keyboard cleaning

@Sasselle (698)
Australia
February 1, 2007 12:48am CST
Does anyone have any good tips on the best way to clean your keyboard?? I used to use those dust picking up cloths on it but my 3 year old decided that my keyboard needed some more "flavour" and has emptied nearly a whole jar of fine pepper on it!! I've shaken it upside down and tried to remove what I can ... but I can see little brown bits everywhere!! So without having to resort to paying for a new keyboard [this one is less than a month old!] - is there anyway to clean it or do I just have to put up with it!! Help me please!!!!!!!
10 people like this
92 responses
@lowey01 (223)
• Philippines
1 Feb 07
Usually there are liquid solutions which are sold in computer stores specially designed to clean up the casing of cpu, the monitor, and the keyboard or mouse. I myself just wipe it with wet cloth, then dry. One's a week at least.
2 people like this
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
Thanks for the tip - I will have a browse around my local PC shops during the week. I've never thought about cleaning the casing of the CPU aswell. It's not like I don't try to take good care of my things - I think they just get negelicted 'cos I don't look at the box every day.
• United States
2 Feb 07
yep, canned air is the best thing in the world to clean little bits out of your keyboard. i've had to use it many many times.
1 person likes this
• United States
2 Feb 07
What I do is tape plastic wrap on top of my keyboard about once a month. You can still see the key and it doesn't affect my typing. It really works. When I change my plastic wrap my keyboard looks brand new underneath. And my keyboard is over 3 years old. Hope this helps. Lloyd
@scarydog (170)
1 Feb 07
Good way of cleaning all the bits of grit/pepper or anything else in your keyboard is to take a post-it note...fold it in half backwards(so that both sides of the sticky part are on the outside) and then just run the sticky edges along the gaps between the keys....you'll be amazed what it can pick up....although make sure you've got plenty of post-it's as it sounds like you'll need them. Obviously giving it a good shake upside down will also dislodge bits in between post-it runs...
2 people like this
@scarydog (170)
1 Feb 07
the simplest ideas usually do work best....
2 people like this
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
Wow ... that sounds so simple yet effictive. Thank you so much! I'll give it a try!
1 person likes this
@dks_ait (72)
• India
1 Feb 07
yes you can ....... but depends on what kind of keyboard you are using... if it is a normal PC keyborad.. you can very much open the keyborad.. and pull out its thin film....adn then you can wash the remaining keyboard which is just a plastic material... and no harm would be caused to anything.. the only care that should be taken is you do not miss any of the rubber pressure button which are kept under everykey of ur keyboard... and you pull out that film which has the complete electronic circuit...
2 people like this
• United States
2 Feb 07
Usually it is very easy to open, you just unscrew a few screws on the back and it should come apart without any force being applied. I wash my keyboard this way once a week to keep the keys from stinking since people love to eat at my computer even though I don't allow it.
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
as far as i'm aware it's just a normal keyboard - it just came standard with the PC. How easy is it to pull apart? I don't want to kill it so that doesn't work ever again. Any tips?
1 person likes this
@dyakson (35)
• Philippines
1 Feb 07
well you can try to open your keyboard. unscrew the nuts, open it, then clean it. make sure that you don't misplace the rubber thingys in your keyboard. i always do this when i'm cleaning my keyboard, and this thing really works.
2 people like this
@mansha (6298)
• India
3 Feb 07
Hey this is getting really interesting, write a blog of 101 tips to clean your keyboard, if you are not writing it, can I do so.
1 person likes this
@smrohitsm (231)
• India
1 Feb 07
The best way to clean up this mess is to remove all the keys from your keyboard and then wiping it will be a walk in the park.if yours is a normal keyboard then removing the keys wont require more than ur hands and a screwdriver. I remove all the keys and wash them with a detergent. Also u can remove the back portion of ur keyboard and clean the plastic circuit over there. Do this part carefully. Make sure u have a spare keybooard if u r planning to remove the keys, else u will find it difficult to put the correct keys in place. Happy Cleaning :)
2 people like this
1 Feb 07
i have to do that,my son has a habit of sharing everything he eats with the key board. i ste up the on-line keyboard first before i start pulling it apart so i know where everything goes afterwards.
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
2 Feb 07
It's nice to know that i am not the only one who has a child who feels that the computer keyboards needs food in order to survive. I think it would be extremely difficult to keep it totally grime and grot free but after the responses I've received on this post I shall nearly be able to write a book on "101 tips to clean your computer keyboard"!
• Malaysia
1 Feb 07
the correct way to clean your keyboard is by using compact air. its aerosol cans look alike and can be found at PC stuff store. however, if the stain is wet and sticky, i afraid this wont help. but u can have a try first. if you're an advance user, u can open the keyboard and clean the alphabet button one by one. but i tell u what, its really a messy job. does the pepper give any effect to your keyboard? if its not, just use it then (considered the 1st option failed).. and next time if u want to buy new keyboard, dont forget to buy the cover too. It can prevent this unwanted thing to be happened again. "Computer and child are fiend all the time" LOL
2 people like this
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
No the pepper doesn't make any difference to the way the keyboard works ... it's only frustrating to see brown specks everywhere that i just can't get too! At least I should be grateful that this time it was only pepper. My son has a habit of destroying keyboards ... but usually he just likes to draw on all the keys with permament marker - not a problem for me as I'm a touch typist ... but it drives my husband batty! As for the lungs! I'll give it a try =D Thanks!
@istanto (8548)
• Indonesia
1 Feb 07
I usually use the keyboard cleaning named PROTON it's a water with contains about something I don't know. it's works really good it can make your keyboard looks like brand new again. if you interested you can search about the product name was PROTON COMPUTER CLEANING it's very cheap only $0.5 per bottle.
2 people like this
• India
1 Feb 07
i also use cloths to cleaning the keyboard .
2 people like this
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
yeah but do they pick up all the little pieces of dirt and stuff? and i'm talking really really fine dirt particles here. I've used a static cloth and there are still specks everywhere
1 person likes this
@boeyong (256)
• Malaysia
1 Feb 07
I have a small portable vacuum cleaner that has a small round tiltable brush that will allow me to suck up paper clips that went into the keyboard, dust, etc. Maybe you should get one if you can.
@inplano (298)
• United States
1 Feb 07
look for a brush with small bristles, something liek a toothbrush..you will have to be patient but i am sure it will work...
@Wanderlaugh (1622)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
You probably need an electrostatic cleaning cloth, or a crumb brush with fine hairs. Cotton buds would also do some good, although you need to be patient. You can also let it stand upside down overnight, see if you can dislodge a bit more. If you've got a car vac, you can use those, because even with the weak suction they're small particles, and will move. On the other hand, add some salt, ham, salad, and start franchising...
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
1 Feb 07
Yeah I have an electrostatic cloth ... but it's still not helping pick it all up. I'll keep persisting with the cotton buds but i'm not at all convinced that I'm not making it worse but jamming it all further in [not that it can go much further after i've been shaking it all around ... but still]. I'll give standing it overnight a go ... you never know As for the sandwich thing *laughs* ... it could become amusing for a quick snack to eat at your computer ... keyboard on rye ... *homer drool* LOL
1 person likes this
@Pekachu (1112)
• United States
1 Feb 07
I use the hose on the vacuom to suck out crumbs and lint from the keyboard then i use q-tips to clean between the keys this would work for pepper to i suppose
2 people like this
@amitksing (1323)
• India
1 Feb 07
If the pepper that your kid spread has got stuck to the keyboard, then I think you should use some liquid solution like Colin to clean it with a clean cloth. Else, using a vaccum cleaner should solve ypur problem.
2 people like this
@Sasselle (698)
• Australia
2 Feb 07
Thanks for the suggestions - a few people have said to avoid liquids on the keyboard but I may end up using the vaccum cleaner on a low setting to see what happens. Again - thank you for your tips.
• United States
1 Feb 07
Use one of those Cans of spray air! They work great No mess and easily will clear the air!
2 people like this
• India
1 Feb 07
I can give some material to you for cleaning. There is a small vaccum cleaner to take the keyboard dust. They are sold out in all retail shops so you can try them to take it.
@blueman (16509)
• India
1 Feb 07
the only way and i think the best way is to wipe it with a moist cloth if it is getting too dirty or you can swipe it with a brush.
2 people like this
@turbogeek (121)
• India
1 Feb 07
Two Solutions. Use vacuum cleaner. I use it to clean my keyboard. There is a special tiny head on my VC. It really sux hard and my keyboard is left clean in less than a minute. Else try the dust attracting broom. Its called MagicBroom or something like tht. You gotta rub it on a piece of wool (which generates static electricity). I am not sure whether that will be efficient though.
@aryaman (245)
• India
1 Feb 07
I think the best way to clean a computer keyboard is to use a thin stick and cover the stick with a cloth. Now make the clothe wet and pass it between the keys. I know it will be very slow process but it works and the cleaning is good.
• India
1 Feb 07
remove all the keys and pour the cleaning solution in the nice cloth and then wipe slowly.....
2 people like this
@rhood2019 (109)
• India
1 Feb 07
I faced a similar problem like yours a few months back. First I used a paint brush to brush off and then I soaked some cotton in rectified spirit and cleaned with it. It may require several cleaning with different cotton but you will get you plain vanilla keyboard back. And please disconnect the computer plug so you wont get electrocuted.