console.
Wipe away loosened dust with a microfiber cloth, or suck it up with a vacuum. You can check out more useful car cleaning hacks here.
6. Vacuum Cleaners
It should come as no surprise that your vacuum needs a good cleaning every now and then! While every few months I like to take mine completely apart and give it a thorough cleaning in the dishwasher, I use compressed air to keep it clean in between those deeper cleanings.
Compressed air makes short work of any loose dirt that may be trapped in the brush roll, canister, and filters. (I highly recommend doing this outside your house though, unless you’re willing to vacuum up another mess right after you’re done!) ;-)
7. Lampshades
If you’ve ever swiped your finger across a neglected lampshade, you know just how much dust those things can accumulate! Instead of rubbing the dirt in with a damp rag, give it a few spritzes of compressed air. Your lampshade will look as good as new!
8. Fans
It can be shocking to see how much dust and dirt accumulates on the blades of desk fans when they’re turned off. But instead of attempting to clean them, most of us just turn the fan back on and try to ignore the fact that a lot of that dust is getting pushed right back into the air!
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But compressed air makes it easy to clean a dusty desk fan. Every couple of weeks, take your compressed air and your desk fan outside and spray air at the blades from all angles to remove dust.
9. Blinds
I used to dread dusting my blinds, because wiping down each individual slat was so time-consuming! But thanks to compressed air, this chore now takes a fraction of the time and effort it used to.
Compressed air works great on my horizontal blinds, and I’ve heard it’s great for mini blinds too. Find more tips for cleaning your window blinds here.
4 Tips For Using Compressed Air Safely And Effectively
- When cleaning with compressed air, do it outside whenever possible to avoid creating dusty messes inside (and be sure to stand upwind, too!)
- Spray compressed air in short bursts of about 3-5 seconds each. Longer sprays will cause the can to cool rapidly, making the can uncomfortably cold to hold as well as less effective.
- Never shake a can of compressed air or hold it upside down.
- While the compressed air of yesteryear contained ozone-depleting CFCs, the gases used today have little to no impact on ozone (though they are considered greenhouse gases). For a more environmentally-friendly alternative, consider a multipurpose electric air pump blower.
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For more unconventional cleaning tools and tips for using them, check out:
- 9 Reasons Why Cooking Spray Is An Unusually Good Cleaner
- 9 Unexpected Things You Can Clean With A Clothes Steamer
- 11 Strange But Effective Cleaning Tips That Involve Food
- 11 Surprisingly Practical Ways To Use Kool-Aid
Do you use compressed air for cleaning at home?
I use canned air for anything with a vent. I used it on my router – my son (who installs telecommunications) never thought of it. Vents on the TV. the microwave also get a blast. I not only do the top of my laptop but the vent on the bottom so it stays cool. How about the toaster? It gets those stuck crumbs out without damaging the wiring.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just a note to a commenter – I also use my leaf blower for removing fluffy snow. It gets right down to the pavement & dries at the same time – no ice melt to sweep up.
I use it to clean my very “leafy” fake plant. I certainly can’t use a dust cloth on it and the canned air has kept it looking like new.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wouldn’t a hair dryer on the coolest but fastest setting do a similar job for free?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For some things, yes. But somethings you may need a more concentrated blast of air to get the job done.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have used a leaf blower to remove the cottonwood fluff that adheres to the screens in my screen room. I just blow from inside out.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use a small cordless light-weight leaf blower for dusting vacuum cleaners and fans. It is not a very powerful leaf blower, made for light duty. I take whatever I am cleaning outside. The leaf blower can also be used to clean off light snow from cars, step, walkways, etc. My husband has used it to dry off his motorcycle. I have found many outdoor uses for this rechargeable light duty leaf blower.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.If you’re able to vacuum the item, do that first. Then used compressed air. The vacuum will remove many/most of the particles – compressed air can drive them further in instead of driving them out. Use caution with compressed air where particles can be trapped. Don’t ask me how I know this :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use my electric pump to clean out int inside my baby grand piano as you cannot dust under all the strings and cloth can get stuck in the wire wrapped strings. Also blows dust out of between the keys and other impossible to reach places. Just be prepared to dust the room following as it blows a lot out into the air!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great idea, Marion! Thanks for sharing. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What is an electric pump?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have those old fashioned popcorn ceilings with air vents in the ceiling. Dirt will gather around the vent making black marks on my ceiling. Compressed air does away with the dirt but does not disturb the “popcorn” and the ceiling is clean again. I had the popcorn ceiling redone in my living room, kitchen and hallway. They do look more up to date and nice, BUT, the bedrooms are going to always have their popcorn ceilings. The mess was horrible, even with the protections the crew used!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found a terrific use for compressed air. I have two upholstered chairs with tufted buttons in the back. These button areas collect dust and no vacuum cleaner tool can clean around them. After reading this post this morning, I tried the compressed air. It worked like a charm to clean around these deeply recessed upholstery buttons in my pretty chairs. The chair sparkles once more.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love it Connie! I hadn’t thought about this tip. Great addition. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Good Article Jillee – I wanted to mention that I actually use the roller tape (you know – the stuff that gets cat hair off of your suit – ha ha) to clean lampshades. I’m thinking the canned air may just blow it off and back on the shade.
Also, I LOVE you cute little typewriter. That is really sweet!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I clean my lampshades that way too. It works great!
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