Dusty Xbox One? Cleaning your Xbox One, without removing the case
We all know that dust can cause your Xbox to perform worse, although the dust itself will not damage your Xbox, it can get into places where it is not wanted, especially the system fan.
A clogged up fan can cause your Xbox to over heat and eventually randomly shutdown, right in the middle of a game.
Although it’s not possible for it to go back to new, there are multiple things that can be done to clean out most of the dust from the fan WITHOUT opening your Xbox.
This article will guide Xbox One users on how to clean Xbox one fan without opening the Xbox.
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How to clean Xbox One fan without opening the Xbox
Things to consider before cleaning
Before starting your clean, be sure to shut down your Xbox and remove all cables (not just the power cable).
If your Xbox is particularly dusty, move it an area with less dust – when you start the clean, dust laying on the floor will kick up and just settle back into your Xbox again.
We have listed some tools which will help you with the clean later in this article, however, when using the vacuum, be careful if using a high powered home vacuum cleaner – it might cause damage to the internal fan.
Cleaning tools
There is no need for expensive equipment to clean the fan of your Xbox without opening the Xbox. Most tools can be found around your home. We have listed our top picks below.
The procedure
This is how to clean Xbox one fan without opening:
- Start with lightly getting the dust off from the outer casing of the Xbox, start off by using the brush to get into the small crevasses along the top and sides of the Xbox. Move the brush in circular motions.
- Switch on your vacuum and turn the suction power to low.
- Gently move the vacuum cleaner all over the outside casing, paying special attention to the crevasses.
- Once the outer dust is removed. Get a cloth and add some Isopropyl Alcohol of the cloth. Wipe over the Xbox casing.
- Turn your Xbox around so you can see the ports on the rear. Add a little Isopropyl Alcohol to a cotton bud/Q-Tip and gently clean the ports on the rear of the Xbox. Never push too hard as you might damage the port.
- On your Xbox One S, you will see some holes on the top of the casing. Below these holes the fan is located.
- Turn on your vacuum cleaner and turn up the suction power to medium. Place the vacuum cleaner on top of these holes and move gently and slowly around the whole area. You should always take at least 2 – 3 minutes with the vacuum above the holes. The key for this step is to take your time.
- Lastly, finish off with apply more Isopropyl alcohol to a cloth and the brush if required and wipe over the entire Xbox.
Do's and Dont's
- Do not raise the pressure of the vacuum cleaner more than needed. If you turn the power up too high it may damage the main connections of the fan.
- While using the isopropyl alcohol make sure that there is no dust present on the surface you are cleaning. If the alcohol gets mixed with loose dust, it can cause more of a mess!
- Never push the Q-Tips/Cotton buds too far into the rear ports – you might damage the ports.
- Always apply the isopropyl alcohol to the cloth (and not poured directly on to the Xbox).
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