BASIC  USER  MAINTENANCE In this section you will learn how to maintain the following types of public affairs office gear: Typewriter Microcomputer Overhead transparency projector Opaque projector Carousel slide projector Typewriter Your  typewriter  may  have  a  rugged  exterior,  but it is actually a delicate instrument. Treat it as such and give it daily care. A typewriter in first-class condition is  easier  to  operate  and  turns  out  clean,  crisp-looking correspondence. Keep  your  typewriter  covered  when  you  are  not using it. Clean it by wiping the outside with a soft, dry cloth. Occasionally  you  should  give  your  typewriter  a thorough  cleaning.  The  frequency  of  these  cleanings depends on how often you use the typewriter and the amount of dust in your office atmosphere. In general, we   recommend   that   you   perform   the   following procedures once a month: l l l Remove the platen or cylinder and wipe it with a cloth   moistened   with   a   small   amount   of denatured alcohol or cleaning fluid Do not wipe off the alcohol; allow it to evaporate. Remove   the   daisy   wheel   and   inspect   it   for damage   and   dirt   accumulation.   If   necessary, clean  it  with  a  short  bristled  brush.  Using  the points of the bristles, tap the daisywheel lightly to loosen the dirt; then brush it off lightly. Remove the casing and clean the interior of the typewriter  with  a  long-handled  brush  or  a  soft cloth. Brush toward the front of the machine. Microcomputer Although  microcomputer  systems  are  small  and generally unobtrusive in the workplace, they require a good  deal  of  operator  maintenance.  Dirt  accumulates  on diskettes,   disk   drives,   printers,   display   screens   and keyboards.  Static  electricity  also  can  be  a  major problem, especially in areas where humidity is low. Keep your microcomputer as clean as possible. One way for you to do this is by using dust covers. This, of course, only protects the system when it is not in use. You will still need to clean the following components on a regular basis: l Floppy disk drive heads l   Keyboard l  Display  screen l   Printer FLOPPY  DISK  DRIVE  HEADS.—  C1ean  the floppy disk drive heads with a head cleaning diskette. The instructions that come with the head cleaning kit may direct you to put fluid on the cleaning diskette; then insert  the  cleaning  diskette  in  the  drive  and  activate (lower) the heads for a few seconds. This helps reduce service calls, and you are less likely to lose data. How often you will need to do this depends on how often you use  the  microcomputer  and  whether  the  area  is  very dusty. Some floppy disk drive manufacturers recommend cleaning the heads no more than twice a year. However, we recommend that you clean the heads after 40 to 50 hours of actual use. KEYBOARD.—  To clean keyboards, you can use specially  angled  swabs  with  cleaning  solution  or  a portable  vacuum  cleaner  (fig.  16-9)  that  has  special attachments  to  reach  between  keys.  Vacuums  of  this type  usually  have  dual-filter  systems  to  keep  from blowing dust and dirt back into the room. Ultra soft thin bristle brushes also are available for cleaning keyboards. Figure  16-9.—Portable  vacuum  cleaner. 16-18