Clean Up Your Dirty Ol’ Keyboard!

I was typing another article on my work PC the other day, and I noticed that it had some crumb-like things underneath or between some keys. When I looked closely, I could also see traces of oil where my fingertips had been mere seconds earlier. I instantly knew what I had to do: clean up my keyboard, and then maybe write an article about it.

The keyboard is perhaps the most-used computer peripheral. Of course, you can make a case for the optical mouse as well, but the keyboard generally sees more action because most people use computers to type stuff in. With many moving parts (the keys) and those recesses between them, the keyboard is a hot zone for dirt, dust, and crumbs to fall into. Over time, they can accumulate, generally mucking up your keyboard.

To effectively clean your keyboard, you’ll need some spare cloth or some of those fancy microfiber cleaning cloths. Make sure you have any cleaning implements you want to use at the ready.

First off, unplug the keyboard from your computer. This will make your cleaning task easier since you can move the keyboard around freely without having to worry about the cord.

Next, shake the keyboard moderately both upright and upside down. This will help shake off dust and other particles nestled between the keys. If you see some particles or crumbs that are hard to shake off the recesses of your keyboard, try blowing hard on it or use compressed air to really get those things out. You can also use a brush to sweep away the crumbs.

Once you’ve gotten the flakes and crumbs out, you can now clean the surfaces of the keyboard using your cleaning cloth. Make sure you make the cleaning cloth damp so that you can remove the oil or other substances that are stuck to your keys and keyboard frame.

Use another piece of cloth and gently wipe the surface of the keyboard so that it will dry faster. Plug your keyboard back into its slot in the CPU and voila—you’ve got a keyboard that is as good as new.

Make sure you regularly clean your keyboard. Not only will this help give you longer service life out of your computer peripherals, it will also prevent any insects from making a mess in your keyboard. Who knows, a clean keyboard might be just the kick you need to get started on that paper or report.