If you have a nice Audio and Video system setup in your home, you are fully aware that keeping good care of it and cleaning it correctly and consistently is vital to its longevity and performance. Keeping it free of fingerprints, dust, pet hairs and other harmful substances can be a real hassle; if done incorrectly it can even damage your system. Furthermore, not cleaning your system can lead to excessive dust and dirt build up that will harm the Audio and Video performance. It can even cause enough damage that you will have to replace certain parts. So below are some guidelines to walk you through keeping your audio and video system clean and performance ready.


Television


Televisions are usually the largest items in anyone’s home entertainment system. They also seem to attract the most dust. Of course build up of dust on ones TV screen is not ideal. Therefore, cleaning your Television seems to get top priority. Unfortunately, a great deal of damage can be done if the cleaning is not executed properly.


Most everyone is aware you must be extremely careful when trying to clean the screen of a LCD TV. Using regular cleaners will harm the screen, resulting in streaks and even discoloring on the screen. To clean your HDTV, whether it be a LCD or plasma, you can follow these guidelines:

- Power off your TV and unplug it from the power source.
- Wipe the screen very gentle with a soft dry cloth. Try to avoid too much contact with the TV screen. This is because a LCD screens have a specific kind of outer layering that can be damaged with too much contact. Never use a wet cloth or products like alcohol or thinner to clean the TV screen.
- There are commercially available cleaning sprays for LCD screens which are Alcohol & Ammonia free – you should spray these on a cloth or microfibre cloth first and then clean the screen with the dampen cloth.
- If it is not a LDC TV, but a rear-projection TV. You can clean the screen the same way as above, but it is fine to use a damp cloth.
- Other parts of the TV can also be cleaned using a soft dry cloth.

Blu-ray Players-DVD Players-Receivers


These items, even if they are tuck away or enclosed, can still build up significant amounts of dust that can cause damage, especially if the dust makes its way internally. Some people will only dust around or on top of these items, leaving the front buttons alone not to mention its collection of cables that build up large dust pockets.


The problem that arises is from the venting fans these items have because these fans circulate the air and cool down the Blu-ray and DVD Players. But the fans also inadvertently circulate the dust as well. If this dust gets into your system it will lead to many problems. In most cases prevention is your best weapon. Cleaning your items often and thoroughly will give them a greater lifespan, especially in optical laser items such as Blu-rays and DVD Players.

- Removing dust from the outer layers can be done with a soft cloth. You may want to use a touch of glass cleaner on the cloth since this will make collecting the dust easier. When dusting, try to start from the top down. When dusting around vent openings, push the dust away from the opening. This will avoid you pushing the dust into the component.
- Front panel buttons need to be given extra effort to clean. Try using a dry paintbrush to clean the buttons and knobs. This way you should avoid changing any settings.
- If you can not reach or find it hard reaching certain areas, try using a can of compressed air. Again be careful where you use it. You do not want to blow the dust into the interior of the component.

No matter how diligent you are in cleaning, there is always the possibility of dust or pet hair getting inside of your Blu-ray or DVD players. Because simply opening and closing of the loading tray dust can get into the component and cause problems, a good practice to adopt would be to always check a disc before inserting for dust, hairs or other substances.


Using an optical lens cleaner disc will help you clean the inside by getting rid of any dust or foreign substances. This disc will have tiny brushes or holes in the disc to create air currents to keep the lens clean.


It you believe dust has gotten into the interior of the component, beyond the optical lens, then your best course of action would be to take the item to a repair facility.


Cleaning cables can also be a little difficult. You do not want to disconnect anything or damage any connectors. Some ideas you may want to try are:

- If possible use the extension on a vacuum cleaner to get rid of the excess dust build up around your cables.
- Try using the dry paintbrush again around the connecting ports.
- Do not use excess force when dusting because you do not want to bend or crack any connector pins in your cables.
- Another good practice to adopt, is to disconnect your cable every year to see if the connection is clean and to look for erosion. If buildup is found, you will need to use a good contact cleaner to securely get the connection clean.

Speakers


Speakers usually have three different areas you need to keep clean: the cabinet, grille and the drivers.


Cabinets can come in different forms, whether it be a real wood veneer, a wood-like veneer, laminate material, plastic or metal – each one will need cleaning. Do not be tempted to use any type of household furniture sprays because they can damage the finish. It is best to use a soft dry or slightly dampened cloth.


Grilles are designed to keep dust away from the drivers. Therefore, an excessive amount of dust build up on the grille should be normal. It means they are doing their job. If the grille is fabric you may try using a vacuum to remove the dust. If the grille is removable, you can rinse them carefully in lukewarm water and dry them. If the grille is plastic or metal clean them with a dry or slightly dampened cloth. When using a dampened cloth be careful not to get the drivers wet. A can of compressed air can also be used.


Drivers should be touched as sparingly as possible. Your best option is to use a can of compressed air to remove dust from your drivers.


Always remember to power off and unplug electrical equipment you are cleaning. And refer to your instruction guide for details to clean a specific item. Manufacturers know their products and will give you good cleaning advice. Use the advice you are given because cleaning every item in your Home Entertainment System will definitely increase its lifespan and keep the high quality of performance you are accustomed to receiving from your system for years to come.




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For more information on Blu-ray and Blu-ray Players try this handy comparison guide: bluray dvd players
For more information on Handy Spray Kits for cleaning LCD screens go here: clean lcd display screens
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