Enjoy Enhanced Indoor Viewing Experience

Enjoy Enhanced Indoor Viewing Experience

Grainy pictures. Dust specks. Choppy sounds coming from the speakers. Pesky and messy wires scattered all over your media room.

Don’t let these little annoyances get in the way of your home viewing, listening, or gaming pleasures. There are necessary, little things you can do to keep your home theater equipment in tiptop shape.

In today’s post, we’ll talk about how to properly clean and maintain your equipment so you can always enjoy using your home entertainment devices. However, keep in mind that there are appropriate maintenance guidelines for some brands, so check the user manual that comes with each of your devices before doing any cleaning or alterations.

Effective Yet Gentle Cleaning Techniques

Regular cleaning will virtually guarantee that your audio and video equipment will remain practically dust free – even if you have pets in the house. Naturally, you will want to clean more thoroughly and more frequently if you do have dogs and cats than someone who doesn’t – to make sure you eliminate excess dust and pet hairs. This practice secures your valuable investments and avoids issues such as overheating because of excessive hair and lint accumulation.
Using the right cleaning supplies is just as important as the cleaning itself. A very practical yet non-abrasive cleaning supply is the microfiber cloth. This clever little soft cloth is ideal for wiping off and cleaning sensitive television and projector screens and speakers. Microfiber cloths easily grab lint and dust off your equipment. And since they are non-abrasive, you will never have to worry about streaks and scratches as you clean.

Properly Protecting the Parts and Components of Your System

Anyone with multiple electronic gadgets and devices in their home recognizes the importance of cleaning them regularly; this ensures that your equipment lasts longer and run better. However, cleaning the right way is just as essential. If you are not familiar with how to properly remove dirt and grime your A/V equipment safely, then you could end up causing significant internal damage to its wiring or circuitry.

Of course, there are plenty of resources out there that you can check to secure the perfect results and protect the lifespan of your gears. Your home theater system can be kept looking like when you first got it if you follow these techniques we’ve compiled below.

General Tips for A/V Cleaning and Maintenance

The key thing to keep in mind is to follow the manufacturer’s suggested methods in properly cleaning and maintaining your devices. Often included in the equipment manual is a list of what you can use for cleaning and what steps or processes to follow.

Screens and Projectors

Unplug the power from the outlet before cleaning and allow the projector to cool down.
Use only non-abrasive lens-cleaning supplies
Use a soft cloth (100% cotton preferred) moistened with diluted mild detergent to clean the ventilation grilles
Try not to touch the lens
Never let the projector get in contact with water
If dust has collected all over the power plug, unplug the cord and clean it using soft dry cloth.

Speakers

Use soft, lint-free cloth dampened with water to clean the cabinets
Use the brush attachment of a vacuum cleaner to clean the grilles from the speakers
Use a soft bristle paint brush to clean the speaker driver
For outside speakers, use a soft cloth moistened with water and mild detergent
Cover outdoor speakers with a tarp or plastic bag; always remove dirt, leaves, twigs, and other materials that may collect in and around outdoor surround speaker systems
Don’t get any water on the domes or cones

Player, Receivers, Streaming Devices

Never use harsh cleaning supplies or paper towels
Use Q-tips dipped in a little bit of water or isopropyl alcohol
Use a dry cloth to clean the panels
Use lens cleaner discs

Cables and Connectors

Organize the wires using cable organizers or even zip ties; label them accordingly (audio cables, video cables, power cables, etc.)
Cord catchers are recommended to hold the cables behind desks when you unplug them
Don’t twist or staple HDMI cables as it will cause damage to them

These tips should benefit your home theater systems without harming their performance. Enjoy your enhanced home entertainment experience!