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If you’re lucky enough to own a PSP, you know that it’s a fingerprint magnet. But beyond that, if dust, dirt and grime are allowed to settle into the connections and onto the controls, it can disrupt game play and eventually cause permanent damage to the delicate mechanisms within. Cleaning your PSP is by no means a complicated procedure, but it is one that should be done regularly and with care. It is not something that should be done in a rushed manner or haphazardly. Take your time, clean it right, and your PSP will reward you with hours of flawless entertainment.
What You Will Need:
- Wooden or plastic toothpick
- Cotton swab (i.e. Q-tip)
- Microfiber or similar lint-free cloth
- Cool water
- PSP
- Safe and quiet spot
The Cleaning Process:
- Disconnect all cables/connectors from your PSP, including headphones and remove any games/movies discs. If you need to clean the inside battery compartment, we recommend you remove the battery, too (if you are unsure as to how to do this, please refer to your instruction manual). Your PSP should NEVER be cleaned while it is attached to a computer or any other power supply—doing so may put you at risk for serious electric shock!
- Turn your PSP off. If you are unsure as to how to do this, refer to your instruction manual.
- Remove any dirt lodged around the control buttons with a wooden toothpick by gently rubbing it around the edges where the dirt has accumulated. BE CAREFUL not to press to hard or you may damage the controls.
- Using a DRY cotton swab (Q-tip), gently remove any dirt or dust accumulated in the connectors (ports).
- Dampen your cloth with cool water, making sure the water is not too hot. Wring the cloth out thoroughly so that it BARELY DAMP! If your cloth is too wet, you may damage your PSP. To test your cloth to make sure it is not too wet; rub it across a mirror or other glass surface. If the water left behind drips or runs, it is too wet and needs to be wrung out some more.
- With the barely damp cloth, gently wipe the PSP, paying special attention to the screen, but avoid wiping the power port, or such input areas.
- Depending on how much you use your PSP, this cleaning process can be done every couple of days or weekly, in order to keep your PSP looking its best and performing well.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Before attempting to clean your PSP, always refer to your user’s manual, and make sure you are familiar with all the features and recommendations pertaining to your PSP, including any manufacturer precautions with regard to cleaning.
- You should wipe your PSP with a soft, dry (lint-free) cloth after each use to cut down on the accumulation of dust and grime. NEVER use paper towels on your PSP as they may cause small scratches.
- Protective screens can be purchased at most electronic stores to help minimize dirt and scratches on your PSP screen.
- When not in use, keep you PSP in its case. This will help keep your PSP clean and minimize the frequency of regular cleaning.
- NEVER use any type of commercial or chemical cleaners on your PSP (i.e. no Windex or 409—not even plain soap!) The only thing you should dampen your cleaning cloth with is PLAIN WATER.
- Again, be very careful not to saturate your PSP with water—the cleaning cloth should barely be damp—or you will damage your PSP.
- If your PSP does sustain water damage and will not turn on (or acts erratically when it is turned on) contact Customer Support immediately to find out what can be done to remedy or repair the situation.
- You may want to consider purchasing a PSP case to help keep your PSP clean and minimize the frequency of regular cleaning.
- Of course, you should NEVER immerse your PSP in water, but also be careful to keep your PSP out of excessively moist or damp environments (i.e. indoor pool areas, health club saunas or steam rooms, steamy shower rooms, etc.). Excessive moisture can damage the delicate inner workings of the PSP. If your PSP does get wet, unplug all cables and connections, remove any games, turn the PSP off and allow it to dry out completely. After it is dry, try to turn it on and see if it works. If it does not turn on, or acts erratically when it does, contact Sony customer support to see what can be done to remedy the situation.
Use canned air to clean a keyboard and they have these little swabs that are made for cleaning electronics that have a chisel end and a pointed end to get in to those small spaces.
Pampered Chef sells microfiber towels that make it easy to clean computer and game screens. (They are also great for mirrors.)
I have fingerprints UNDER my screen. How did they get there and how do I remove them?
Fingerprints UNDER the screen? You might just have a screen protector on and didn’t clean the actual screen before applying the screen protector.