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Cleaning your keyboard not only removes dust and germs from your computer, but also increases the longevity of your keyboard.
Cleaning your keyboard with Post-its: Quick, inexpensive, and effective
Almost everyone has classic Post-its on their desk. You can use them to clean your keyboard effectively. Just follow our instructions:
- Make sure your computer or laptop is turned off and disconnect the keyboard from the device if possible. This will prevent damage during cleaning.
- Take a Post-it note and peel it off so that the sticky side is visible.
- Run the Post-it note with the sticky side down through each row of keys. Move it slowly and evenly to ensure that the adhesive strip picks up the dirt and dust.
- Be sure to cover all areas, especially the spaces between the keys, where crumbs and dust often accumulate.
- Check the Post-it note after pulling it through; you should see a collection of dirt and dust on it. If necessary, repeat the process with a fresh Post-it note.
Deep cleaning your computer keyboard
To thoroughly clean your desktop PC keyboard, you need to remove all the keys. Before doing so, however, you should memorize the layout of your keyboard or, better yet, take a photo of it to avoid misplacing any keys later on.
- You can remove the keys from the housing using a pen or screwdriver. This requires a lot of patience and, above all, fine motor skills.
- The keys are usually dishwasher-safe. So nothing should happen if you wash them at 40 degrees. You need to be careful with cheap keyboards, as the letters are only printed on and could come off if you use a cleaning agent that is too strong.
- You can now remove coarse dirt from the spaces between the keys on your keyboard by vacuuming the dust crumbs from above with a conventional vacuum cleaner set to the lowest power setting.
- Stubborn stains can then be removed with a damp cloth. For the corners, you can use a cotton swab soaked in soapy water or dishwashing liquid.
- Finally, place the keys back in their original position.
Thorough cleaning: How to clean a laptop keyboard
You should only remove the keys from a laptop keyboard in extreme emergencies, as the mounts are much more likely to break off than on a classic computer keyboard. A gentler cleaning method is recommended here:
- You don’t need any special equipment for thorough cleaning, but you do need the right tools. Compressed air sprays are ideal for blowing dust out of the gaps, as are soft brushes or cleaning gels that pick up even fine particles.
- Make sure that the laptop is turned off so that you do not trigger any unintended commands, for example, by pressing a key shortcut. Also remove the battery to prevent possible electric shocks.
- Now you can turn your laptop upside down and shake it gently to remove any coarse grains and crumbs.
- Stubborn stains can be removed with a slightly damp microfiber cloth before wiping everything dry with a paper towel or kitchen towel.
- You can also use a conventional vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment. Be particularly careful when doing this and make sure you set the vacuum cleaner to the lowest power setting so that the keys are not sucked out.
- The spaces between the keys can be cleaned easily with small interdental brushes, which allow you to reach not only every corner but also under the keys.
- Disinfecting the keyboard is particularly useful in shared environments such as offices, schools, or family households. To do this, use alcohol-based disinfectant wipes with a maximum of 70% isopropanol and wipe all surfaces carefully.
