How To Clean And Maintain Your Power Points & Light Switches

You likely use your switchboards and power points more than most things in the house, even without knowing it.

Switches and power points are often overlooked parts of a home when it comes to cleaning. Many people scrub out every last corner of their homes, leaving the switches grimy and dirty. However, the fact is that switches and power points can become heavily infested with dirt and bacteria. Naturally, cleaning them regularly becomes essential.

So, we’ve created a complete guide on cleaning and maintaining power points and light switches. Following these steps will keep your power points clean and free of germs and bacteria while keeping them pristine. This guide will work for your modern USB power outlets, too.

Let’s begin!

What You’ll Need

Before you start, gathering the required supplies and cleaning materials is best. Here’s what you’ll need to begin cleaning:

• Phillips or flathead screwdriver
• Liquid soap
• Disinfectant spray or rubbing alcohol
• Old paintbrush or toothbrush
• Scrubbing pad
• Q-tips
• Microfibre wiping rag
• Paper or clean cloth towels

Safety And Other Considerations

The cleaning process of power points and light switches involves liquids that could present safety hazards due to electrical conductivity. Of course, doing so with the power on may result in you getting electrocuted, which is far from the desirable outcome. Remember that your safety remains paramount, and you should take adequate steps to ensure it.

Before initiating the cleaning procedure, switching off the home’s electrical power at the breaker box is crucial. Take as long as you need to be thorough, but leave the power off for its duration. Before starting the cleaning process, test your light switch to verify the successful disconnection of the electrical current.

Naturally, this means you won’t have access to lights during the cleaning session, necessitating reliance on sunlight or ambient light. Cleaning light switches and power points would be a task that should be done better during the day for this reason.

And since your home will have no power for some time, alert your family members or housemates about it. Consulting them about the right time to go about the cleaning is recommended. This will minimise the frustrations of having no access to power for an hour or two.

4 Steps To Deep Clean Light Switches And Power Points

1. Remove The Plastic Cover

After the electrical mains are switched off, you may commence by carefully unscrewing the light switch covers and power plate covers. The type of screwdriver you need to remove the wall plate varies based on the brand and make of the switch panel. A Phillips and a flathead screwdriver in your toolset may not be bad.

To disassemble the electrical components, carefully unscrew the sides and gently remove the outlet cover from the wall. It would be best to keep the screws where you wouldn’t lose them and avoid mixing them up with the ones from other wall plates.

2. Wipe Off The Dust

To safely clean your power outlets, take an old toothbrush or paintbrush for switches and remove dust from the panel. You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush attachment for more stubborn dirt and grime. Toothbrushes and small paintbrushes are excellent for removing dirt from tighter areas, so be sure to use them liberally.

Utilise a Q-tip to gently wipe and systematically remove any accumulated grime and dust from the electrical outlets. Depending on the outlet, it may take effort since Q-tips aren’t particularly strong. And you may need to use a few Q-tips to clean the outlet effectively.

3. Thorough-Cleaning Of Outlet Covers And Switches

Since outlet covers attract the most dirt and bacteria, cleaning them in a basin filled with warm water would be best. Mix in a teaspoon or two of a mild cleaning solution in the basin and stir well to create a nice detergent solution.

This mixture will help break down dirt build-up and remove any stains or discolouration on the electrical covering. Leave the covers soaked in the cleaning solution for a few minutes.

You can use the same mixture to clean the light switches using a dry cloth or a microfibre towel. Dampen the towel with the detergent solution mixed and scrub the switches gently. Ensure the liquid doesn’t get into the power points, as it can be difficult to dry thoroughly once you’re done cleaning.

Alternatively, you may use disinfectant or rubbing alcohol to eliminate excessive dirt build-up. Rubbing alcohol, in particular, is very effective at breaking down dirt while removing stains.

4. Dry The Electrical Coverings And Switches

After cleaning, it’s time to remove the power plate covers gently from the soapy solution. After removing them from the warm water, lightly scrub each light switch cover with a rag to clean any remaining grime.

Next, rinse the outlet covers under clean running water and wipe off the excess water using a microfibre or paper towel. Don’t replace them just yet! Ideally, you should leave them out to dry for a few hours before they can be fitted back in again. While this happens, you can dry each light switch with a paper towel.

Double-check to see if the switches and electrical covers are completely dry and moisture-free before fitting them back again. You may fit them back onto the boards with their respective screws.

Now, you can safely turn the power back on and enjoy the spotless look and feel of your switches and power points.

Maintaining Your Power Points & Switches

Cleaning your power points and light switches is important to keeping your electrical system dust- and bacteria- and germ-free. It can be a part of your spring cleaning sessions every year, which is a healthy and hygienic practice in general.

Maintaining the cleanliness of your power outlets ensures hygiene and enhances your home’s aesthetic appeal. After all, a stained and dirty switchboard or electrical covering can be quite a foul sight. But if you’re having trouble with maintaining your light switches and power points, there’s no harm in contacting a professional for it.

For all your electrical needs, including light switches and power points, you may rely on Bright Force Electrical. Our trained experts will be able to install, repair and service your switchboards and power outlets effectively at a reasonable cost. So, give us a call today!