De-gunking your laptop

And just like that, it's back-to-school season! Time to gear up with fresh school supplies and new backpacks. But experts at Consumer Reports say there's another important item to add to your to-do list before the bell rings: Cleaning your laptop. Tackle the dirt you can see and the germs you can't!

A hand vac with a brush attachment works well on dust. But to tackle germs, you need to get a little more serious. Dip a soft cloth in water mixed with a splash of alcohol to clean the keyboard. Be sure to wring out the cloth really well so that the mixture doesn't drip into the keyboard.but the September issue of the magazine says to clean the keyboard with a cloth moistened with just water.

Next, clean your screen with the type of cloth used to clean eyeglasses. A small squirt of dish detergent diluted with water will help you tackle more stubborn smudges.are you sure you're supposed to use detergent on the screen?

And with a little bit of time and a little bit of elbow grease, you can get most of your screen really, really clean. Germ-free, dirt-free, smudge-free.

Left with gummy residue on the case from last year's stickers? That same diluted alcohol mixture will work wonders.

When using alcohol around a laptop, Consumer Reports stresses to use it sparingly, mixed in water. If you use a mixture that's too concentrated, it'll not only kill the germs but also might take the letters off your keys.