On a scale of 1 to 5, how often do you clean & what do you use to clean your keyboard?

Turn it upside down. Shake it vigorously.

Use Q-tips and rubbing alcohol for the rest.

I am a 5 this year. I dismantled my desktop keyboards this summer, popped off the keys, un-screwed the other parts, washed the parts, dried for a couple of days and then re-assembled. I also dismantled my laptop, to replace a video cable, but took the opportunity to clean the filthy thing inside and out.

I am not a neat freak, they were pretty grimy from my neglect

@FutureMemory, I’ll give it a try only if the Made in China keyboard doesn’t come apart if I was to shake it vigorously lol, I prefer to try the rubbing alcohol.

I buy canned air and use it to clean my keyboards whenever the mood strikes me. Never had any liquid spills in them, though.

@jaytkay, That is nice and clean that you are a 5 this year. It is always great to have a clean keyboard to work with, but I am not trying to dismantle my keyboard or my computer when I would be clueless to put them back together. lol

Depending on the keyboard – it would be very unwise to turn the keyboard upside down to shake it. This could cause food crumbs to jam up inside the keys & in between the contacts. It is best to use a can of air & just spray it at an angle into the keyboard. This is best done outdoors, you never know what can come flying out of there.

If there are large particles stuck underneath the keys, search online for a guide on your specific keyboard on how to pop each key off to clean & to also create a space big enough for the larger particles to fall out of.

@Tamara What brand is it? The keys should pop right out, and then you just press each one to know which key to put where. Lysol wipes and canned air are perfect for cleaning keyboards throughly. I do mine at least twice a year.

@shadling21, I never had any liquid spills in my keyboard either. I like the canned air idea.

@rpmpseudonym, Sounds like a great answer!

@papayalily, It is a DELL keyboard. I wouldn’t mind taking apart the keys, but I could imagen that it can be a hassle to pop in every key in it’s correct place lol, I prefer to try the canned air and Lysol wipes.

I blow on it from time to time, and once its broken i buy a new one. they only cost $10 or so, so i dont really bother to clean them, i just replace.

@poisonedantidote, That is a good idea to blow on a keyboard daily to prevent it from receiving light build-up dust. I would buy a new one as well but only when it’s really needed. My keyboard is less than a year old and is still in great condition. It is just the crumbs that are annoying when some teenagers could care less how clean things are.

@Tamara If it’s Dell, it all pops right out.

I’ve had the same keyboard since 1992 and I’ve cleaned it once. I’m just about ready to do it again. I used q-tips and rubbing alcohol.

Dust-Off and a microfiber cloth with screen-cleaner. I clean it all the time; I’m a little OCD about my laptop being pristine…

@GeorgeGee, Yep! It is nice to have a clean keyboard, but 1992? Lolz, I guess what counts is that it’s working for you. :)

@DominicX, Microfiber towels are well known to work magic on anything that’s highly pristine. lol

@papayalily, Hey, my keyboard is the kind that pops right out. I had never payed attention to this option. You seem like you’ve been through quite some keyboards knowing that DELL had this special feature. Thank you so much. :)

I have two. When ones get funky I put it in a mesh laundry bag (to catch any keys that fall off) and stick it in the dishwasher for a cold cycle without soap. I use the other one for the weeks it takes the washed one to dry. Then I swap back. I have never had one die from the dishwasher. And if one did it is 10 bucks to replace.

@johnpowell, I wouldn’t want to wait those weeks when I only have one to use. lol

I vacuum mine with the crevice tool. I make sure to rest the tool right on the keys so I do not suck a key into the vacuum.

Clean the keyboards once a month or more often when my wife eats a Pop Tart there.

For just crumbs, i use a one inch artist brush, found at WalMart. for sticky problems, i use alcohol and a Q tip.

@tamara Yes, 1992. The famous Gateway 2000 “Anykey” keyboard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gateway_AnyKey
It includes a “keyboard macro” programmability that is still unmatched in any other keyboard even today. It was built like a tank but yet is quiet to type on. Yes, 18 years and counting, I hope I get another 18 years out of it! :D

0+ to 1.

I wipe it, blow at it. Move on.

Shake the crumbs out, give it a wipe over with a damp paper towel, or a screen-cleaning cloth after I’m cone cleaning the screen with it. It’s a bit grubby at the moment.