Hack for working from home – how to repair your laptop yourself

Working from home has many advantages – but also its pitfalls. Not least when it comes to electronics. But there are some problems you can easily solve yourself.

Overheated laptop

What you need

• A freezer bag full of ice

• A dry cloth

What to do

Is your laptop so hot that the fan is getting really noisy? You can easily remedy this by putting your laptop on ice. To do this, wrap a cloth tightly around a freezer bag filled with ice and place it underneath the laptop.

Scratches on your monitor

What you need

• A damp microfibre cloth

• A dry microfibre cloth

• Cotton buds

• Vaseline

What to do

Small scratches on an LCD monitor can be repaired using Vaseline. To do this, clean the affected area with a damp microfibre cloth, apply Vaseline to the scratch with a cotton bud and leave it on for a minute. Then wipe off any excess Vaseline with a dry microfibre cloth.

Dirt and grease stains

What you need

• Screen cleaner

• A microfibre cloth

What to do

Like scratches, dust and grease stains on the monitor are unsightly and can make text hard to read. To clean the screen, be sure to use a dedicated screen cleaner (available at Migros and on Galaxus). Other cleaners are often too aggressive or leave unsightly streaks. First disconnect the laptop from the power supply, then spray on some screen cleaner and clean the screen using a microfibre cloth.

What to do if there is water damage

What you need

• An absorbent cloth

What to do

It’s very important to switch off the laptop immediately – assuming it hasn’t already crashed. Then remove everything connected to the laptop – USB stick, mouse, external hard drive, power cable, etc. Clean the top of the unit using an absorbent cloth, then carefully tilt the opened laptop to one side and place it in a well-ventilated area. Leave it to dry for at least two days before checking for signs of life.

Crumbs in the keyboard

What you need

• Post-it notes or double-sided sticky tape

What to do

Been munching biscuits while typing? Don’t worry, as crumbs are easy to get rid of. First turn your keyboard over and knock out all the loose crumbs. Then use post-it notes to remove any remaining crumbs. Simply slide the sticky corner carefully into the spaces between the keys. You can also use double-sided sticky tape for this.

Hacks by Loopia

Rather than being seen as disposable products, electrical appliances should be valued as durable consumer goods. With this in mind, Loopia has developed an app that allows consumers to register and manage their electrical appliances, and gain access to repair service providers. Loopia is a project of the Migros Pioneer Fund.