Note: Important: Your warranty or service contract does not cover damage due to the intentional immersion or submersion of a Dell Rugged laptop or dock in liquid. Your warranty or service contract does not cover damage caused by unapproved cleaning methods either. (For example, our Accidental damage service.)
Your warranty or service contract does not cover any damage to the laptop and/or dock caused by the use of non-recommended chemical solutions or cleaning methods. They only test with water to get the Ingress protection rating.
Note: Dell's comments on the use of UltraViolet-C (UVC) for cleaning Dell equipment:
There are reports of some people using UVC to clean items such as their cell phones. Dell Technologies has no independent data or information regarding the efficacy or issues that may arise from using UVC. Dell Technologies have been unable to find any specific industry aging tests that are defined exclusively for exposure to UVC. Dell cannot recommend the use of UVC light due to a lack of sufficient and standardized test data. Dell's approved cleaning recommendations continue to be the other methods listed on this page.
Dell Latitude Rugged Equipment
Dell Technologies understand that you may have questions about cleaning and disinfecting options for your Dell Latitude Rugged products. The guidance below applies to the following equipment:
- Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme Laptop
- Latitude 7330 Rugged Extreme Laptop
- Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Tablet
- Latitude 7220EX Rugged Extreme Tablet (Not Accessories)
- Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme Tablet (Not Accessories)
- Latitude 7414 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 7214 Rugged Extreme Laptop
- Latitude 7212 Rugged Extreme Tablet
- Latitude 7404 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 7204 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 7202 Rugged Tablet
- Latitude 5430 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 5424 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 5420 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 5414 Rugged Laptop
- Latitude 5404 Rugged Laptop
Latitude Rugged Equipment Testing and Ratings
Dell does test our Rugged equipment with various sanitizing and chemical solutions. This is to ensure that the materials that Dell manufactures the Dell Latitude Rugged equipment from can withstand these solutions in the real world.
Note: Testing Procedure: Drops of chemical solutions were left to stand on parts of the various Dell Latitude Rugged laptops for ten days. They were then inspected for cosmetic blemishes and/or material damage.
The latest Dell Latitude Rugged products have a MIL-STD-810G rating:
- MIL stands for US Military
- STD stands for Standards
- 810 stands for the Series of tests done
- G stands for Issued in 2014
The latest Dell Latitude Rugged products have an IP65 rating:
- The IP stands for Ingress Protection
- The six stands for Dust-Tight
- The five stands for Protected against water that is projected from a nozzle from any angle
Note: This rating does not protect the devices from powerful water jets, immersion, or submersion in Liquid. It is not tested with liquids other than water.
Recommended Cleaning Instructions:
- Dell Technologies recommend that you wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
- Turn off the device that you plan to clean and disconnect the AC power. Also remove batteries from items like wireless keyboards. Never clean a product while it is turned on or plugged in.
- Disconnect any external devices.
- Never spray any liquids directly onto the product.
- Moisten a microfiber cloth with a mixture of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% water. The cloth should be damp, but not dripping wet. Excess moisture should be removed if the cloth is wet before wiping the product. Using any material other than microfiber cloth could damage your product.
Note: Dell has tested the Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme Tablet, the Latitude 5420 Rugged, the Latitude 5424 Rugged, and the Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme laptops with Envirocide. There was no issue found on the Tablet. There was no issue found for those Rugged laptops with the optional Rubberized Keyboards.
Note: While rugged laptops that are in use should have the various doors and catches closed for protection against dirt and liquid. Cleaning the laptop thoroughly includes opening those doors and catches and cleaning the inside. Use appropriate care while doing this. You do not want the liquid to enter the laptop through these ingress points.
- Gently wipe the moistened cloth on the surfaces to be cleaned. Do not allow any moisture to drip into areas like keyboards, display panels, and so on. Moisture entering the inside of an electronic product can damage the product. Excessive wiping could potentially lead to damaging some surfaces.
- When cleaning a display screen, carefully wipe in one direction, moving from the top of the display to the bottom.
- Surfaces must be air-dried before turning the device on after cleaning. No moisture should be visible on the surfaces of the product before it is powered on or plugged in.
- After you clean or disinfect a glass surface, it may be cleaned again using a glass cleaner that is designed for display surfaces. Follow the directions for that specific cleaner. Dell Technologies recommend that you avoid that glass cleaning products containing Ammonia.
- Discard the disposable gloves that are used after each cleaning. Clean your hands immediately after gloves are removed and disposed.
Avoid using any of the following chemicals or products containing these chemicals at any point of ingress:
- Any chlorine-based cleaner, such as bleach
- Peroxides (including hydrogen peroxide)
- Solvents such as; acetone, paint thinner, benzene, methylene chloride, or toluene
- Ammonia (For example, Windex)
- Ethyl alcohol
You can permanently damage some products by using any of the chemicals that are listed above.
By following the steps outlined in this document, you can minimize the risk of damage.
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