I usually take my PC to the gasstation to blow out the dust with compressed air from the tire compressor.
Using an air compressor is a great idea. Most professional electronics repair facilities have been doing this for decades. Taking the dirty electronics outside and blasting it clean with compressed air is what we always do here.
HOWEVER, using the compressed air from a gas station is NOT a good idea. The reason why is, unless you work there, you have no clue how or even if the air compressor is being properly maintained, and more importantly, if the compressed air is properly filtered.
The problem is, the compressing process
WILL create condensation inside the tank. This condensation collects on the walls of the tank, promoting rust, then runs down to the bottom of the tank. If allowed to build up, nasty, rusty, dusty, oily water particles can be picked up and spewed onto your electronics! That is never good!
Contaminated compressed air is no big deal for tires, or even those heavy-duty pneumatic tools used by mechanics in vehicle repair facilities. But it is a big deal with electronics. So periodic draining is required and air compressors have a petcock valve on the bottom of the tank for this purpose. But unless you know for a fact, it is being done, you must not assume it has been done.
But keeping the tank drained is not enough! You
must ALWAYS - as in
EVERY SINGLE TIME - use a suitable
inline moisture and particulate filter when cleaning electronics (or air-brush painting birthday cakes or faces) with a air compressor.
Gas stations don't typically use such filters since they are not needed to inflate a tire or turn a lug nut.
Also, never see how fast you can make a fan spin - you can easily exceed design limits and damage the bearings, accelerating the wear and tear process resulting in premature failure. I use wooden glue/Popsicle sticks to hold the blades stationary when blasting.
Do not open a PSU case unless you are a qualified electronics technician. Just hold the fan(s) stationary and blast through the vents.
If you don’t have access to a suitably filtered air compressor, you can used cans of dusting gas. However, it should be noted those cans of dusting gas do NOT contain “air” and therefore should never be called “canned air”. Instead of safe-to-breath air, they contain difluoroethane or a similar gas. These gases are typically used as refrigerants and can be extremely hazardous if inhaled. In extreme cases, they can damage the central nervous system, or even be fatal.
Note in some jurisdictions, cans of dusting gas are sold in a controlled manner, similar to how cans of spray paint are sold to [hopefully] dissuade abuse from “
huffing”.
Either way, do it outside. No need to blast that heat-trapping dust, dander, microscopic critters that eat that dander, and the microscopic "stuff" those critters "excrete"
back into your room, computer, or lungs.
