An optical drive dust guard can include an elongated strip of silicone having a front surface, a back surface and an adhesive along one of the surfaces, an elongated slit formed along and through a center portion of the elongated strip, and one or more elongated notches formed along the elongated strip. The elongated notches result in at least a portion of the elongated strip becoming hinged to another portion of the elongated strip about the notches, so as to allow a hinged frontwards or backwards passage of an optical media therethrough. The elongated slit can be formed after the silicone dust guard is already installed in the host device.