HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- It turns out your computer can get dirtier and filled with more junk than your garage! So, first up on your PC spring cleaning checklist is actually cleaning your computer.

Clean the outside of your computer with a damp cloth or compressed air. Make sure to get all the dust out of the keyboard and the fans in the back of the computer.

Before moving on to the actual stuff on your computer, you might want to back up your files.

You have two options already on your Microsoft Windows computer: Disc Cleanup and Disc Defrag. Think of disc cleanup as an all-in-one tool that will walk you step by step cleaning old information off your computer. There's also disk defrag. That takes all the different bits of information scattered across your computer and organizes it to get your computer running smoothly.

Next up: Protect your PC.

Beware of some anti-virus programs. Of course, not all are created equal and some can even be harmful to your computer. I have a couple different safe bets for you. The first, Ad-Aware, is a program that gets rid of the spyware that's already on your computer. Also, check out Spybot Search & Destroy and AVG anti-virus protector.

All three of these programs have a free version. You can check them out by clicking on the links at the bottom of the page.

Finally, if your computer still seems slow, then it's probably time for additional memory, or RAM. If you're not sure how to install it, or aren't sure what I'm talking about, you might want to get help from a professional.

Long story short, you need more RAM if you're using a lot of applications at the same time. That allows your computer to run more programs without slowing down as much.

That's all the tips for now. So, maybe get started spring cleaning that closet you've been putting off for weeks!