Best way to clean dust from laptop vents without damaging components

The compressed air thing gets overstated - it's fine if you hold the can upright and keep it a reasonable distance away, maybe 6 inches or so. The real issue is when people go full spray-bottle aggressive or tilt the can and get liquid propellant everywhere. A soft brush works great, but honestly the most effective method I've found is a combo: use the brush to loosen stuff gently, then hit it with compressed air at normal distance and angle. Just make sure you're holding the fan blades still with your other hand so they don't spin freely - that's the actual risk. If you're worried about static or want to be extra careful, you can also just use a handheld vacuum on low suction near the vents while brushing, though that's slower.

Vacuuming with a brush attachment works surprisingly well if you hold the nozzle near (not touching) the vents while gently brushing dust toward it - the suction pulls particles out without blasting them deeper inside. Seconding the compressed air caution, though I'd add that if you do use it, keep the fan still by holding it steady with your finger so it can't spin freely and potentially damage the bearings. A cheap soft-bristle brush from any hardware store beats specialized "electronics cleaning kits" by miles, and you'll actually use it again for other dusty spots around the house.