It doesn’t matter if you’ve only just started your career as a DJ or you’ve been in the game for the past decade, cleaning your DJ gear is an absolutely essential part of being a DJ. While it may not be quite as talked about as some of the more well-regarded aspects, learning how to clean your DJ gear clean and how to keep it that way is a vital part of being a DJ.
This is because all of your electronic equipment – from your laptop to your DJ controller and DJ mixer – will eventually begin to clog up with dust, dirt, and whatever else. This can cause any of the respective systems to overheat, resulting in a slowing down or stalling of the software – something that can be a death sentence for a performing DJ. Don’t let it happen!
Simply put, while you may not like to think about it, one of the most vital parts of being a DJ is that your equipment is as close to being spotless as humanly possible.
In this guide, we’ll go over and break down the importance of keeping your DJ gear as clean and hygienic as possible for your regular use. We’ll get into why cleaning is such an essential part of being a DJ as well as what bits and pieces you’ll need to properly clear out as much of the gunk as possible. If followed, the result of this guide should be an incredibly clean laptop, DJ controller, and mixer as well as the best cleaning practices engaged to keep your gear super-clean and fully functional on a consistent regular basis.
What’s The Point Of Cleaning Your DJ Gear?
Depending on how long you’ve been a DJ up until this point, there’s a chance you may not understand the importance of having your different DJ equipment properly cared for. The reality is, like a car engine or computer hard drive, your various pieces of DJ gear will accrue unwanted add-ons that, over time, will slowly wear away at their overall ability to perform.
By keeping your DJ gear as clean as possible, you not only avoid any unwanted dramas to your DJ performance, but you also ensure that everything looks pristine while on-stage doing a set. In other words, you are looking and being professional.
Here are just a few reasons why cleaning out your mixer and controller regularly is a smart idea and will pay huge dividends down the road.
Reason #1. Appearance
The first and most immediately noticeable thing that will happen from regular cleaning of your DJ gear will be that gear’s overall appearance. And, while this isn’t “quite” as dramatic when compared to some of the other reasons that we’ll mention later, don’t discount the importance of a clean and well-looking DJ setup.
Especially if you’ve got a few gigs lined up already, or are currently performing regularly, appearances can be a big thing. Do you want people coming in to see a DJ with dusty, gunky gear or a DJ that looks like all of their equipment is brand-spanking new?
This goes doubly for DJs that have made a point of turning performing into an actual profession. It’s one thing to have a cruddy-looking set of DJ gear if this is still just a hobby. It’s quite another if you expect to earn a livable wage. Not only will poorly-kept gear make you look like you don’t know what you’re doing, but it also subtly tells the crowd that you don’t care about how your performance will be received. This may work for some slight niche crowds, sure, but the vast majority of people are going to feel like they’re being seeing something shoddy.
It’s simple. A DJ with gear that looks good is a DJ that the crowd is ultimately going to respect and have faith in. Anything short of that is going to cast doubts and uncertainty about your overall performance ability.
Reason #2. Dealing With The Gunk
This next reason is slightly more important than the first (and somewhat leads into the third). It may not be something that you think about, but live performances are much more on the hot and sweaty side of things. You may not notice it at the time, but your buttons, pads, dials, and everything else are all slowly and progressively getting more and more clogged up with dirt, grime, and grease.
Not only does this gunk build-up hurt the visual appearance of your DJ gear, but it can also cause much of what you’ve got to begin to smell, yet again hurting your overall appearance of professionalism and the ability to successfully perform the job.
Then there’s the obvious impact on your gear’s performance…
Reason #3. Improve Overall Performance
When it comes to tech, most people understand that overheating the system can have very real and very damning effects on one’s electronics. However, despite this being the case, there is still a very big disconnect between gunk and grime, and its impact on an electronic system’s internal temperature.
One of the most important reasons why cleaning out your controller, mixer, and laptop are such vital requirements, is that gunk and muck in your gear are most often going to be concentrated along with the heat exhaust areas, effectively jamming them up. By jamming and blocking your heat exhaust areas, less of the trapped hot air can escape. This means your device’s electronics have an ever-increasing chance of overheating and causing your system’s performance to take a nose-dive.
Regularly maintaining your DJ gear (yes, after EVERY SINGLE use) ensures that this gunk and grime doesn’t have a chance to accumulate around these heat exhaust areas, allowing them to stay open and clear, keeping your gear as cool and as well-performed as possible.
Keep in mind that, after the initial cleaning (depending on how bad your gear is) the process for regular maintenance should only be a couple of minutes. Would you rather have a single 30 minute (or longer) cleaning session and a few minutes of cleaning thereafter with top-level performance, or no time spent cleaning only to have to order a brand new setup after only a year of getting the last one?
Reason #4. Basic Hygiene
Especially today, thanks to the recent pandemic, people are understanding the importance of keeping their hands clean and maintaining a level of social distancing when around others. The problem is that that same level of precaution doesn’t always translate over to equipment or hard-surface materials.
Things like dust, dirt, and bacteria all can build up over time on certain surfaces. This makes the chances of contracting something particularly nasty all the more likely as a potentiality. If, as an example, someone were to be a carrier of a virus or disease and coughed or sneezed on your DJ gear, you’d be putting yourself at unnecessary risk by not regularly cleaning and caring for your gear and its surfaces.
Now that we’ve gone over the important reasons as to why you should clean your gear, let’s now go over how to do it.
Cleaning Your DJ Gear
What You’re Going To Need
While you may think that grabbing a feather duster and a dust blower is all it’s going to take to clean out your gear, that’s not all the way true. One of the things that every good DJ finds out pretty early on when it comes to cleaning, is that certain things will work and certain things that just won’t. If you want the best results, you’re going to need to use very specific and very precise cleaning tools.
While you may have everything you need already, here’s a quick rundown of the different tools you’ll need to make sure your gear is as clean as possible. These tools are effective regardless of the types of gear you have or the quality of tech in your arsenal.
- A Highly Absorbent Cloth
- Microfiber Cloth
- Compressed Air Can
- Cleaning Fluid
- Isopropyl Alcohol
- Small Vacuum w/ Brush Extension
- Paint Brush/Toothbrush
Now keep in mind that you probably won’t need every single one of these items for every single time that you go to clean your gear. However, by having them on hand (especially if you’ve let your DJ equipment accrue a large amount of dust and gunk over time) you can deal with virtually any situation, no matter how serious it is or how long it’s going to go for.
A sponge and a dab of water may work for light surface-level cleaning, but if you’re trying to get in there and clear away everything, making sure you have these tools will make a world of difference.
The Best Time For Cleaning
Just as certain things will give you the optimal cleaning experience, there are also certain times when cleaning will be the most optimal. So, when are they?
As it so happens, the most ideal time for cleaning your gear is immediately after performing a gig. Pretty much from the moment, you’re leaving the stage, you should be ready to do a good wipe-over with your stuff. This immediately allows you to handle and remove any bits of dust or gunk that have managed to show up during the performance and may later turn into a small clog. Cleaning immediately also works to get rid of any germs or bacteria that may otherwise cause you an issue later on.
This isn’t just for the controller or mixer, but rather all of your DJ equipment. No matter if it’s the laptop, the controller, or the mixer, you need to start clearing away and cleaning your gear as soon as possible. The longer it takes to start the cleaning process, the more time it will take to remove various stains and marks that may be more than a little difficult to land.
What DJ Kit Should Be Cleaned
So it should be said first and foremost that wherever you plan on using or playing with throughout a gig must be cleaned. There is no exception to this. If you’re going to spend a lot of time using the jogwheels and channel faders, that needs specific attention when cleaning the controller.
Outside of those immediate places, you’ll also want to spend time cleaning just about any area that has a chance of accruing dirt or grease over time. For example, spend some time clearing out your headphones and their internal area in addition to your controller, mixer, or laptop. This will make sure that there is nothing potentially clogging up your headphone’s sound while also ensuring that they continue to look in their best condition while performing. You’ll also want to make a point of cleaning your turntables or jogwheels as well as your vinyl collection if you want to go that extra mile in cleanliness.
In this guide, we’ll be hitting the primary pieces of DJ gear that you’ll be using during a set: your laptop, controllers, and mixer.
How To Clean Your DJ Gear: Laptop
You may not know this, but your DJ laptop computer is a pretty big breeding ground when it comes to bacteria. When you consider how much dust and fingerprints are accumulated from just everyday standard usage, it can start to seem pretty crazy. Keep in mind that this is just from regular internet surfing and the like. When you throw in actual work and DJ performance use, you’d be surprised just how worn and greasy your laptop’s keyboard can be.
The steps below include the following:
- Use Can of Air for Keyboard
- Use Microfiber Cloth
- Use Some Cleaning Solution
Step #1. Use Can Of Air For Keyboard
It may seem like the smart thing to start with your computer screen – it is the most visual aspect of your laptop, after all – but it’s your keyboard that needs your immediate attention. Yes, we will certainly get to your computer screen, but the first thing you’ll want to focus on is making sure your keyboard keys are dust, grease, and fingerprint free.
The first thing you’ll want to do is to use a compressed can of air along your keyboard to clear away any loose dirt or debris hanging in the crevices. This will help handle any dust that’s sitting on the keys, but that’s not, particularly what it’s there for. You’re doing this for those bits and pieces of chips or candy that just won’t move when brushing your hand over it. These are the small skin and hair flakes that are too stubborn to go away.
After your first in-depth cleaning, taking a spare can of compressed with you to immediately blow away any dust or dirt after performing a gig is good cleanliness practice. Normally, the process should take only a few seconds and a small number of quick puffs, especially if you’re doing this regularly.
Step #2. Use Microfiber Cloth
Now that you’ve managed to blow away the surface-level debris from your laptop’s keyboard, you’re next going to get ahold of a microfiber cloth. These things are a great way to pull away and pick up pretty much anything it touches, a pretty big difference when compared to the standard cloth rags, which push things away. You will need this especially when it comes to clearing off your keyboard and computer screen.
If there are some particularly annoying flakes and pieces that are embedded between your keys, consider using a small vacuum or paintbrush to root them out. Generally, if the pieces are especially difficult, if you want to make sure you don’t damage any of your keys, you’ll want to use all three with as light a force as possible while interchanging between the three rapidly. This will wear away at the issue without accidentally tearing a key off or getting it even further lodged where it doesn’t belong.
Step #3. Use (Some!) Cleaning Solution
Once you’ve used the compressed air as well as the microfiber cloth (and potentially vacuum and small brush), you’re now going to pull out the trusty cleaning solution. Now, as the title states, you’re going to be very sparing when it comes to using a cleaning solution. You’re using a laptop computer, after all, and you don’t want to ruin it in the pursuit of trying to make it clean. Use a very light amount to wipe away at the keyboard section, wiping edge to edge.
After handling the keyboard and mouse area, you then will want to go over your computer screen, wiping away at any crud that may still be on there. If you have the option, choose the cleaning solution that is partial to computer screens as this will leave less of a slight smudge when you’re done.
When finished, quickly wipe down the outside along the front and the back, killing any bacteria hanging out around these areas.
How To Clean Your DJ Controller
Your laptop isn’t the only place to see a ton of use. Your controller isn’t quite as big of a bacterial nesting ground when compared to how often you use your laptop computer, but it can get pretty close – especially if you’re an active performing DJ.
No matter how often you’re performing at gigs, DJ controllers see a serious amount of finger traffic. That means the arrival of your good friends; grease, sweat, and dust. Luckily, by following these steps, you should have any issues removed pretty fast.
The steps below include the following:
- Use Damp Absorbent Cloth
- Grab Your Microfiber Cloth
- Let Dry Off
Step #1. Use A Damp Absorbent Cloth
First thing’s first, you’ll need to get a highly absorbent cloth and a bit of water to get it damp. Keep in mind that, again, you don’t want to completely saturate your device in water, as water and electronics don’t necessarily work well together.
Cloth wiping isn’t going to be the end-all scenario here, so don’t get upset if you don’t clear every single thing away over the first wipe over. Just make sure that your controller is (slightly) damp but not soaked.
Step #2. Grab A Microfiber Cloth
Once you’ve used the damp cloth to wipe things away, you’re next going to get yourself a microfiber cloth and going to run it over your controller to pull away any pieces of dirt or debris that wouldn’t go away from the initial cloth wipe. Since the microfiber is a dry piece of cloth, you can get a slight bit more aggressive with wiping away at any of the existing muck. Just make sure you try to keep any settings as close to their original setup while wiping away.
Again, you’re going slightly more aggressive than with the wet cloth. That means you’re trying to pull up the dirt while also not wearing anything either. If something still doesn’t come out right away, just give it a bit of time before jumping on it again. You do not want to apply too much pressure when cleaning your controller.
Step #3. Let Controller Dry Off
After giving things a good wiping, check to see if the controller is still damp from the initial cloth. Even if there’s only a bit of moisture detected, you’ll want to let it sit out for an hour or two so that it can dry off. Depending on the scenario, if you’ve got time to leave it out overnight, that may be the best time.
How To Clean Your DJ Mixer
Lastly is your DJ mixer. Compared to your laptop and controller, people often think that the mixer is going to be a more complicated task when it comes to cleaning (as there are a plethora of different dials, knobs, and switches) but the process is largely the same. You’re going to need to factor in that there are a few extra nooks and crannies that you’ll have to focus on, but if you’ve already cleaned your laptop and controller, things should mostly be the same.
The quick rundown on how you’ll clean your mixer is as follows:
- Use Air Can For Loose Items
- Grab A Wet Cloth
Step #1. Use An Air Can For Loose Items
As with your laptop, it’s important to remove as many loose-sitting crud off your mixer before doing anything else. To do this, one of the easiest methods is with a can of compressed air. You can also use either a brush or a vacuum cleaner to wipe away the different items as well as a dry cloth. All of these methods work well enough, though I think using an air can immediately after finishing a gig has the most effect.
Step #2. Grab A Wet (Damp) Cloth
After you’ve gotten rid of the pesky flakes and pieces of dust with your first pass through, next you’re going to need the absorbent cloth to lightly wipe over the mixer. You’ll want to make sure that the cloth is wet but not too wet (more “damp” than anything) as, again, you don’t want to feel like you’re dropping heavy water droplets on your electronic device. A good frame of reference is that, after wetting your cloth, you drain it as much as possible to the point that no actual water is coming off of the cloth itself.
When running over your mixer, you’re just going to want to make sure that anything sticky or stuff that is too stuck to the face is wiped away. After you finish, you’ll want to give it at least an hour or two to dry so that there aren’t any issues.
Cleaning Out Its Insides
When handling your DJ mixer, you may, from time to time, need to take a look at what’s going on internally. Often, there can be some dust or pieces of debris that have made their way within the mixer itself, reducing its performance. To fix this issue, you’ll need to find a quality screwdriver and instruction manual before attempting any type of internal look-over. Also, if you’re at risk of voiding your warranty, instead just give it to a licensed professional so that there aren’t any issues.
To best clean out the inner insides, carefully use the air compression can to lightly blow away any dust. If there is a setting nozzle that would be best. You don’t want to dig around with a cloth or your hand as there are too many chances that you’ll do more harm than good cleaning things.
Maintenance & Preventative Measures
We’ve talked about the importance of the different methods of cleaning your DJ gear, and while all of these methods are very important, they work best when done as often as possible as a consistent form of maintenance. The more regularly they are performed, the easier it will be to maintain a clean, functional, and professional-looking set of DJ equipment.
In addition to regularly caring for your gear, you should also consider investing in covers and cases. This not only makes the process of keeping your stuff clean easier but many covers can be designed, actually working to make your particular DJ brand stand out as wholly noticeable and unique. That means, not only will people not see you in a negative light for having dirty equipment, but they will instead have a much more positive memory due to the professional appearance and quality-designed branding. A double-win that you’d be crazy to ignore.
How To Clean Your Gear: Takeaway
Whether you’ve decided to make being a DJ a professional career or just a simple hobby, the fact of the matter is that you need to have a clean setup. Not only does it help fight off germs and slow performance, but it keeps your equipment looking nicer for longer and gives your audience a much more positive view of you and your setup. Plus, if done regularly, it can take only around 3-5 minutes after the show, meaning that you can get all of these benefits in virtually no time at all.
It may seem like a hassle in the beginning, but that may just be because you’ve let things progress as far as they have. After the first initial clean (which is only going to take around 15-20 minutes per item if you’ve allowed them to “really” get bad) you’ll be surprised at just how easy it is to keep your gear in tip-top shape.
