Clean my Protein Skimmer?

[R.Allard]

i clean the chamber of my skimmer every three months and empty the cup twice a week.
it all depends on bio load,if you have lights next to the skimmer for a refuge causing algae to grow in the chamber etc...

[GoldCorals]

Don't forget about cleaning any pumps at about six months as well.

[glennr1978]

I clean my collection cup daily. It's amazing how much more efficient my skimmer is now that I'm dosing vodka.

[jtdunham]

My friend Bill sugested that I should avoid "dosing" vodka.

[jtdunham]

Thank ya'll for your helpful advice.
I will continue to clean the skimmer cup as beore 3-4 times a week as needed.
I have cleaned the chamber approximately 3 times in this past year; which is my first in this hobby.
Someone in this thread said that the main protein skimmer chamber contains living beneficial bacteria. What if anything should I do before or after cleaning the chamber to mitigate the effects of the loss of these organisms.