Declare Your Keyboard a Germ-Free Zone

The average keyboard harbours a stomach-churning ten million bacteria! If that doesn’t make you want to clean it straight away, we don’t know what will. However, before you pour a litre of antibacterial solution over the keys, read this guide to find out how to clean your keyboard without damaging it.  

No matter what sort of keyboard you have, the methods below will help you disinfect and clean up the keys and surrounding surfaces. Just remember to unplug your keyboard before you start cleaning it.   

Pro-Tip

Wash your hands before using the keyboard to minimise the spread of bacteria.

Shake

The first step to take is to shake your keyboard so that all of the loose crumbs and bigger dust clumps fall out. You can gently pat the back of the keyboard and move it in different angles to get the best results. We would also recommend using a small vacuum with long bristles, if possible.

Use Compressed Air

You can use a can of compressed air to push out the most stubborn dirt. Apple recommends holding it at a 75-degree angle and to spray in a flowing zigzag pattern so that you don't miss any areas. Now repeat the process 3 more times to get all 4 sides of the keyboard. If you see any stuck pieces, you can use tweezers to get them out.

Disinfect

Dip a cotton swab or a microfiber cloth into some gentle isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and delicately clean the area surrounding each key. Be careful what disinfecting substance you use, as it could cause discolouration or even rub the letters off.  Make sure you use a new swab or a clean side of the cloth before moving on to the next key.

Finally use a dry, lint-free cloth to remove dust and polish the keyboard.

Remove and Clean the Keys

This step won’t work for every keyboard, however, most desktop keyboard keys are designed to allow you to remove them. After removing the keys, you can wash them individually with alcohol or water and soap. Remember to dry them well before placing them back on the board.

We advise you to wipe down the keyboard before reassembling it back together.

Pro-Tip

Use a keyboard map when placing the keys back to get all the positions right.

A dirty keyboard worsens typing, can spread diseases, and just doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing. Show your keyboard some love by cleaning it today.