how do you clean a keyboard?

[shawn_16]

can you stick it into a dishwasher and will it work afterwards? or are there other ways?

 

[Yzzim]

stick it in the dishwasher but make sure you take it out before the heat cycle begins :Q

 

[dunkster]

Using a chip-puller is handy for removing the keys - or just bend a large paper-clip to fashion a crude 2-prong key-puller.

Even the dishwasher won't remove the crud that accumulates on the sides of the keys/between keys.

 

[Vegito]

Some keyboard can be disassemble and wash the usual way in the shower or a large sink. Or you can get the keyboard skin for like 15 bucks and always wash that..

 

[JoPalm]

Lol, or you could do what my friend did. I phoned her up one time and asked her what she was doing. "I'm cleaning my keyboard". I asked how and she said she pulled off each individual key with her hands and was wiping them all with a wet cloth..haha.

You can use compress air and shoot out all the crap, but do it up side down so it all falls out, then vacuum it, be careful of the particles, cause you could get sick...never know what stuff resides in there.

 

[Syborg1211]

What I did was disassemble the keyboard and put the non electrical part into the dishwasher while I wiped away any other crud on the other parts.

 

[duragezic]

You could remove the keys and clean them but I just take some compressed air and spray it in there. That is making sure the can is not upside down so liquid c02 doesn't come out. Ugh that would wreck it!

Then I just kind of blow the particles that come out on the ground.

 

[Ulysses]

After you take it out of the dishwasher, be sure to spray it real good with WD40 so it don't rust. You can't be too careful, you know.

 

[Cosmic_Horror]

rinse the keyboard under a free flowing water and let it dry thoroughly before you plug it in....

 

[goophie]

hmm... i plucked every single key out and just washed them like legos in a sink with some warm water. Then rinsed them out and let them dry

I took a part the top half of the keyboard, which is just plastic and has no electrical components and scrubbed that down too.

It's a lot of work, but you get a nice good clean keyboard afterwards.

 

[fir3wir3]

canned air

if that doesnt work buy a new one

 

[randomlinh]

hey, i took out all the keys and cleaned it that way... canned air ain't got nothin.. still leaves junk there.

and just buyin a new one ain't much of an option.. what if the keyboard costs $50? Not that I paid $50 for mine.. but i can't get the same deal i did

 

[amdskip]

how nasty r ur guys and gals keyboards

 

[jamarno]

The best thing to use is a cleaning spray made for electronic parts because it won't cause corrosion and and will be safe for plastics. Don't use the type of cleaner designed to leave behind a protective oily film.

Water isn't a good idea because minerals will be left behind and cause corrosion. Worst are keyboards with a flexible circuit board for the switch matrix or foam-backed foil switches because water gets trapped for a long time in them.

Don't rub charcoal grey traces too hard because the metallic material comes of too easily, unlike the back carbon traces.