Getting sawdust out of a computer

From: Ron Bean (rbean_at_shell.core.com)
Date: 06/28/04 

Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2004 16:25:54 -0000

I have a used computer that appears to have been used in a
dusty environment-- it's full of a fine brown powder that
I think is fine sawdust. Most of the parts can be replaced
but some of them would be worth salvaging.

A guy who repairs keyboards told me to soak it in alchohol and
then let it dry thoroughly. Is this a good strategy for circuit
boards in general?

It has a ZIP drive and a CD burner that I was planning to sell
(with full disclosure about where they came from), but now
I wonder if I should just throw them out instead. It seems like
the CD burner might be OK if the lens is not scratched, but the
ZIP drive is more questionable. It came without a hard disk, so
I'm not worried about that.

Any other comments on this?