I did a poll on twitter and asked if it’s soon enough to write about Spring cleaning and most people said yes it’s too soon, but they still wanted tips for winter cleaning. So if you’re still organizing for the New Year or ready to clean out for Spring, don’t forget to consider your tech and be green about cleaning out your tech.
Remember when Summer gave us some green tips on how to deal with your technology a year and a half ago. She gave us some really great tips and Microsoft has a few of their own versions of these great tips but just to remind you, here are Summer’s tips. Dispose of Batteries Properly. Know Local Places to donate used toys, electronics, and other items. Donate used items to charity. Find places to Sell Used ElectronicsFind, and ways to properly dispose of electronics and make some money doing so at Microsoft among other places. Remember you can Recycle Cell Phones through Operation Gratitude, and Turn off Vampire Appliances to save energy. Microsoft recently sent me some other great ideas and ways to clean up your tech at the Microsoft Store. Here are their tips:
Out with the Old, In with the New (In Store): Already have your new PC and need to get rid of your old one? Just bring your computer, phone or other device into the nearest Microsoft Store and they will happily recycle it for you. Even better, if they determine your computer still has value, we’ll give you a Microsoft store gift card for that amount. Just like Summer said, make some money off your old appliances. We’ve been doing that with some of our old stuff.
PC Tune-Up (In Store): Let trained technicians at a Microsoft Store closest to you help improve the speed, performance, and security of your PC. I’ve been really bad about this, I usually just deem my machine to be out of date and in need of replacement. It’s a good idea if you’re not ready to upgrade to just get some help with the one you have. Plus it’s greener to use your machine as long as possible. 
Sign up for a Personal Trainer (The Tech Kind): With Microsoft’s One-Hour Personal Training sessions at $49.99, you can learn at your own pace, the way you want to. Get the most out of your PC experience with a one-on-one training session with a Microsoft Answer Tech. You can customize your hour to concentrate on the topics you want to learn about most, like creating documents or newsletters, organizing your email inbox, creating photos and videos with Windows Live Essentials, and much more.
- Get dedicated one-on-one time with an expert – ask the questions you want and learn the way that works best for you
- Learn from the comfort of your own home or office – you’ll receive your training remotely via chat and phone
- Training covers the latest Microsoft software, from the company that designed Windows 7 and Office 2010
- You’re learning experience is tailored to the topics you want to focus on
· Manage the family calendar online: With Windows Hotmail Calendar, you can keep track of everyone’s schedules all at once. Don’t worry about trying to remember what time to pick up the kids from soccer practice and make it to your dentist appointment on time; it’s all in your calendar and easily accessible online or on your mobile phone.
I’m a Microsoft Windows Champion and this information was provided to me by them.
