We all know how disgusting a laptop keyboard can get, and nobody likes to use one when it’s filthy with dirt and grime.
Whether you’re using your computer at work or in the comfort of your own home, having a clean laptop or rather knowing how to clean a laptop is not only necessary for appearance purposes but also for hygiene reasons.
In this guide, we will show you how How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard.
Step One: Gather Your Supplies:
Before you begin cleaning your laptop, make sure that all necessary materials are gathered.
You’ll need some of the following:
Isopropyl alcohol (the higher % this is, the better)
Cotton Swabs or Q Tips
Soft, microfiber cloths
Mild dish detergent such as Dawn
A can of compressed air
Step two: Shut down your Laptop:
This is an important step, as you don’t want to damage your computer by accidentally spilling liquid on any of the circuitry or ports.
Once your laptop is shut down, unplug it from any power sources.
Step three: Flip the laptop and shake it gently:
Once you’ve shut down your laptop and unplugged it, flip the screen back so that you can access the keyboard.
With a gentle but firm shake, try to remove as much of the excess dirt from the keyboard as possible.
You don’t want to push any deeper into crevices where there may be more dirt lurking.
Step four: Spray compressed air within the keyboard keys:
If you have a can of compressed air, hold it upside down and spray it into the cracks between the keyboard keys.
This will help dislodge any dirt or grime that may be stuck in there.
Step five: Soak a cotton swab in alcohol:
Dip a cotton swab into your isopropyl alcohol and begin scrubbing at the dirtiest areas of the keyboard.
If there’s any built-up gunk, this will help loosen it up. Be sure to apply pressure when you’re scrubbing so that the alcohol can do its job.
Step six: Wipe away the alcohol and grime with a dry cotton swab:
Once the dirt has been loosened, wipe it away with a clean cotton swab.
If there’s any leftover grime from your scrubbing session, just add some more alcohol to the cotton swab and try again.
If this doesn’t do anything for you or if you don’t have a spare cotton swab on hand, you can also use a napkin.
Step seven: Dry the keyboard with compressed air and turn it back over:
With your laptop still flipped over, hold it in place while using the compressed air to dry off any excess moisture from your cleaning session.
Once everything looks like it dried up, flip it back over and continue using it.
Step eight: Enjoy your clean and fresh laptop keyboard.
You’re done cleaning up the mess you made, so sit back and enjoy using a clean keyboard.
Not only will this help keep you from getting sick but it’ll also make typing feel much more comfortable than before since there’s no dirt or grime in the way.
Things to avoid when cleaning your laptop keyboard:
- Do not pour any liquid directly onto the keyboard. This could damage the circuitry and internal components.
- Do not use a vacuum cleaner to clean your laptop keyboard. The powerful suction could pull out keycaps or dislodge other delicate parts.
- Do not try to remove the keycaps yourself. This can be difficult and may cause further damage to the keyboard.
- Do not use any harsh chemicals or cleaning solutions. This could damage the finish of the keyboard, or even worse, corrode the internal components.
Related articles:
- How to clean a laptop
- How to Clean a Laptop Screen in 4 Simple Steps and Expert Tips
- How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard
- How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard After a Spill
- How to Clean a Laptop Touchpad
- How to Clean a Laptop Charging Port in 3 steps
- How to Clean Laptop USB Ports
- How to Clean a Laptop Fan
- How to Clean a Laptop Heatsink
- How to Clean a Laptop Bag: The 2022 Ultimate Guide
- How to Clean a Laptop Cooling Pad: 2022 Ultimate Guide
Conclusion on How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard
You may think that you can clean your laptop keyboard with soap and water, but this is not true.
As a matter of fact, cleaning a laptop keyboard is an important job because the small spaces inside of it can be breeding grounds for bacteria.
If your computer or laptop has been used heavily, you may need to clean it every month or so according to some experts’ recommendations.
A few things that are helpful when cleaning a laptop keyboard include using compressed air to blow out all the dust and debris from under keys, wiping down with alcohol-based solution, and blow-drying up any crumbs around the edges of keys.
Related articles:
- How to clean under keyboard keys
- How to clean a laptop keyboard after spills
- How to disinfect a laptop keyboard
The sites below covered the topic well;
FAQ’s on How to Clean your Laptop Keyboard
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What is a good cleaner for laptop keyboard?
Laptop keyboards are prone to collecting crumbs, dust and germs. A good cleaner is one that will kill all of these elements while not damaging the laptop keyboard or keys themselves.
You want something like a simple spray bottle with some form of ammonia-based product in it, but you should check with your computer manufacturer first because they may have a cleaner that they recommend.
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Can I vacuum my laptop keyboard?
You can, but it is not recommended. The fine particles that get sucked into the vacuum cleaner will then be blown around and spread across your laptop keyboard again.
Blowing compressed air through a pin-sized hole in the side of the computer where you insert CDs and DVDs (on some models) works much better than using a vacuum cleaner because it doesn’t stir up particles.
The vacuum cleaners I am suggesting here are the small ones like the ones listed below;
[amazon box=”B08KKZF98G,B0761JHZ27,B07KSXV6LK” grid=”3″] -
Can you remove laptop keys for cleaning?
Some laptop keys can be removed for cleaning or replaced if they get damaged.
The keys attach to the keyboard with a plastic hinge, and on most models, this is clearly visible when you look straight down on top of the laptop keyboard where it attaches under each key.
You will need a small Philips-head screwdriver (usually included in any laptop repair kit) to remove the screws that hold the key in place.
Our guide on How to clean underneath keyboard keys has steps for removing keyboard keys. Consider reading that guide.
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Can you wash a keyboard?
It is not recommended that you try to wash your laptop keyboard in a sink or dishwasher.
The water could get inside the computer and cause damage, and the pressure of the water could push dirt and dust further into small crevices where it’s hard to clean.
You can use a slightly damp cloth to wipe down the surface of the keyboard, but be very careful not to get any liquid into the cracks between the keys.
If your laptop has a touchpad or trackball, you can also clean these with a damp cloth.
Just make sure that they are completely dry before using them again.