I like to use canned air to blow dust off of various things like keyboards and laptops and TVs and what not, but it seems like in the past few years it’s become as rare as hen’s teeth?

Does anyone know what’s up? Seems like they aren’t making it anymore or making as much as they used to.

Yeah, I used to be able to buy for use in my shop but once kids started huffing it they made it a lot more expensive. no, I cannot prove this but it does seem to correlate. From $8 a pack of 6 to $16 for two.

Anyway, it is getting harder to find.

Link
Huffing: The Dangerous Trend of Computer Duster Drug Abuse
Studies reveal that inhaling computer duster as a drug gets increasingly common.

Where are you trying to buy them from? At work, we've always ordered them from Office Depot and they have never run out.

Do you have an air compressor?

https://www.amazon.com/Vaper-1...ps%2C247&sr=8-4&th=1

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
https://www.amazon.com/Dust-Of...+%2Caps%2C117&sr=8-4

That’s the product that I use. Primarily to blow stuff off of my iPhone screen.

quote:

Originally posted by redstone:
Yeah, I used to be able to buy for use in my shop but once kids started huffing it they made it a lot more expensive. no, I cannot prove this but it does seem to correlate.

This is correct.
The local Staples for me has them behind the counter and a sign to "Ask an Associate for help' where the canned air is stocked. The homeless zombies and soon to be homeless teenagers steal them and huff the aerosol for a cheap high.

https://www.legacyfreedom.com/...-huffing-canned-air/

They also added a bittering agent to it, to make it less desired for inhaling.
We order it regularly for blowing out computer innards at work.

I saw some in Sam's just today.

How much of the stuff do you go through? Enough to pay for a miniature air compressor of the kind used for airbrushing?

30 years ago I was a pro photographer. Cleaning dust away was a constant battle.
The photo supply houses used to sell the dust off cans, they turned out to be Freon for A/C unit charging. Back then you could buy Freon cheap, so I did.
I'm sure what ever Freon is used now is more expensive but might be cheaper than a can of air.

 
To prevent the abusers from "huffing", all canned air now has a bitterant in it. If you spray too long, you will get some liquid bitterant coming out, which can leave a nasty spot on a nice monitor.
 
I considered a small compressor, but they are loud, and where I would need it is in the bedroom, near my computer area. I also considered plumbing a line in from the garage's big Quincy compressor, but that would be a long run through the attic. What I finally settled on was nitrogen, an 80 cu.ft. bottle from my local welding supply. I already had a blowgun and regulators, so there was only the one time purchase of the bottle. Refills are $20 and last about a year. Clean, dry air. I keep the regulator set to put out 25psi.

Just don't use it to clean the dust off a set of gas logs with the pilot light on.....it ain't all air in that can.

I have a 14 gal air tank in the garage I keep pressurized to 100+ psi for topping off tires and items I want a blast of air for, but don’t want to start the compressor. They make much smaller tanks that might work well as canned air replacements since a 14 gal tank is a little heavy to move around.

Our walmart carries the stuff back in the electronics section along with computers, cell phones, etc, etc.........

Yup. Our Walmart has them in the same place.

We get by the case at work from Uline.

They dehydrate it now. It comes in powder form.