Keeping That Christmas TV As Good As New

 

 

Santa was good to you this year and you got a brand-new plasma TV for Christmas! Maintenance of any electronic device is smart, but keeping your new plasma TV clean is absolutely imperative – considering the expensive alternative of replacement. 

  

Effectively maintained, you should expect to get 100,000 hours out of your LCD TV (or as long as the backlight lasts) and many manufacturers of plasma TVs claim a new half life of 100,000 hours + on their products. Asalco can help!

 

First of all, the most obvious and important thing to remember is electronic devices – any and ALL electronics – don’t go well with water! Avoid excessive humidity and drastic temperature changes; these can produce condensation, which, in turn, can really mess with your electronics. Keep that mug or glass of juice away from the TV – That is like begging for something bad to happen.

 

Allow your plasma TV to ‘breathe’: Plasma TVs produce a high amount of heat and this attracts dust. This combination of dust and heat can reduce its life expectancy: Be sure it has clearance around it for air to flow. If not specified in the manufacturer’s manual, a minimum of 8 inch (20 cm) is a good idea. Blow out the dust once a month or so with Asalco Duster (AE305 or AE305A).

 

A Clean Screen in 2 Simple Steps: A plasma TV screen is a very sensitive surface and can get damaged quite easily. Using the wrong cleaner or applicator can damage the anti-glare coating and/or scratch it.  Asalco manufactures LCD and Plasma Cleaner. It is specially formulated to clean delicate LCD and plasma TV and computer screens. It is anti-static and is safe on non- glare coatings, LCD and Plasma Cleaner dries streak-free, and is non-flammable. It comes in a 177 ml pump spray bottle and is available from Asalco distributors across Canada. To locate an Asalco distributor near you, click here.

 

1) Turn off the screen or TV. Spray Asalco’s LCD and Plasma Cleaner on a micro fiber cloth or soft, clean cotton cloth and wipe. Note that you should not spray them directly on the screen but on the cloth. LCD and Plasma Cleaner is very effective against fingerprints and other smudges – which you should avoid having on your plasma TV screen: “Look and don’t touch” should be the #1 House Rule!

 

2) Be gentle. Don’t apply too much pressure on the screen. Even if you have stubborn dirty spots on the screen, it’s better to fold the cloth over, spray on more LCD and Plasma Cleaner and repeat this process until it is clean rather than get aggressive with the screen. Always be sure to use cleaners that are made specifically for plasma or LCD screens, and not regular glass cleaner. These can damage the finish as well as contribute to dust accumulation. Paper towels are another big no-no; they will scratch.

 

A plasma TV will provide you and your family with thousands upon thousands of hours of TV pleasure if you take proper care of it, and Asalco can make it easier. Visit www.asalco.com today to see all our high quality and competitively priced electronic maintenance products for personal and professional audio, video and recording equipment.

Multi-purpose lubricant LP-2000: Simply the BEST.

LP-2000 is Asalco‘s best selling all-purpose lubricant and penetrant. It has been used for years in the industrial sector, renowned for its extreme high anti-wear and anti-corrosion properties. It is long lasting, moisture resistant and is CFIA approved (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) for use in food processing areas. LP-2000 is now available in handy mini-cans! The perfect size for your toolbox or little jobs around the house.

LP-2000 works great around the house for garage doors, appliance door hinges, drawer slides/tracks, cabinet doors, locksets, dryer drum bearings, washing machine parts, interior/ exterior door hinges, reels, latches, sprockets, doorknobs, electric knife blades, faucets, sewing machine parts, windows, clothesline pulleys, and casters, etc.

 

Around the shop or garage it’s perfect for bearings, car doors & trunk hinges, hood latches, seat sliders, bushings, engine parts, axles, brake parts, CV joints, universal joints, chassis fittings, couplings, linkages, sleeve bearings, rusty nuts and bolts, pulleys, chainsaws, air tools, carts, wheelbarrows, winches, hoists, jacks, pumps, chain blocks, binders trailers, clippers…to name a few.

 

Keep ALL your toys moving! Whether for big kids or the little ones, LP-2000 is fantastic on ATV wheel hubs, chains, sliders, rollers, steering joints, engine pulleys, trailers, couplings, struts, lag slides, engine parts, cables, brake parts, compartment hinges, hood latches, pins, linkages, suspensions, pins, chassis fittings; on bicycle chains, forks, wagons, skateboards, scooters, rollerblades, strollers swing sets, teeter totters, Commando Bob’s HumV wheels, the SpinGym that won’t spin….

  

Check out all of Asalco‘s high quality industrial, electronic and speciality products at www.asalco.com

Blowing Out The Cobwebs

Plain old compressed air dusters have been used for years by for electronics pros for maintenance. It is, after all, AIR_IN_A_CAN and made to blow dirt out off hard-to-get-at spots: A pretty straightforward and simple concept.
 
So why, oh, why doesn’t everyone get a can? And – do what with it, you may ask. Well, for starters, you can save loads of time with mundane tasks like dusting or cleaning all that crap that collects in the sliding tracks of your windows, for one: Try as you may, you can’t get into the corners, even with an old toothbrush or ever-popular butter-knife-and rag combo. You may get close to clean, but, alas, no cigar! But with a little blast of air duster, wipe-up what you’ve blown out  -and Poof! You’re done!
 
Air Duster, Canned Air – whatever you call it; it is a great addition to your cleaning cupboard.
It saves loads of time when used in household cleaning tasks. It can almost certainly prolong the life of almost any electronic, electrical device or appliance, and this IS a big deal: Especially considering the cost of replacement of things nowadays.
 
A can of Duster works fantastic on lamps and light fixtures with lots of detailing; it blows out all the nooks and crannies in the dash of your car, too.
 
Get yourself a can of Asalco AE305 Duster. It’s a very economical product and works great. Asalco has distributors all across Canada. Asalco offers an extensive line of products that are specially formulated to clean and maintain delicate electronics. Use your imagination, and get a can: You’ll be amazed at what you can clean with it: Computers, Notebooks, Keyboards, Fax Machines, Copiers, Scanners, Desk Tops, Sewing Machines, Small kitchen appliances, Photo Equipment, Printers, Telephones, Cameras, Clocks, Knick-knacks, Window Screens, CD Players, TVs, VCR’s, DVD Players, Camcorders, Audio Equipment, Tape Drives, Video Games, Fans, Air-exchangers, Filters, Lab Equipment, Models, Jewellery, Auto Interiors and the list goes on!

Computer Cleaning 101

 How often does your computer need to be cleaned? Well, that depends on a few things, such as in environment and who uses it. If it is in dusty industrial setting, in a home with pets or the kids are the primary users, then cleaning the computer once a month might not be a bad idea.

Multiple users in a computer in a tidy office may only need a clean every three months. An adult non-smoking user living in a pet-free home may only need to clean the computer once in 5 months.

 

First, wipe the outside of the computer with a soft cloth moisten with alcohol. Asalco IPA AE 107 (Isopropyl alcohol) dries quickly and is made for electronics. Cotton swabs can be used to get into small spaces in the keyboard and mouse. Vacuums should never be used to clean the internal workings of a computer as they generate  too much static electricity and can damage sensitive internal computer components.

 

To clean a computer with an LCD/flat panel display monitor, it’s very important to use a product that is specially made to clean an LCD/Plasma screen. Asalco LCD/Plasma Cleaner AE112 is perfect for the job. Avoid using paper towels as they can easily scratch the screen. Gently wiping the screen with a soft dry cloth will do the trick and remove most traces of dirt and fingerprints. For a really dirty monitor, the cloth can be lightly moisten with alcohol.

 

The inside of the computer can be cleaned by opening the side panel and using compressed air or duster (Asalco Duster AE 305, for example) to blow out dust, dirt, and hair that has collected inside. ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) can destroy vital parts of your computer hardware, so use extreme care when cleaning in around the computer’s interior.

 

When cleaning a computer, you may also wish to clean its accessories. To clean the scanner, simply spray glass cleaner (Asalco Glass Cleaner AE 109) onto a paper towel and wipe the glass scanner bed. The outside of your printer can be wiped clean using a soft cloth moistened with alcohol, but we recommend that you refer to your printer’s instruction manual before attempting to clean any internal components.