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Journal claudia's Journal: Nasty Keyboards 6

Journal by claudia
I've been using keyboards for 20+ years, and I still don't know the best way to clean one. I've tried tipping them over and banging them to get out all the crumbs and cigarette ashes. Q-tips, Pledge, Windex, a toothbrush, but no matter what, the keys are sticky. In a fit of drunken frustration one night, I think I used my tongue to clean off the Ctrl and Shift keys. Yes, I'm ashamed. You would think if you were drunk, it wouldn't matter all that much, right?

Please, take pity, and help me from being reduced to the latter by offering your favorite keyboard cleaning method.

Then, today, I saw this. Remember how simple those were to clean?

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Nasty Keyboards

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  • I've tried tipping them over and banging them to get out all the crumbs and cigarette ashes. Q-tips, Pledge, Windex, a toothbrush...

    I just needed to toss in the obligitory Simpson's quote:

    Meathook: Marge, how did you get my jacket so clean? I've tried everything to get those blood and puke stains out. I've tried hitting them, I've tried yelling at 'em ...
    Marge: All it takes is the right cleanser and a little elbow grease.
    Ramrod: Do you have anything that will get this emblem back on my jacket? I've tried spitting at it, you know, but..
    Marge: Just put it on my sewing pile.
  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • About once a year, I take them apart. Just plug out all the keys.. all of them, not just the caps. You can wash those pieces with regular soap water. The keyboard without keys is easier to clean: First tap it on the back to remove the biggest cruft, then take one of those crumb-vacuum-cleaners (those small handheld ones, I don't know what they are called), and clean it with that for the smaller dust.
    After that just put back the keys and you're done. This works on older laptops too. My old Toshiba 210CT was cleaned that way, however the keys are now harder to press. I tried it on my iBook and will never try it again: it was a general pain and my Q button is not a bit loose.

    Oh, and don't get hubrys like I did: I once cleaned my only IBM Model M keyboard with soapwater (without removing the keys) and after that nothing worked anymore. My stupid fault, but I wanted to warn you.

    Of course, it might be less hassle to buy just a new keyboard every year. But I'm too cheap for that.

    • For me, it's not a matter of being too cheap to buy a new keyboard (or I like to think so, anyway). I'm just very particular about them and they take on sentimental value. For instance, the Dell keyboards are way too clickety-klacety and other keyboards feel too soft or too hard or the angle is all wrong.

      Seems from your response, and kormac's, that dismantling is the way to go.

      Thanks! I'll try it out and see how it goes.
  • beyond wiping them down and blowing them off with air I just buy a new one.
    Actually I buy 4 or 5 at a time When I find one I like.
    They usually get disgusting enough after 6 months to be replaced.

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