The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
i just use rubbing alcohol or ethanol 99% perfered, gets rid of anything. sometimes hot water and a little more rubbing work could do but alcohol is easier. keyboards overtime carry alot of germs so using alcohol also keeps it cleaner and safer. indeed opening a keyboard to thoroughly clean it is the ideal way but wastes alota time
NEVER put any liquid directly on your machine. Use a few paper towels folded up, put the alcohol on the towels, and then clean the keys off with that. Repeat as necessary. Make sure the machine is off, the battery is removed and it's unplugged when you do this. Alcohol may evaporate completely, but it can still cause a short if you don't wait long enough or use it on live electronics.
I'd advise against alcohol--since it's typically too caustic for most laptop applications. Although I have heard of people using it safely, generally speaking, it's as much a risk of staining your computer as the stain you already have.
In the future, stay away from your computer when your hands aren't clean. Save that, use a moist (not damp) cloth to wipe away any stains and dirt.
Personally, I use Pledge Multi-Surface cleaner (available in wipes) which is a great--and safe cleaner--for keeping my computer looking like new.
i use my lcd screen cleaner and a microfiber cloth. i spray the cleaner on the cloth and lightly wipe the keyboard with very little force (not enough to push keys down)
I've always just used 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean every part of my computer stuff. Doesn't hurt anything and doesn't leave funky residue or streaks like water or lower-concentration isopropyl does. And doesn't strip off coatings and paint like harsher cleaners tend to.
on my old old keyboards that have no value beyond the fact i dont have to buy another one i'll use goof off on a microfiber cloth and that seems to completely destroy any dirt and oil stains. Though you really have to be careful, goof off is powerful and will melt your keys, and even take the paint off on your car if you aren't careful. In conclusion, if all else fails use goof off sparingly.
I'm surprised so many people would even mention using alcohol on any part of a laptop. While the hard plastic of some desktops might be immune to it, most laptops are just to fragile for alcohol even diluted.
PC World magazine recommends a 50/50 clear vinegar/distilled water mixture on a moist (not damp) cloth.
On the contrary, it is far from safe; and it will indeed remove paint, as well as dry out the plastic and eventually cause it to crack prematurely.
As suggested here, I've read some other articles about people using alcohol to clean their computer. Nevertheless, I caution anyone from doing this as a general rule. I think alcohol and ammonia are just to harsh and do more harm than good in the long run as far as laptops are concerned.
Even though there are manufacturers that coat their keys (typically workstations, etc.), alcohol is NEVER recommended by any of them as a clearer.
Windex in soft tissue.Safe and effective.And if you want to remove all the dust run the vacum cleaner at it's lowest speed.Gives it that new,out of the box look.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.
