How to Maintain and Extend the Life of Your Refurbished Electronics

Refurbished laptops, desktops, and mobile devices have undergone significant testing and repair before being sold. However, you’ll still need to learn how to clean refurbished electronics, protect them from damage, and extend their lifespan.

Be aware that all electronics should be regularly cleaned and maintained to keep operating as expected for as long as possible — this isn’t a unique requirement for refurbished devices.

You change your car's oil, clean your home’s gutters, and similar routine maintenance should be applied to your electronics. So, let’s explore how you can maintain and extend the life of your refurbished devices.

Why Do You Need to Maintain Refurbished Electronics?

Refurbished laptops, desktops, and mobile devices were tested and repaired before selling. They can be expected to work as originally designed when purchased from a reputable refurbisher.

All electronics must be maintained to extend their lifespan, whether new, used, or refurbished. Maintaining your devices keeps them performing their best and helps every component stay operational longer.

On top of maintenance, understanding how to protect refurbished electronics from damage will extend their lifespan. Additionally, knowing when it’s time to seek professional electronics repair can help avoid replacements.

Key Tips for Maintaining and Extending Refurbished Devices

You don’t need to invest too much time and energy into keeping your devices operating at their best. Giving some attention to the following tips to extend the life of your refurbished laptop and other refurbished devices can go far in making the most of your money — let’s explore how.

Keep Devices Clean

A clean laptop or desktop isn’t just about how it looks; a clean device will also perform better and last longer before it needs repairs or replacement. There are several ways to clean your device, including:

• Clean with rag and solution: Electronics cleaning involves using a lightly damp rag and an electronics-safe cleaning solution, then gently scrubbing the keyboard and display. This type of cleaning is mostly cosmetic, but letting grime build-up can damage the keyboard or ports.
• Use compressed air: Clean fan ducts with a can of compressed air, as fans play a significant role in keeping electronics cool. Make sure to use the compressed air several inches away and in quick spurts, avoiding spraying the can’s chemicals into the fans.
• Clean internal components: Only open up your machine if you have experience with computer hardware; otherwise, leave it to the professionals. However, opening up the laptop or desktop and cleaning dust and debris off components can improve temperature management, performance, and overall lifespan.

Dust and debris that are left unchecked can become an increasingly severe problem. At the same time, it may not seem like a big deal, but keeping your electronics clean can go far.

Prevent Damage and Avoid Extreme Temperatures

Damage comes in many forms, with water and physical damage posing the greatest threats. While newer mobile devices are typically water-resistant, laptops and desktops can be permanently destroyed with relatively little moisture.

Additionally, a dropped device can sustain damage from minor cosmetic scratches to significant repairs or even replacement.

For both issues, caution when using your electronics is all it takes to avoid a potentially costly mistake.

Another concern is temperature. Electronic devices produce heat when operating, and this needs to be managed. Environments that are too hot can cause permanent damage to devices, even if they are powered off. While cold typically isn’t a concern, it’s important to be aware of both extremes and prevent prolonged exposure.

Update Firmware and the OS

One of the most common electronics maintenance tips is updating firmware and your OS. This tip is so common that it keeps your device secure and operating at its best.

OS updates are often focused on security, and continual optimization keeps your system running smoothly. Firmware updates are applied to specific device components and ensure compatibility with newer programs while delivering improved performance.

If you’re using Windows 10 or 11, you won’t need to go out of your way to keep the OS updated; you’ll receive alerts, and the system can be configured to update automatically.

Firmware updates can be handled through the Device Manager or by visiting the website of the manufacturer of the component. For example, you can update the firmware for an Nvidia graphics card by visiting their website and selecting the latest update for your specific card.

Use a Surge Protector

A surge protector looks similar to a power strip and helps mitigate any fluctuations in electrical currents that may otherwise damage electronics. A common cause of these surges is power outages, which can be higher than average amperages once power is returned to normal.

Other sources of surges can occur due to any issues with the electrical grid or even issues with your home’s electrical wiring. Even though we’re used to electricity working safely and as expected, issues that wreak havoc on electrical systems and devices can still occur.

Plugging refurbished laptops, computers, and monitors into high-quality surge protectors is a line of defense against issues with the local electrical grid that may harm devices. You’ll avoid suddenly needing to replace a device should a power surge occur.

Manage Startup Programs

Having programs that launch at startup is fine, but having too many startup programs can significantly affect performance, giving the impression that your computer is in worse shape than it is.

Once you start thinking your device may be having performance issues, remove as many startup programs as possible. Your device may be perfectly fine but is bogged down by launching too many programs when starting up.

Additionally, putting consistent strain on your device can prematurely wear down key components, like your hard drive and processor, which are responsible for launching programs. Reducing the number of launch programs at startup can significantly help maintain your refurbished computer.

Optimize Battery Life

Batteries degrade over time, but fortunately, there are strategies to help extend their lifespan and maintain their ability to hold a charge. Understanding how to improve the battery life of refurbished electronics can go far in keeping the battery operating at its best.

Strategies to keep in mind when relying on battery power include the following:

• Charge, discharge, recharge: Lithium-ion batteries are less susceptible to incorrect charging cycles than other battery types, but it’s still worth following time-honored best practices. Charge the battery fully and then use it until it’s below 20% before recharging. Over time, this process can extend the lifecycle of your battery.
• Use the right battery setting: Windows and macOS have built-in utilities for managing battery life. These settings allow you to balance battery life and performance, so ensure you use the right setting for your current usage. If you don’t need max performance, configure the OS to prioritize battery life.
• Manage screen brightness and networking: Battery usage varies based on how you’re using the device. Lowering screen brightness can have a significant impact on battery consumption. Additionally, turning off Bluetooth or WiFi when not needed prevents wasting energy on searching for networks or Bluetooth devices.

These tips help you make the most of every charge, and as a result, you’ll extend the battery's overall life span.

Prioritize Repair and Upgrades

Components will fail, have degraded performance, or simply become obsolete. It’s too common for consumers to prioritize buying an entirely new device when their current one may only need repairs or an upgraded component.

Avoid this expensive trap when your device has any failures or performance issues. Look for a local repair shop in your area and ask about your issue. Do you need to replace a specific component or repair a simple issue? Or is a complete replacement necessary?

In many scenarios, you’ll be able to spend way less on repairs or upgrades than buying a brand-new machine. It’s well worth the extra step of taking your device to an expert before making the decision to replace it, especially because shops will inspect and diagnose issues for free or at a low cost.

Find Dependable Refurbished Electronics at Refurb.io

Refurbished devices have been inspected, tested, and repaired to perform as originally designed. You’ll receive a laptop that may have some cosmetic scratches but is ready for the next leg in its lifespan.

Taking the time to maintain your device, protect it from damage, and prioritize repairs over replacement will take your investment as far as possible. You’ll avoid buying another device and benefit from a device performing optimally.

Refurb.io is a leading refurbisher of electronics, and we only offer Grade A devices that are ready to operate for as long as possible. With a little attention to maintenance and damage prevention, our refurbished laptops and desktops will last well into the future.

Are you ready to find your next refurbished device and keep it for as long as possible? Browse our available options today.