It doesn't need petrol, oil or new tyres. But your computer does need occasional maintenance -- it's easy to forget that when you're focusing all your energy on keeping your software and data organised and up-to-date. Without regular maintenance, your PC may flail, sputter or even grind to a halt, leaving you on the soft shoulder of the information highway.

Dust, grime and the proverbial waxy yellow build-up aren't just an aesthetic concern; they can lead to serious problems with your PC. The chips and circuits in your system have two mortal enemies: heat and corrosion. Excessive dust and grime can hinder the ventilating airflow through the PC's case and form a layer of insulation on the surface of chips. As a result, chips can overheat and decay prematurely. Likewise, soot and smoke -- especially from cigarettes -- can, over time, corrode or short out delicate circuits.

The solution is simple: keep your PC clean. If your system is located in a relatively sterile environment like a hermetically sealed, climate-controlled office, cleaning once a year may suffice. In dust-prone places (such as rooms with wall-to-wall carpeting or in or near where food is prepared or eaten), performing a basic cleaning every two to three months could add years to the life of your PC.

Any good computer store should carry the following cleaning supplies (see FIGURE 1). An antistatic brush and lint-free wipes and swabs are a must for wiping surfaces. So is canned compressed air for blowing dust out of hard-to-reach spaces. To prevent system damage caused by harmful static charges that can build up on your skin, you'll also need a grounding strap that fits on your wrist. And if your computer is really dirty, a small, handheld vacuum is also worth buying.

You can find cleaning solutions for every component of your PC, but a small bottle of pure isopropyl alcohol is equal to the task of cleansing your motherboard and other cards. If you frequently remove expansion cards and memory modules for cleaning, get yourself a bottle of lubricating contact cleaner.