I know that I have Dolphin so I have nothing to worry about, but it's somewhat great to be back into the physical games.
Is it supposed to be down or up? I know not to touch the laser itself, but what tools should I use when cleaning it?
99.9% isopropyl alcohol and a set of Q-Tips for cleaning the laser. Don't put pressure on there, but clean it lightly. Here's a good website that documents laser adjustment: https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Laser_Tuning