Make 2026 the year you stop cleaning your PC with canned compressed air

Dust, dirt, sand, and pocket lint are among the mortal enemies of the modern consumer tech gadget. Despite our near compulsory use of cases, screen protectors, and carrying pouches, bits of debris somehow always manage to inch their way into the ports and other vulnerable areas of our mobile devices, often wreaking havoc on internal components and scuffing up display panels.

In my own case, I’m no stranger to the pitfalls of failing to keep particulates away from my personal electronics. Not long ago, I accidentally shorted the lint-filled USB-C port of my Samsung Galaxy S20 by way of too liberal an application of isopropyl rubbing alcohol and too much prodding around with toothpicks and cotton swabs.

After learning my lesson the hard way, I switched over to purpose-built cleaning solutions like the excellent Whoosh Screen Shine and microfiber cloth duo, which is a product my colleague Craig Donaldson dives deeper into in a separate Pocket-lint article.

I also went ahead and purchased a handy can of compressed air, which I figured would help me stay ahead of grime buildup by denying it the chance to settle and compact within my ports, inside my keyboard keys, and more. For all intents and purposes, compressed air cans serve this purpose well, but they too aren’t without their issues.

As I later found out, the average compressed air can isn’t as simple of a point-and-shoot air-blowing solution as it appears to be on the surface. Without the ability to rely on electricity, liquefied propellant gases like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) or hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) are used to aid in the air ejection process, with these gases expanding upon release and creating a cooling effect as a byproduct.

Unfortunately, propellant gases in their liquid form can sometimes seep into the airflow of a compressed air can, resulting in high levels of thermal cooling (as well as the possibility of forming condensation) that can impact the health of a given tech device. Other issues like only offering a single, high-powered airstream, as well as the lack of economic and environmental sustainability of the entire thing, made me think twice about blasting yet more generic-brand canned air into my Pixel 10’s USB-C port.

And, so, with all this in mind, I eventually decided to invest in a different solution to keep my tech looking shiny and new — one that doesn’t rely on pressurized air canisters or propellant gases. For the first time ever, I entered the world of electric air dust guns.

Make the switch to an electric air gun

Electric dusters are superior to their compressed air can counterparts

On the recommendation of Pocket-lint’s former Editor-in-Chief Patrick O’Rourke, I picked up an affordable compressed air duster from Amazon, settling on the Cagiwiru model he previously covered right here on Pocket-lint.

For $20, the Cagiwiru is great value: it offers multiple power levels, USB-C charging, a large 7,500 mAh internal battery capacity, and it practically pays for itself in the long term when you consider the disposable nature of its compressed air counterparts. The Cagiwiru offers a good bang-for-your-buck, but Amazon and other digital storefronts are filled with other excellent electric air duster options, including more premium alternatives.

I originally picked up compressed air cans for the sake of improving my tech hygiene, but, in hindsight, I was risking further damage to my phone, laptop, keyboard, and more…

No matter which compressed air duster you spring for, your tech arsenal will thank you for switching away from compressed air cans. Electric dusters offer more flexibility with their variable intensity levels, they offer better air flow control and consistency, they’re often supplied with modular brush heads, and, with their sculpted handle designs, they’re far more comfortable to hold than a cylindrical can.

Perhaps most importantly of all, electric air dusters don’t rely on hard-to-pronounce gases to push air out, making them a safer alternative with zero moisture-introducing potential. I originally picked up compressed air cans for the sake of improving my tech hygiene, but, in hindsight, I was risking further damage to my phone, laptop, keyboard, and more by not switching to a battery-powered alternative sooner.