FIVE TIPS FOR A CLEAN HOME THEATER

A home theater is all about the picture and sound. But getting all the electronic components to work together efficiently requires more than just their being hooked together — they must be kept free from dirt and impurities. So here’s 5 tips for keeping your home theater clean so it can perform at its best:

 1) DUST THE COMPONENTS – Most, if not all electronic components will benefit from having dust removed from on them and around them, including speakers. This can be done with a soft lint-free cloth that has a bit of a furniture spray applied to it (never to the components directly though). Take special care where there are air vents (examples: disc players, audio amplifiers, etc.) so the dust doesn’t get blown into them. A soft new toothbrush can be used to clean vents as well as crevices, and areas that get exposed — such as an ejected disc player tray. This should be done on a regular basis to maximize a clean environment.

2) CLEAN THE TV SCREEN - The TV attract dust, which is hard to notice, however, there’s no doubt that this will inhibit the best image from being seen. Cleaning the TV screen requires not only a special cloth and special fluid, but a procedure that is more involved than just “wiping” from left to right. Don’t forget to first dust the bezel and base (unless wall mounted) since this can cause dust to go onto the screen. Then the screen should be cleaned. 

3) CLEAN THE CONNECTIONS - It might sound counter intuitive to worry about connections between components, but since dust can worm its way in — some cleaning is indicated. Removing cable connections and dusting off the connectors as well as the sockets they go into can be done with a soft lint-free cloth and that clean toothbrush (which dislodges adhered dust). Of course dusting around the sockets first makes sense also.

 4) FILTER THE AIR - Air quality can affect the home theater components negatively. A small air filter next to where the components “live” will easily deal with this issue. Or having an air filter strategically placed to cover the entire home theater will be good for those watching as well.

5) VACUUMING THE FLOOR - The area that constitutes the home theater needs to be kept clean on a regular basis. This is especially true if there are windows left open or the flow of traffic brings in airflow, with the results effluvium. A vacuum on hard floor or carpeting will do the trick, and cleaning chairs and couches regåularly as well is indicated. Just beware of static electricity generated from using the vacuum (or in some cases from just walking on the carpeting) and avoid touching any component other than the remote to play it safe (at least, until you discharge the static electricity).