Feh.
9 thoughts on “The Truth About Keyboards”
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Feh.
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T YU, Jonathan!
Can you run that thing through the dishwasher?
Without destroying it, I mean.
One solution here but what I do is take a piece of tape, fold it back on itself and run it between the keys, that gets most of it.
Most keyboards are durable enough to survive dishwashers. Just be sure to let them air-dry for a couple of days. I prefer a more manual approach, though.
For regular cleaning, I use Q-tips and rubbing alcohol. I’ll pull the cotton a little off the tip, then flatten it to reach between the keys. Every once in a while, I like to pry off the keys and soak them in a bowl with a strong solution of OxyClean. The effervescence helps dissolve all the gunk with no need to scrub. This also works on Venetian blinds.
For a keyboard’s insides, I’ll wipe down the contacts with denatured alcohol, or Target’s 91% isopropyl alcohol. Don’t use regular rubbing alcohol, since it has glycerin and will leave residue.
Of course, when you pry off the keys, you can use the opportunity to clean out underneath. Blast the hair and particles away with compressed air, then swab it clean with a Q-tip and alcohol.
Thx for the suggestions. I’m leary of the dishwasher idea for obvious reasons, but OTOH keyboards are not expensive so maybe it’s worth the risk. Most of the other alternatives are too much work. Maybe I’ll just go over it with a toothbrush and water.
They do have sprays. And little vacuum thingies. (I got one but it never seemed to work.) On the other hand, I really hope you never visit me. To find obnoxious dirt & mold you generally don’t need a magnifying lens at my place.
It’s even more obvious if you have a black keyboard. I’ve often wondered how much of a person’s DNA you could gather simply by a quick swab of their keyboard… kind of a modern-day equivalent of the snip of hair and fingernail parings for witches’ spells.
A co-worker of mine, as his very first act on the job, completely disassembled his inherited keyboard, and cleaned it with alcohol and compressed air.
Actually, it’s pretty easy to clean them. Just use a household spray cleaner (409, Windex, Glass Cleaner, etc., etc.) to spray the keyboard, then go up and down the rows and between with paper towels. Finish up with tissue paper with said liquid cleaner between the keys and you should be okay…