After just a few weeks, your new keyboard will look “like a pig”, it will be dirty and filthy. Of course, you will say that it is used every day. And that's probably true, but do you want to buy a new keyboard every few months when everyone is calling for sustainability and waste avoidance? That would certainly not be the right solution in this case.
It is only logical that if you spend a lot of time at your computer, eat meals and drink there, the keyboard can always get dirty. This not only looks very ugly, it is also not necessarily to be described as hygienic.
It's so easy to clean and maintain your keyboard - if you know how! And that's exactly what we want to explain to you here today, in step-by-step instructions. Then you don't need to replace your keyboards as often, you save resources and the environment and you save a lot of money at the same time!
Shake the keyboard gently!
Step-by-step instructions for cleaning the PC keyboard against coarse dirt, such as crumbs or rock dust, it can be enough if you gently shake your keyboard a few times. The coarse particles can fall out in this way. To do this, disconnect your keyboard from the power supply and then gently shake the keyboard sideways and back and forth. At the same time, you carefully press down a few keys with the palm of your hand and gently tap the back of the keyboard with your other hand. In this way, dirt particles can easily be removed.
Wipe the keyboard!
So once you have removed the coarse dirt, you can clean your keys. So you take a damp, soft cloth and some mild cleaning agent (e.g. washing-up liquid - never use aggressive cleaning agents such as chlorine or the like). Now you can gently rub the keys to remove the dirt. However, if your keyboard is heavily soiled, this method will not be enough to get it clean. Then you have to resort to “tougher” measures.
Remove keys and clean with a brush!
You've probably been using your keyboard for a long time and stubborn dirt has accumulated accordingly. It's not that easy to remove, this dirt, especially if you can't remove your keys and clean underneath them thoroughly.
So that you can get all the keys back in their exact place after cleaning, it can be advantageous if you take a photo of the entire keyboard before removing it. To remove your keys, it is best to use a pointed, but not sharp, object (perhaps an older knife, which is no longer very sharp and has a wide blade - alternatively, a small slotted screwdriver).
When detaching the keys, be very careful not to lose any sub-components. Now you take a laundry net and enter the keys. Place other laundry items in the washing machine, then add your “keyboard net” to it. Choose a particularly low temperature for this wash cycle. Now you can take care of your keyboard.
This is now open and you can first remove the coarsest particles with a coarse brush. Once this is done, take the damp cloth and some washing-up liquid again and gently clean the spaces between the keys, as well as the corners and edges thoroughly. Make sure that the cloth is not too wet - it should be damp at best.
So after wiping everything, let the keyboard dry for some time. By the time the keyboard dries, your washing machine will finish its cycle too. You now take the keys out of the laundry bag and let them dry thoroughly. Then you put the keys back to their destination (the photo can help you with this).
You may find inserting the keys a bit difficult. In any case, make sure that you also put all sub-components back in their place. Some force may be required to snap the buttons back into place. However, be very careful.
When all the keys have found their place again, reconnect your keyboard to your computer and open a writing program. Try all the keys on the keyboard to make sure everything is working properly.
Useful tools for cleaning your keyboard
Alternatively: clean with a post-it!
This simple method is very effective and anyone can use it. To do this, take the sticky surface of the post-it and move it slowly under the keys. Dust and dirt will cling to the adhesive surfaces and you can easily get them out from underneath. As you can see, cleaning and maintaining your keyboard is not rocket science and can be done by anyone.
For example, if you regularly clean your keyboard using the post-it method, you may not need to remove the keys in the future because dirt simply cannot collect as much. When cleaning the laptop keyboard, you can only work with the shaking method. Removing the keys is not advisable here.
