An easy guide to clean your computer keyboard by Jose Antunes

Jul 15, 2023

Constant use of your keyboard will have an unfortunate consequence: it will get dirty. Dust, hair, and debris not only can affect the keyboard’s performance, but they’re also bad for your health.

Ninety-six percent of keyboards are contaminated with bacteria, according to a study, and while a washable keyboard may be a solution, most of us have normal keyboards that need cleaning.

No matter how much you try to keep your keyboard clean using cotton swabs, a brush, compressed air or a lint-free cloth and some cleaning fluids, dirt will always find a way to adhere to the keys and the area under them, in most keyboards. Laptop keyboards need a specific cleaning process, but external keyboards can usually be cleaned with some patience and… warm water.

Yes, you can buy washable keyboards, but they are probably not the best solution for most of us, despite being… washable. In 2022, still under the pandemic, a company, Seal Shield LLC introduced new, waterproof, fully sealed silicone keyboards at AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo in New Orleans, meant for the healthcare industry.

“Offering our customers a keyboard that is fully sealed is imperative in the healthcare industry,” explains Seal Shield’s President, Andrew McCarthy. “In healthcare, keyboards are subjected to more than dust and debris. Located in high-spill areas, such as operating theatres and nurses’ stations, exposes these keyboards to multiple pathogens, medications, and bodily fluids. The ability to clean and properly disinfect keyboards becomes crucial in these settings.”

In an International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health study, 96% of keyboards tested were contaminated with bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus. The study indicates that keyboards are difficult to clean, and “the accumulation of dust and organic substrate favor the survival of bacteria. It is proven that on polluted surfaces more microorganisms occur, which underlines the need for removal of dirt and dust to reduce contamination.”

Although designed, initially, with the healthcare industry in mind, the washable and waterproof keyboards from Seal Shield, a collection that has now expanded to various models, offer a practical solution for the challenges of cleaning high-touch equipment in other industries. These keyboards are designed to be easy to clean and disinfect, providing a safer and more hygienic work environment for everyone.

One recent model, the Cleanwipe Pro is the latest waterproof keyboard from Seal Shield. It is a compact keyboard with an IP rating that is certified to IPx8, making it 100% washable, waterproof, and dishwasher safe. This keyboard offers three ergonomic tilt positions for optimal comfort during use and a laptop-like layout for quiet keys when typing. It supports USB 3.0 connectivity and a keyboard lock function to prevent accidental key strikes while cleaning the keyboard.

The company has a series designed for home and office settings which you may want to explore, and it also has mice and other products. Seal Shield says that “Many professionals whether in a physical office, or home office setting, drink coffee, beverages, or eat meals at their desk. When the accidental spill happens, a standard keyboard can end up broken. Seal Shield keyboards allow you to easily clean up accidental spills without equipment damage. You can simply wash them in the sink or even clean compatible models in the dishwasher.”

If you’re still on a conventional keyboard, then this guide is for you. Take a couple of hours to home clean your keyboard and recover some of its functionality. Cotton swabs with rubbing alcohol and a microfiber cloth as well as a can of compressed air can help to keep your keyboard clean. You should always have those around, but there comes a time when you need to do some deep cleaning, and that’s when… washing your keyboard is the right solution. No, you’re not going to immerse it into water, the process takes a bit longer, but is safer and will give you the pleasure of touching a keyboard that feels almost new.

Turning your keyboard upside down and shaking it – to dislodge small debris and dust – is not only something that you can do on a regular basis, as well as vacuum cleaning it (I use a small piece of plastic mesh over the keyboard to guarantee no keys are “eaten” by the vacuum cleaner), but also the first thing to do when you decide to deep clean your keyboard.

The second thing to do is… to photograph the keyboard layout. Because you’re going to take the keycaps from the keyboard, it’s essential to have a guide to put them back in the right place. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to take the keycaps, using a keycap removal (a small tool you can buy at most computer stores). Before you do this, though, confirm that you’ve a mechanical keyboard whose keycaps can be removed for cleaning.

Once you’ve removed the keycaps, the base of the keyboard – which has gathered lots of dust and particles – can be cleaned. As for the keycaps, immerse them in warm soapy water and let them soak for a while… maybe while you clean the base of the keyboard.

Check the keycaps individually, scrub away any dirt – use a sponge or cloth – and rinse them in clean water. If you’ve time, let them dry over a piece of cloth or, instead use a hair dryer – keep the keycaps inside a folded piece of cloth and blow air through an opening – to make sure they are completely dry.

Once you’ve finished, it’s time to reassemble your keyboard, that’s the moment when the photo taken earlier helps to put everything back in the right place. If you’ve done everything properly, your keyboard will feel almost as new!

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