How To Clean Your Xbox Series X

If you’re thinking about how to clean your Xbox Series X, inside and out, here’s where to start.

No matter how clean and dust-free we keep our homes, it can early build up inside and around devices that draw a lot of power. Eventually, this can even lead to more vociferous fans, overheating, and even complete hardware failure. So join us as we explore how to clean an Xbox Series X, and remember: disconnect your console from the power and place it on a hard surface before you start doing anything.

Basic Xbox Series X upkeep

Quick steps:

• Before cleaning your Xbox Series X make sure you have disconnected from power.
• Place your Xbox Series X on a hard, stable surface.
• Gently clean externally with a soft lint-free cloth or with disinfectant wipes.
• To disinfect your Xbox Series X use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution at 70% or less.
• Clean every 3 to 6 months

External Xbox Series X clean guide

The official guidance from Microsoft is that for general upkeep, only external cleaning should be performed and that either a soft lint-free cloth dampened with a small amount of mild soap and water or pre-moistened disinfectant wipes. Repeating this every 3-6 months is also recommended.

If you’re looking to disinfect your console as well as clean in, Microsoft advises using isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution at 70% or less concentration.

Again, remember to disconnect your console from the mains completely before going near it with any cleaning materials.

How to remove dust from your Xbox Series X

Is your Xbox Series X making more noise than normal? That might be down to a build-up of dust in the vents and around the fan. Removing this buildup can help with reducing this noise and make sure the console stays clean. After making sure the console is switched off and disconnected from the mains, use a low-power vacuum cleaner or compressed air to gently remove the dust buildup.

Once you have a nice dust-free console, it’s worth taking a moment to think about where your Xbox lives – make sure it has plenty of space around the console. In the official recommendations, Microsoft advises us not to place the Xbox Series X in a confined space, to avoid the heat, and soft surfaces. Your Xbox Series X needs the space to breathe, basically.

How to clean your Xbox Series X

Quick steps:

• Before cleaning your Xbox Series X make sure you have disconnected from power.
• Place your Xbox Series X on a hard, stable surface.
• Peel back the large sticker and small cover from the rear of the console.
• Use a T8 screwdriver to remove screws and take off the back plate.
• Compressed air and a microfibre cloth to remove dust and dirt.
• Replace back plate and screws.

Internal Xbox Series X clean guide:

Microsoft recommends that you only give your Xbox Series X an external clean. However, if you really want to get in there and make sure everything is in tip-top shape you may want to consider an Xbox Series X internal clean. Now, it’s worth mentioning that (so long as you don’t break anything and are careful) this shouldn’t void your warranty. Although if you’re unsure about what you’re doing, an external clean will usually get the job done.

Thankfully, getting inside of your Xbox Series X isn’t too tough. Before you start, you’ll need a T8 screwdriver – this is a special electronics screwdriver with a 6-pointed star tip, so not something you’ll find in a basic toolbox.

Ensure your console is turned off and disconnected from the power before you start, and make sure the console is placed on a clean hard surface as well before attempting an internal clean.

Peel back the large sticker from the back of the console to reveal one of the screws, and the small black oval sticker by the HDMI port to reveal the other.

Use your T8 screwdriver to remove these screws, and remember to put them in a safe place. Once these are off, you can lift away the back plate of the console.

Now you can carefully use compressed air to remove dust/dirt buildup, the fan is right at the top of the console near the array of green holes. You can also use a microfiber cloth to gently remove any stubborn bits so that the compressed air doesn’t shift.

Once you’re all cleaned up, reattach the back plate until you hear it click, get those two screws back in with your T8 screwdriver, and plug your console back into the mains.

Official Xbox Device Service

If your Xbox Series X is overheating and turns off even though it looks clean and has plenty of ventilation space, you can request a Device Service directly from Xbox.