Keeping a Keyboard Clean

How do you guys keep your notebook keyboards clean? I'm thinking about using Clorox Disinfectant wipes? Or would that drip down into the keyboard? Any suggestions?

 

I use a combination of a can of compressed air and the Omnicleanz spray + microfiber cloth (got it from radtech but i saw something similar at shaggymac).

 

I use the proofed method of replacing the whole keyboard , sure you can use dump cloth ( with alcohol NOT water ) but what do you do about the dirt below the keys , food crumbs and sticky keys ?

You can donate the old keyboard to starved children or sell it to a lab for bacterial reasearch

 

I wouldn’t recommend that you use Clorox, I believe it is too strong a cleansing agent for plastic / keyboards.

What I have for cleaning are a paint-brush to brush off any dust and dirt off the screen and in-between the keys, compressed air for “pushing out” bigger dirt granules from under the keyboard, screen wipes for wiping the screen obviously, and a water-damped (only damp, not soaked) cloth to wipe the external chassis.

 

I experimented with some acetone recently (since I had the bottle out anyway for cleaning a CPU heatsink)

I don't think I can recommend that. It seemed well on its way to dissolving my F10 key. (The actual "F10" label is pretty much gone, and the surface feels weird)

If it's a desktop keyboard, you can simply take the keyboard apart and clean each part separately. You just have to keep the bit of circuitry in the corner, and the plastic sheet that connects it to all the keys safe. The casing and the individual keys can be easily cleaned then with a bit of detergent or simple soapy water or whatever you've got nearby.

For laptops, my best advice would be to just try to keep it clean.

 

Well for me it is the tried and true method of hosing it down water and then removing the back and letting it air dry for a week or two. For my wireless keyboard I do the same but remove the IR/RF (can't remeber which) and batteries and I am good to go.

 

I'd advise that you don't do what pharoke said. Sorry pharoke, but that seems waaay to risky, even if you've taken precautions...

 

Not to mention who wants to go a 'week or two' without their keyboard?!

Periodically I'll pull my laptops keyboard and give it a good blow with some compressed air. Brings back that new keyboard feel. Given that my laptop is over three years old, the new keyboard feel says alot.

 

i might try that paint brush idea...as soon as I buy one not stained with model paint!

 

Letting water "Airdry" on anything electric is the WORST idea possible. The only way that would decently work, is if you let it dry at an angle... as to let the water run off.