A lot of PC and laptop users regularly asked one very simple, but very interesting question: “How to clean the keyboard?”. Yes, this peripheral device constantly collects dirt, dust, crumbs from food (there are enough fans to eat at the computer) and other garbage, which significantly spoils not only the appearance and functionality of the device, but also reduces the service life. There is a strong desire to clean the keyboard, but how to do it? Let's get it right.
Cleaning Methods
How to clean a computer keyboard? Actually, before moving on to the essence, I would like to talk a bit about what cleaning methods exist. The most popular and not very effective method is to wipe with a damp cloth or napkin. The main disadvantage of this method is that when “cleaning” the dirt can only be removed from the body and surface of the buttons. Under the keys themselves and between them, dust, crumbs and dirt will still remain. Of course, you can wet the rag more and make great efforts, but after one such cleaning, the keyboard can be thrown away.
The most practical ways to clean the keyboard at home include cleaning with alcohol wipes, special tools, cleaning in parts, using third-party equipment, cotton swabs, blowing with compressed air, and much more. Now let's look at some of these methods, but in more detail.
Alcohol Wipes
The first and easiest way (how to clean the keyboard) is to use special alcohol wipes. You can buy them either in a computer hardware store or in a household chemistry store. I want to say right away that this method will take some time, since (except for wiping the surface) you will need to carefully clean each key from all sides. But the final result will pleasantly surprise you - the keyboard will be clean again.
There is still one drawback - only the outer part can be cleaned with napkins, while garbage will still remain under the keys themselves.
Special tools
The second way to clean the keyboard is to use special cleaning products, such as lick. “Lizun” is a very interesting and funny thing that you can not only buy in the store, but also do it yourself at home.
Such cleaning will not take much time, but it will help to get rid of dirt quite effectively. First you need to open the bag with the "lizun" and get it from there. Then we place it anywhere on the keyboard and wait until the “slime” is a little “spread” (you can help him with this). After this, it remains to collect the "slime" by rolling. The tool does not stick to the keys, so there should be no problems. We repeat the procedure the required number of times and remove the "slime" in a bag until the next time.
Vacuum cleaner goes to the rescue
Another quite effective way to clean the keyboard is to vacuum it. For this purpose, a car vacuum cleaner or a home vacuum cleaner is perfect, but only with a special brush nozzle. The cleaning principle itself is quite simple, so there’s nothing much to tell.
As a vacuum cleaner, by the way, you can also use a hairdryer or spray can with compressed air. At the end of the procedure, you need to wipe the keyboard with a damp cloth or cloth to remove any dust and dirt.
I need to make out everything
The last and perhaps the most effective way to clean the keyboard (how to do this will be described in detail below) of a computer is to completely disassemble and rinse it underwater. It should be noted right away that this method takes a sufficient amount of time, so that you can say goodbye to the keyboard for the next few hours. And yes, you should definitely take one or two photos of the key layout so that you won't mess up anything during the assembly.
Start by removing the buttons. This can be done with a flat screwdriver or knife. Place the tip under the edge of the button, and then pry it up. A4Tech keyboard owners can use the special key extraction tool that comes with the peripherals. Once everything is ready, the buttons should be placed in a deep bowl or saucepan, add water, add a little powder or detergent for the dishes, leave for 15-20 minutes.
While the keys are washed, you can begin to disassemble the case. To do this, remove the back cover of the keyboard. To do this, you will need a small Phillips screwdriver. With its help, we unscrew all the screws and put them somewhere separately. It is very important that some screws can hide under stickers or rubber substrates - you need to check very carefully. Once everything is done, you can disconnect the halves.
The next step is to unscrew the controller with the power cable, as well as remove the film with tracks and contacts. After that, remove all silicone membranes. By the way, it would be nice to wash them. As a result, an empty case from the keyboard should remain, which should also be thoroughly washed under water, and then left to dry.
We rinse the buttons and membranes, after which we spread them on a rag or newspaper, waiting for drying. The drying process can be accelerated with a hairdryer.
When all the parts are completely dry, we collect them together in the same order in which they were removed. At the end, insert the buttons into place using pre-made photos. That's all. The keyboard is clean, you can connect and use.
How to clean a laptop keyboard
Lastly, some useful keyboard cleaning tips for laptop owners. Unfortunately, the design of keyboards for laptop computers is significantly different from conventional ones, so they cannot, for example, be completely disassembled, washed, and then assembled. But do not be upset, there is a solution!
Here are some useful ways to clean your laptop keyboard at home:
- wiping with a microfiber cloth;
- rubbing with alcohol wipes;
- special cleaning products for laptops;
- cleaning with cotton buds;
- the use of "lizun";
- blow dry and wipe with a slightly damp cloth.
As you can see, some methods of cleaning a laptop keyboard are the same as the methods described earlier, cleaning a regular keyboard, so detailed instructions can be taken from there.