Your keyboard is one of your most important peripherals, but it’s
bound to get clogged with dirt and grime over time. Dust off, scrub
down, and clean up your number one input device safely with these tips.
There are plenty of ways to clean depending on what afflicts your
workspace. We’ll break it down by type, but first thing’s first:
unplug your keyboard!
Some of these cleaning methods can theoretically do some damage to your
keyboard if there’s power going to it, so be sure it’s unplugged and
the batteries are taken out.
Dust
(Image credit:
Ioan Sameli)
A common problem in offices, dust can really make typing unpleasant.
It’s an easy fix, however. For daily maintenance, you can use a small
soft-bristled dusting brush, like the one below.
A small hand-held vacuum cleaner or a can of compressed air will work well.
(Image credit
cogdogblog)
For more caked on dust, try the brush/hose attachment of a larger vacuum cleaner to help scrape off dust bunnies.
Germs
Daily use can breed a whole different kind of filth on your precious
keys. Be wary of disinfectant sprays; many are strong enough that you
wouldn’t want to keep your hands in contact with them for very long. Try
to find ones that are electronics-friendly. Personally, my favorite
option is to use an isopropyl alcohol solution.
Be sure to use isopropyl and NOT ethyl, as the harsher ethyl alcohol
can take the lettering off of the keys. Anything about 60% alcohol or
more is fine; higher concentrations don’t really help kill more germs,
but it also won’t hurt.
Take a little alcohol solution and moisten an old rag or a paper
towel with it. Do NOT pour it into the keyboard. Trust me, a wet napkin
is enough. Scrub it over the tops of the keys, and use a wet cotton swab
to go down in between them.
Spills
What’s worse than accidentally turning on Sticky Keys? Spilling your
soda and getting real sticky keys. First thing’s first, unplug your
keyboard. Dump out any excess liquid and mop up as best you can with
paper towels. While it’s best to clean while the keyboard is still wet
to minimize the stickiness, the process is much the same whether you
spilled your soda 30 seconds ago or 30 days ago.
To get rid of sticky keys, we’ll need to pop off the keys and clean
the keyboard more thoroughly. If you have a standard keyboard, you’ll be
able to find references to where all the keys should go if you don’t
already have the layout memorized. For custom keyboard, it might be
helpful to draw a quick map or take a picture with your digital camera
so you know where everything belongs when you go to put things back
together.
For desktop keyboards, take a butter knife or a screwdriver and try
to pry up one corner of the keys. You don’t need to use a lot of force;
you should feel a pop and the key will come right off.
For laptop keyboards, your fingernail should be enough to pull the
plastic up. Start with one corner and move to an adjacent one. Be extra
careful, since the mechanism is made of plastic and you don’t want to
break it.
(Image credit:
footloosiety)
Once the keys are off, you can better use a paper towel and maybe
some alcohol solution to clean the keyboard base. Careful with those
metal bars!
To clean the keys you can wash them in warm water and/or use some
cotton swabs. To put the keys back on, just place them over their
correct position and press them until you hear a snap. They shouldn’t
feel mushy or sticky anymore, and if they do it’s probably because they
either didn’t set properly in the base or it’s in the wrong place. With
keys that have metal bars, make sure the bars are properly attached to
the keys and that the ends line up in the slots on the keyboard (compare
the above and below images).
Chiclet-style keyboards are great because they prevent a lot of dirt
from getting underneath, but unfortunately I’ve still not found a good
way to clean them of sticky spills. If you know of a good way, share it
in the comments!
Food Particles and Grime
Geeks’ diets aren’t always the best. Aside from spilled soda, you may
find potato chip grease, Cheeto crumbs, or popcorn pieces stuck under
the keys, making them feel mushy while typing. As with liquid cleanup,
pop off the keys as best you can. Take a vacuum, then a can of
compressed air to really flush out everything underneath.
(Image credit:
James Bowe)
For really grimy spots, try using a pencil eraser. You might be
surprised as how well the rubber will peel off dirt. Just be careful
that the eraser-dust doesn’t fall back in the keyboard.
(Image credit:
charliebobgordon)
If you’ve tried everything to cut the dirt and grease, then I’ve got
one last method for you. Take a soft-bristled toothbrush that’s wet with
a bit of alcohol to your keyboard. You can clean the removed keys with a
toothbrush and some soapy water. Your keys will be looking brand-new in
no time!
Courtesy HTG
Information
Note
