The well being of your laptop starts with you, the owner. There are a few simple tasks you can do on a daily or weekly basis to prevent those annoying, time consuming and often expensive trips to the computer repair shop. By following this brief checklist, problems such as screen freezes, unexpected shutdowns and low life spans will become a lesser worry and a thing of the past.

1. Powering Off Your Laptop.

Let’s face it. Many of us are impatient and don’t take the time to properly shut off our laptops. However, this step is crucial in preventing file corruption. When pressing "Shut Down," be sure to wait until the laptop powers off completely before closing it. You never want to hold down the power button until the laptop powers off unless you absolutely have to. Shutting down properly ensures that no components will lose power in the middle of a critical operation.

2. The Battery.

Another way to avoid a shortened lifespan is by not overcharging your battery. In many cases owners unplug their laptops during usage and then as soon as the laptop is about to die, will quickly connect it back to the AC. This is a myth, however, and does not actually prevent battery overcharge. The best way to prevent damaging your battery is to simply keep the battery fully charged. Laptop technicians and makers of laptops have already anticipated problems with battery overcharge and therefore have created built in safety mechanisms to ensure batteries charge to a safe and normal amount. Laptop owners act wrongly in waiting for their batteries to reach that minimum low. In some cases if the battery is too low it will refuse to charge properly.

3. Cleanliness.

There’s no way around it. Keeping your laptop clean can prevent many hardware failures. If you plan to hang on to your laptop long term then cleanliness is essential. Dust and dirt make it hard for the fans to spin and provide proper cooling for the laptop. This results in a shorter lifespan for the fans and in turn, a shorter lifespan for the other components in the laptop. An easy way of removing all of the dust and small grime which collects underneath the keyboard and in other unreachable nooks and crannies is to buy a can of compressed air. Even though these tend to be expensive, they work fast and mess free. If you do end up using this product, make sure to step outside and turn off your laptop beforehand.

A cheaper option of cleaning a computer’s tight spots is to use a cotton swab. If you simply want to run a damp cloth across the keyboard then it’s important to use distilled, purified or bottled water. Tap water leaves unwanted residue. As well, avoid using paper towels or other cloths with a harsh surface. Lint-free cloths, like those used for cleaning eye glasses, and 100% cotton cloths are the best choices.

When cleaning your LCD screen, you can use the same types of cloths that you did for your keyboard. Some laptop experts advise users to purchase Isopropyl Alcohol, available at most drugstores. The product quickly evaporates and is safe to use on delicate, electronic equipment. Avoid spraying this or any other product directly onto the screen.