Cleaning your equipment How to keep your MSN TV gear in tip-top shape By Erfert Fenton Even if your house is immaculately clean, dust and dirt will eventually find their way onto, and sometimes into, the items that make up your MSN TV system: your receiver, remote, keyboard, and TV. The following cleaning and maintenance tips will help you keep your system in working order.

In general, the preferred method for cleaning the surfaces of your components can be summed up in three words: "a damp cloth." But there's more to it than that. For example, if you're cleaning your TV screen, it's a good idea to dampen the aforementioned cloth with water, rather than a household cleaning solution, as some cleaners — especially those with ammonia — can damage a screen's anti-glare protection or other components of its surface. For more details, read on.

Caution: Before cleaning any component that's plugged into a wall socket — the TV or receiver, for example — unplug the component so you won't risk getting an electrical shock.
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Receiver
There's not much to clean on your receiver, which is pretty much an enclosed box. However, it does have ventilation holes on top, and these can become dust receptacles.

Tip: Don't stack any other devices (such as a DVD player or VCR) on your receiver; doing so can block the ventilation holes and cause your receiver to overheat.

Remember to unplug your receiver before cleaning it.

A cloth dampened with water (dampened, mind you, not soaked — you don't want to get water inside your receiver!) will do the trick in most cases. If there's a stubborn stain on the receiver, you can add a little dishwashing detergent to the damp cloth — but don't use a solvent cleaner, as it might damage the receiver's surface.

If the dampened cloth misses some stubborn dust bunnies, you can vacuum the top of the receiver. (It's best to use a portable, battery-powered vacuum, as a plug-in vacuum generates static electricity that could damage the receiver's electronics.)

Tip: When you're wiping off your receiver, make sure you don't accidentally loosen any of the plugs or jacks on the back.
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Wireless keyboard
While water (via a dampened cloth) is a good way to remove dust from the surface of your receiver or TV, another one of the four elements — air — is ideal for removing dust and debris from your keyboard. A can of compressed air is a great tool for getting rid of those pesky bits of dust and dirt that can lodge between the keys. Just position the can's nozzle between some keys, and blow the debris away.

If blowing air doesn't work, you can try the opposite approach and vacuum your keyboard. Just make sure you don't vacuum any keys right off!

Liquid (whether on a damp cloth or from a spray bottle) is generally not recommended for cleaning your keyboard, as it can trickle between the keys and into the keyboard's sensitive electronic innards. However, if you need to remove an errant donut crumb or two from between the keys, you can try a cotton swab (or, better yet, a foam swab) dipped in rubbing alcohol.

It's a good idea to refrain from eating or drinking while you're using your keyboard. But if you do, and happen to spill some liquid on your keyboard, follow these steps:

1. Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it over a towel to drain the liquid.
2. With the keyboard still upside down, use a damp cloth or cotton swabs moistened with water or rubbing alcohol to remove what liquid you can.
3. Use a hairdryer or a can of compressed air to help dry the keyboard.
4. Leave the keyboard face-down for 12 hours or more, allowing it to dry.

After an unfortunate incident involving a cat and a cup of coffee, I used this method to successfully revive my keyboard. I put it next to a wall heater overnight for maximum drying effect.
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Remote control
Many of the keyboard cleaning tips apply to your remote as well. You can use a dampened cloth to wipe the surface, but don't spray any liquids on the buttons. If a lot of sticky-fingered little ones use your remote, preventive maintenance might be the way to go. I know a mom who covers her remote in plastic wrap, and removes and replaces the wrap when it gets sticky.

Tip: If your remote seems sluggish, make sure it has fresh batteries.

In the best of all possible worlds, you'd be using your MSN TV unit in a spotless, dust-free house, and wouldn't have to clean its components. However, if, like me, your motto is "Nature abhors a vacuum — and so do I," then you'll probably find these cleaning tips useful.
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