I buy secondhand tech all the time, and I've learned one rule the slightly hard way: clean it before you love it. That gorgeous used keyboard from the marketplace? Somebody ate lunch over it for three years. The pre-owned earbuds? Let's just not dwell. A recent guide over on MSN walks through the proper way to sanitize secondhand finds, and it's worth a few minutes of your attention.

Start with the outside. Power the device off completely, unplug everything, and if there's a battery you can remove, take it out. Then wipe surfaces with a microfiber cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol, 70 percent is the sweet spot. It evaporates fast and it won't leave moisture sitting in seams where it can cause damage. Don't spray anything directly onto the device, ever. Spray the cloth, then wipe. I learned that one back in the CD player era when a well-meaning cousin hosed down a Discman and killed it dead.

For keyboards and anything with crevices, compressed air is your friend. Tilt the keyboard, blast between the keys, and watch the archaeology come out. A soft toothbrush gets the grime that air can't budge. Cotton swabs dipped lightly in alcohol work wonders around ports and hinges.

Screens need a gentler touch. Skip the alcohol on coated displays and use a barely damp microfiber cloth instead, or a cleaner made specifically for screens. And please, no paper towels. They're quietly abrasive and they'll micro-scratch a screen over time.

The parts that actually touch your body deserve extra care. Earbuds, headphone cushions, watch bands, VR headsets. Remove silicone tips and wash them with mild soap and water, letting them dry fully before reattaching. Wipe down foam cushions with a damp cloth and let them air out. And fabric watch bands can usually go right through the laundry in a mesh bag.

A UV sanitizer box is a nice extra if you buy used tech often, but let me tell you, it's an accessory, not a substitute. Wiping and washing does the real work.

Here's my own addition after decades of this: check the ports before you clean anything else. Shine a flashlight in there. I once found a charger port so packed with pocket lint that the owner sold the phone thinking it was broken. Five minutes with a wooden toothpick and it charged like new.

Technology should work for you, and that starts with it being clean enough to actually live on your desk or in your ears. My granddaughter Jess borrowed a used tablet from a friend last month and I made her sit through my whole routine before she touched it. She rolled her eyes. She also did it.

Take the twenty minutes. Your hands, your ears, and your peace of mind will thank you.