How to clean your keyboard ?

Good morning.

For my first post to the community, I chose a simple Instructable: How to clean you keyboard ?
Nothing much to it, right. But when it is time... It is time ;-)

These are simple and straight forward instructions to follow. Here we go. First gather the tools together :
- The right screwdriver.
- A used toothbrush.
- The dirty keyboard...

Step 1 Remove the screws. All the screws.

1. Dismantle your keyboard.

Most of the keyboard are made in the same fashion nowadays so I thought the picture below should be self-explanatory. This is pretty easy but before to do it gather a box to put the screws in it and grab an adequate screwdriver.

Check for all the screws location before to start removing them. They are all in the back but some are also underneath the keys sometimes. There is a screw underneath my Tab key here...

Comments

[gosub]

This "instructable" is obsolete now considering that a company released a washable keyboard this year and showed it at the CES.

[adamvan2000]

I do think this instructable still has it's usefulness, for those of us who choose to recycle older keyboards or are using out-of-date hardware. I myself recycle old keyboards from thrift stores to save myself some money and benefit the environment in some small way. ~adamvan2000

[gosub]

Thanks Adam. I started to clean keyboards a long time ago (1992). And it saved a load of keyboards indeed.

[static]

Not being a touch typist, I can get by with using the elcheapo keyboards at Walmart. When my key board gets to the point I even don't want to touch it, I go get another. Not very green of me I know, but what can I say.

[peaceman]

Just a suggestion, one may want to take a (digital) photograph of the position of the keys.... just in case!

[gosub]

The purpose of this one is to NOT remove the keys... Water, foam and brush are enough to get it clean. Although, there are loads of graphical layouts on the web to find... I do not want the keys to be removed. Except accidental loss.

[jdege]

I really think you do need to remove the keys. First, to make it easier to get out the crap that's underneath them. Second, you really don't want to expose the circuitry to more cleaning than is absolutely necessary. The case and the keys can be soaped up good, or run through the dishwasher. The circuit board should not be.

[gosub]

"I really think you do need to remove the keys." - I don't think so ! "...Second, you really don't want to expose the circuitry to more cleaning than is absolutely necessary." - That is was the instructable say "The case and the keys can be soaped up good, or run through the dishwasher." - That is was the instructable say "The circuit board should not be." - That is was the instructable say. read it !!

[jdege]

How are you going to run the keys through the dishwasher and not run the circuit board through the dishwasher, without removing the keys?

[JanxAngel]

Because one of the first steps is taking the keyboard apart with all the keys in place on one half and the circuit part on the other half. So he is removing the keys, just not one by one. There may be a difference in how this works with different model keyboards which could be the reason for some confusion.

[gosub]

Yes you spotted it. There is one part with just the plastic casing and the keys (which is the upper side of the keyboard) and the side containing the electronic (the side you want to keep dry) Maybe some other keyboard got their upper side with electronics in it. But this unlikely. Further more the lower part does not get dirt that much and a paintbrush most of the time is enough to get a good clean up.

[jdege]

I've taken apart a fair number of keyboards, and on all but the cheapest there are three major parts. There's a two-part plastic case, front and back, and a circuit board sandwiched between them. When you take apart the case and remove the circuit board, the key caps remain attached to the circuit board, each snapped on to the post of its switch.

[gosub]

I really think you should read it :-)) As I spotted before DO NOT EXPOSE the circuit. But hey, do what you like....