Cleaning a keyboard

[BoyBach]

When my iMac was new and shiny 'twas lovely, but the keyboard is proving to be a bugger to keep clean!

I don't want to have to wear gloves to keep the keyboard clean, so what do you use to clean it? Would a damp rag be okay or do I need to spend some money on any special products?

Thanks for the help, Andrew.

 

[EM87]

A damp rag would be alright, just don't use any cleaners or chemicals on it. I don't have a problem with it getting dirty, mine just gets a lot of dust down between the keys and in the grove between the backspace and insert buttons. It is a pain to keep clean but it is a nice looking keyboard.

 

[pianoman]

the cloth should be lightly wetted and then you can use a little pressure to remove any dirt. i use compressed air to clean out the dust, hair, and dead skin cells in between the keys.

 

[BoyBach]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[EricNau]

I vacuum (with the dusting attachment) also proved helpful for me.

 

[freeman24]

My friend puts hers in the dishwasher.... I always look at her like shes just killed someone lol, but it works, take all the keys off and stick them in the knife and fork bit and the rest where the plates go..make sure its very dry before putting it back in..then you have a brand new keyboard!

 

[ero87]

take all the keys off?!?! wow, that must be a pain. how does one even do that?

 

[cyberddot]

I take all of the keys off of both desktop and laptop keyboards at least once a year. Just make sure the dogs, cats and/or kids are otherwise occupied, and to remember to turn your head and cover your mouth when you sneeze!

Second, make sure to have an image (photo or otherwise) printed out to make placing the keys back in proper order a bit easier. (I actually keep them all laid out on a cloth in front of me and haven't ever had a mishap requiring the image/map, but it provides some peace of mind)

Carefully pop up a key by prying up on one corner and you won't have any problems with breakage. Just make sure to pay attention when removing and replacing the longer keys, like the spacebar, since there are some added wires to consider. (Having some confidence in one's ability to take things apart and then reassemble them properly, or at the very least having someone with said confidence in the same room, is probably best.)

I remove all of the keys, clean the keyboard base, then clean each key as I'm reassembling the keyboard. I use a combination of canned air and electronics/plastic safe cleaner & disinfectant, some cotton swabs and a soft cloth for wiping down keys and getting into nooks and crannies. While cleaning the keyboard base, I make sure to spray any liquids being used on a cloth or swabs, to avoid having any excess liquid getting into unreachable spots on the keyboard.

It's actually pretty easy to do, and doesn't take more than an hour. I look at this in much the same way I look at car maintenance. A little preventative work can make things work better and help them to last longer.

 

[BuzWeaver]

My friend puts hers in the dishwasher.... I always look at her like shes just killed someone lol, but it works, take all the keys off and stick them in the knife and fork bit and the rest where the plates go..make sure its very dry before putting it back in..then you have a brand new keyboard!

Its the best way I've found to clean one.

 

[Ladybug]

I usually pry the keys off with a teaspoon and just soak them in some soapy warm water..wipe dry and reassemble. Make sure as mentioned that you have mapped the keyboard layout.

Also of note, when trying to replace the spacebar its sometimes helpful to have the keys on either side off, giving you space to seat the spacebar properly as it usually has some additional wires that require placement so it can function.

 

[vohdoun]

A air duster can for all the loose bits the hoover cannot get, hoover all the bits that fell out while using the air duster, then a damp cloth \o/

Works everytime. Taking the keys off is such a hassle and time wasting. Thats of course if you do have an air duster of some sort!