How to Give a Mouse a Bath, and Other Rites of Spring

As you prepare for that annual ritual known as spring cleaning, don’t forget to include your computer.

Start by cleaning your mouse. Remove the mouse from your computer and turn it over so the “belly” is facing up. There’s a plastic circle with a hole in the middle of it. The mouse ball pokes through this hole. Lightly press the plastic circle with both thumbs and rotate it counterclockwise to loosen.

Remove the collar and wash the ball with lukewarm water. Don’t use cleaners, because chemicals might damage the mouse. Let the ball air-dry. Meanwhile, look in the cavity where the ball sits. You’ll see three tiny wheels called rollers. You should clean them with a wooden toothpick. Don’t use an eraser, pen or pencil, which could leave debris.

After you finish cleaning all three rollers, drop the dry ball back into the mouse and replace the collar. Special mouse-cleaning kits are available but not always necessary.

Keyboards get dirty too. Unplug the keyboard from your PC, then use glass cleaner or warm water and a soft cloth. The cloth should be damp, not sopping, when you wipe the keyboard. Try not to get any liquid directly on the keyboard or underneath the keys. Let the keyboard dry completely before plugging it into your PC.

After cleaning the outside, you can move on to the computer itself.

Start by removing all the software you no longer want or need from the hard disk. The Windows 95 Add/Remove Programs icon found within the Control Panel can help, but it’s not a sure-fire fix.

Often, Windows 95 doesn’t list every program installed. So even after you remove a program using the Add/Remove Programs icon, empty folders or other files may remain on your hard drive. At this point, you must delete the leftovers, which can be tricky.

The safest way to get the job done is by using an “uninstaller” program. Packages such as Quarterdeck’s CleanSweep ($39.95; [800] 474-1586; https://www.quarterdeck.com) and Symantec’s Norton Uninstall Deluxe ($39.95; [800] 441-7234; https://www.symantec.com) examine your system to identify duplicate files, orphan files, Internet cookies, cache and history files and files that belong to application software programs.

You are presented with a list of what the program found and are then given the option to delete items. Both Quarterdeck and Symantec offer trial versions of their uninstaller programs that you can download from their Internet home page. This way, you can try before you buy.

If you use a Mac, you may think that dumping an application’s folder in the trash is all it takes to uninstall a program. Wrong. That’s a quick way to end up with mismatched preferences. Along with removing applications and associated files, Aladdin Systems’ Spring Cleaning ($99.95; [408] 761-6200; https://www.aladdinsys.com) identifies and removes annoying orphan files and preferences. It can also remove fonts and fix aliases.

Uninstallers compress and back up removed files so that if you delete something essential, you can easily restore it. However, before you use any uninstall software, make a complete system backup.

You may find that your once-handy Windows 95 Start menu has become bloated. That’s easily fixed. First, right-click on the Windows 95 Taskbar and select Properties from the pop-up menu. Then, click the Start Menu Programs tab and you’ll find, among other things, a Remove button.

If you click on that button, you’ll see a Remove Shortcuts/Folders window that allows you to delete anything you want from the Start menu. While you’re in this window, take a moment to clear items in the Documents menu too.

On a Mac, deleting old items from the Apple menu is as easy as dragging items to the trash from the Apple Menu Items folder. To do this, you can double-click on your hard drive icon, then double-click on your System folder, then double-click on your Apple Menu Items folder.

Here’s a shortcut: Make an alias of your Apple Menu Items folder and put it inside the Apple Menu Items folder. This way, you can select the alias directly from the Apple menu.

After you’ve deleted everything you don’t want, there are still steps to take to keep your system running efficiently. As you add, delete and modify files on your computer, different parts of a single file may be stored in different locations on the hard drive. This is called disk fragmentation. The more fragmented a disk, the harder your computer must work to retrieve a file. A severely fragmented hard drive makes for a slower system.

For Windows 95 users, there’s a built-in program called, appropriately, Disk Defragmenter. It’s usually located in the System Tools folder under Accessories.

For a more robust set of defragmentation tools, you could buy a package such as Symantec’s Norton Utilities ($79.95), which includes a defragmentation program called SpeedDisk. In addition to defragmenting your hard drive, SpeedDisk allows you to arrange the files on your hard drive for maximum efficiency.

Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t include a defragmentation program with its Macintosh operating system. If you’re on a Mac, you’ll have to invest about $100 in Norton Utilities or something similar to get the job done.

Finally, your computer needs good ventilation and should be located in an environment that is as dust-free as possible. If your computer is on the floor, put it on a table. It’s also helpful to keep pets away, and remember not to eat or drink over the computer.