Windows

Clean Keyboard

Posted by on Feb 26, 2007 | 6 Comments
  1. Turn ‘er upside down over a towel (or paper towels) and shake vigorously. This is my favorite method.
  2. Put it in the dishwasher. While some swear by this method, it’s never worked for me. I’ve only ruined keyboards by doing this.
  3. Remove the keys and soak everything in a bathtub full of lukewarm water. Proceed with caution, again – I’ve had successes and failures by trying to clean my keyboard this way.
  4. Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and push it down between the keys. This is great for removing liquid stains from the sides of the keys, but won’t get your keyboard completely clean.
  5. Pop off each key, treat it with a little TLC, and give the keyboard’s base a good twice over with a cleaning wipe. Be careful when removing (and reattaching) the keys, as they might break and you’ll have done this all for naught.

And for a video tutorial, look no further than my demonstration of what you might find when you clean your keyboard:

[tags]keyboard, keyboard cleaning[/tags]

  • Kirk Harlow

    My favorite way to clean my keyboard of dust and debris is to “turn the computer off” then simply vacuum with a brush attachment. A damp cloth will get most stains. I have had success cleaning a malfunctioning keyboard which has suffered a liquid spill by disassembling it and cleaning the sandwich membrane with isopropyl alcohol. I would only recommend this method if you have an above average mechanical aptitude. If it is an inexpensive keyboard, send it to the recycler and buy a new one and maybe a keyboard protector if you’re prone to messing on your keyboard.
    (my 2 cents)

  • Robert Frederick

    I can understand your apprehension cleaning kb’s in the dishwasher. though for the newer keyboards It’s the way to go for me, Though I have to ask if you took your keyboards apart before putting them in the dishwasher. most anti-spill keyboards come apart pretty easily, with the front, and keys all as one. I heard that there was a way to do it without taking the keyboards apart, but you would have to wait a few days to make sure everything dried out. I have always opted to take the thing apart first, that way I know that the circuit board and membrane are safe and dry,and I can just put everything back together when the keypad had dried off, which takes about 12 hours. This has worked for me 100%.
    For older keyboards (Those where the keys are done directly to the circuit board.) I would definitely suggest removing the keys and wiping everything off. while it takes longer, and is more tedious than the dishwasher method, at least you don’t have to worry about ruining the circuit board. It usually boils down to what you are most comfortable with though..

  • Ken Maxwell

    Personaly I remove all keys and wash with a 50/50 vinegar and water solution then blow the base out with a compressor using a static precipatator and a dyyer and set at 18 pound per inch. I have been using this keybord for ten years now.

  • http://none Matt Sidney

    Just thought I’d include my method here it’s fast and easy. I agree with the shaking upside down entirely, works like a charm. after that I like to pop off all the buttons except maybe space, enter, and backspace, because they have metal bars and are sometimes hard to put back. Take all your keys and throw them in an empty glass jar, add warm or hot water, and some granulated dishwasher soap for abrasive cleaning power, you can also add some sugar as well for extra scrubbing power. Shake the jar for a few minutes then remove the keys, rinse them, and lay them on a towel and simply wipe each one as you replace it on the keyboard. give it a try it works for me and keeps the electronic bits out of harms way.

  • Dave Haskell

    For Luddites like me who hold onto our old clunky, heavy, clicky
    IBM model M keyboards and want to know how to clean them,
    here’s a link to a good source:

    http://www.preater.com/modelm/

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