Laptops and computers these days have become an indispensable part of our lives, and we all know how inconvenient our daily routines might get if these devices start slowing down or are down with some hardware problem. The keyboard is the most important input device, so it is essential to keep it clean. But if not taken proper care-of sometimes dust can clog between keys and make them work sluggishly or some keys might stop working altogether, which will then be a problem for those using them daily for their main input device. Sometimes people have habits of eating eatables right from the computer table and keep using the devices in between with oily hands that can cause major problems as far as mouses and keyboards are concerned.
So to clean a dirty keyboard, the first thing that one needs to do is unplug it from your computer back panel and try cleaning it with a dry cloth or brush to remove any visible dust particles. This can help keeping the keyboard clean if done regularly however for severe oil and dirt and other residues clogged in between keys and panel bellow you would have to unscrew it and clean it manually, some parts are washable in keyboard, please remember only a few like the rubber sheet in between keys and the switching panel below. To do this grab a few things like a napkin/tissue paper or lint-free cloth, a small brush, a mild and non-abrasive cleaning agent and a screw driver. Wet a corner of your cloth or napkin with a cleaning agent, and give the surface a thorough wipe. It will be better if you choose a cleaning agent with de-greasing chemicals, because it will help you to get rid of the dirt sticking to the keyboard because of skin/food oils.
When this is done, use the brush to remove dirt between keys. Keeping the keyboard upside down and pressing them also helps to a certain extent in unclogging dirt. After the surface has been cleaned and dirt has been dislodged from between the keys, it’s time to clean each key individually. Slide a screw driver below a key and gently pry it out by applying a little pressure upwards. Use the brush to clean dust accumulating inside it, and then you can use your cleaning agent to clean all the five sides of the key. Always remember not to apply the cleaning agent onto the keyboard directly, and take care while removing big keys like space bar or enter with the screwdriver, because they may have a small metal rod attached to hold them in place. Clean each key and replace it, but if you don’t want to waste time then first note their positions and remove all the keys, then clean them together. You can unscrew the screws underside the keyboard, unscrew them all and keep them in a safe place so you can access them easily, remove the keys plate carefully, then remove the rubber sheet, rubber sheet can be cleaned with a cleaning agent and the keys assembly can be washed and then dried, remember not to mess up the circuits put back the rubber sheet, and keys assembly and drive all the screws in. A job well done! Congrats you just cleaned your keyboard.
