There are many reasons to clean your keyboard. Cleaning your keyboard removes all the bacteria that can accumulate and reduces your chances of getting sick.
In addition, your keycaps won't accumulate as much grease or stickiness, which can help improve your typing experience.
Another added benefit is that a clean keyboard has less chance of breaking. You'll have less debris that could get into the cracks of your keyboard or accumulate inside one of the switches. No one wants to spend time desoldering a switch, taking it apart and trying to clean up any crap that has built up inside.
All in all, a clean keyboard is much better than a dirty one.
Once a week. Wipe down the keyboard keys with a disinfectant.
Every 4-6 weeks. Clean the keyboard more deeply by removing the keycaps and cleaning between the keys.
Ideally you should wipe the surface of your keyboard with a disinfectant frequently, we recommend once a week. If you work on a shared keyboard, it's a good idea to wipe it down between each use to prevent spreading germs and other fun stuff.
Keyboard Cleaning Sponge Stick
We usually recommend using a microfibre towel that has been sprayed with disinfectant a few times to wipe down the keyboard as well. Avoid using paper towels as they can leave little bits that can stick to your keyboard. If you don't have a microfibre towel, an old t-shirt or handkerchief will do.
Once a week cleaning can be done in less than a minute. The main purpose of this cleaning is to remove anything that you come into direct contact with on a daily basis. Things like grease, food, bacteria and other things that get stuck on the keycaps should be wiped away.
A monthly, or 4-6 week cleaning, focuses on a deeper cleaning of the keyboard. Any hair particles, debris or dust bunnies that have fallen between the keycaps will be cleaned. To prepare everything, unplug the keyboard and collect the cleaning supplies.
For this type of cleaning, you will need to remove the keycaps first. We recommend using a keycap puller to remove the keycaps faster, just be careful not to pull them out too quickly as you will have to twist them gently so you don't accidentally damage the switch levers underneath.
Once the keycaps have come off, you can clean them more deeply by soaking them in soap and water and then leaving them on a couple of paper towels overnight. This will remove any sticky or oily build up from the keycaps and make them feel like new.
Place the keycaps in a bowl with warm water and a few drops of soap, then move the keycaps around by hand to wipe off any visible stains or dirt. Then let the keycaps soak for about 30 minutes before straining them and letting them dry by spreading them out on a couple of paper towels.
Keyboard Cleaning Sponge Stick
With the keycaps still on the keyboard, you should now be able to clean the surface of the keyboard better. Wipe between the switches with a keyboard cleaning sponge stick to clean up any accumulated dust or debris. You can also use a hoover or compressed air if you want to clean everything more quickly.
Once the keyboard surfaces and keycaps have dried, you are ready to reinstall them onto the keyboard. In total, the whole process should take about 20-30 minutes, but you will have to wait until the keycaps are dry.
It is worth noting that the frequency of cleaning will vary depending on the type of keyboard you have. For example, a keyboard with a floating keycap design will need to be cleaned more frequently as hair and debris can easily fall between the keys of the keyboard.
A keyboard with a more contoured design will not need to be cleaned quite as often as there is less room for dust to fall between the gaps. However, always use your own judgement when optimising your keyboard cleaning schedule.
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