How to clean keyboards?

[clicknext]

I think I spilt some kind of strange stuff in my keyboard and it cleanly got through the spaces without touching the sides somehow. Is there any way to clean it out?

 

[VTrider]

I love threads like this because I get to read how everyone else just puts their keyboard in the dishwasher with no ill effects. I probably would if I had a dishwasher too.

I usually around once a year grab a beer, flat head screwdriver, a sponge and some soap and manually take off every key and clean it! It's not so much a lot of work as it is tedious.....grab a good movie.

-VTrider

(P.S. Don't forget where they all go back on like I did the first time )

 

[Cabana]

I wouldn't recommend taking apart any Natural keyboards. They are a PAIN to put back together. I found the best way to clean the keys is to put them in a bowl of hot soapy water and use a toothbrush.

 

[clicknext]

The keys can actually come off? I tried pulling a bit but I was afraid that I would break it.

 

[VTrider]

Yeah they 'pop' right off (Disclaimer: every one of 'my' keyboards atleast). I just stick a blunt object like a butter knife or a flathead screwdriver underneath and give it a little twist and 'pop' goes the keyboard button. Some like the spacebar and enter key and/or shift have little springs under them so be careful not to loose those. They go on just as easy in my experience, just with a little downward push.

-VTrider

 

[Excalibur]

I just tried cleaning my MS Natural Keyboard in warm water, then I wiped it dry and blow dry it and let it sit for few hours to air dry. Now the keyboard is screwed.

 

[Dan]

P.S. Don't forget where they all go back on like I did the first time )

Take a shot of the keyboard with a digital camera before you start prying the keys off.

The keys can actually come off?

Yes, they come off. You're generally okay taking off the numbers, letters and F- keys. Don't mess with the space bar; it's a pain to put back on.

 

[Jeff7]

My keyboard got all cruddy inside after about 2 years of heavy use - I just disassembled the entire thing, removing the circuit board, which was pretty small, right where the LED's are. I took the opportunity then to replace the LED's with high brightness models; just makes me wish the LED's were on all the time now.
But with the PCB out, the rest of the board was mainly plastic and rubber; I just washed it all in some soapy water, and left it to dry for a day, then just reassembled everything; it's working just fine now, and the lights are very bright and colorful. I didn't feel like splurging on some EL filaments to light up the entire keyboard.

 

[beatle]

Even if you know where all the keys go, make sure you can differentiate the arrow keys and backspace key. My backspace is a single arrow that looks almost identical to my left arrow key. :Q FWIW, my cleaning efforts with soapy water weren't worth the trouble. I just bought another $11 keyboard and put the other one to server duty. Alternatively, goodwill sometimes has great cheap computer parts. I picked up a $2 Canon keyboard from 1990. Big and loud as can be... now if it would only fit on my desk.

 

[Dreadogg]

Originally posted by: Excalibur
I just tried cleaning my MS Natural Keyboard in warm water, then I wiped it dry and blow dry it and let it sit for few hours to air dry. Now the keyboard is screwed.

Yea I just took a bath with mine and now its screwed.

P.s best way I have found to clean a keyboard is to buy a new one! I have also tried the dishwasher thing and it will melt your keys if you have really hot water, this was with an old keyboard, I dont think I would try this with a new one!

 

[farmercal]

I have to agree with Dreadogg on this one. You guys would spend hours trying to clean a keyboard like that when a new one only costs about $20? Earning minimum wage will buy the new keyboard with two or three hours work but instead you would rather tediously pry every key off and then have to remember where each key goes back on? I don't get it, is it a matter of more time than money?

 

[dzt]

I've cleaned my keyboard and the only pain is put back the rubber pad/spring to the board (about 5 minutes "hard work"), not the keys. You don't have to disassemble all keys, it will be useless.
Just unscrew, collect the rubber pad with paper, use dry brush / vacuum cleaner for lower side, then wash the upper side with water and soap, brush it, dry it with towels and then flush out with fan, wait till a bit dryer. for most keybs, the keys won't ripped off (it is mechanically stucked with upper side).
you don't have to clean the contact surface since it is rarely dusty, if you have to, suggest use soft clothe (never done this).
That way, you'll have comfortable keybs, less pain, and reduce techno-stuffs pollution (keyboards are made from plastic which is hard to recycle).





God save the mother nature

 

[clicknext]

Originally posted by: Dan

P.S. Don't forget where they all go back on like I did the first time )

Take a shot of the keyboard with a digital camera before you start prying the keys off.

LOL! I'm familiar enough with a keyboard to know where all the keys go. And all my arrow keys look different. =) Hey it'd be interesting to put all the keys in random order to see if I really can type anything without looking.

 

[VTrider]

The first time I re-assembled my keyboard, I forgot about that (~) tilde key and all my numbers were off by one - It took me like a week to finally put it back together the right way after typing in numbers wrong day after day, I am lazy.

-VTrider

(I just heard something on NPR about how the guy who originally invented the layout for the keyboard, made it in a way so the word 'TYPEWRITER' all fit on the first line!)

 

[clicknext]

You know those special key arrangement keyboards that they sell which are supposed to have more often used keys in the middle? Couldn't one just remap the keys and change the keys around to make it that way?

 

[Dreadogg]

Originally posted by: clicknext
You know those special key arrangement keyboards that they sell which are supposed to have more often used keys in the middle? Couldn't one just remap the keys and change the keys around to make it that way?

LOL, your not serious are you, you know you would need some sort of crazy software for that or just some special fronts!

 

[clicknext]

lol actually I was quite serious. well I don't mean to do that, but I just saying isn't that perfectly possible?

 

[NiteWulf]

This is called a "Dvorak" keyboard layout, if I'm not mistaken. You should be able to change the inputs in the control panel. Just tested it with ME and didn't see it, but I seem to remember being able to do it in 95. Might be somewhere else in the system, but I'll leave that up to all yous guys.

 

[fatboy]

I have put mine in the dishwasher before.... always works fine afterwards... oh yeah.. don't use any soap tho... that may make things messy....


good luck

fatboy!

 

[clicknext]

Something seems wrong about washing your keyboard with a dishwasher...