Cleaning the keyboard is extremely important, and sadly, many of us do not do this on a regular basis, if at all. Because our hands come in contact with many things, it is safe to say we transfer bacteria and viruses to our keyboard when used.
How to keep your Keyboard clean
In other cases, we can also collect bacteria and viruses from a keyboard, especially the ones that haven’t been cleaned for eons. You see, while many folks will clean several devices in their office, the keyboard is usually looked over, and as such, germs are left to multiply.
The question is, then, what is the best possible solution to cleaning a keyboard? We definitely cannot douse it with water and bleach, so there must be a better way that doesn’t end up damaging the device.
Now, before moving forward, we should point out that 27 percent of office keyboards have high levels of contamination, according to the Healthland section of Time.
Precautions to take before cleaning your keyboard
Cut power to the keyboard
OK, so the first thing to do here, is to unplug the keyboard from the computer to ensure power is not being delivered. Now, for those who are using a laptop computer, this task is more difficult, and as such, only advanced users should attempt to remove the keyboard.
For regular folks, simply turn off the laptop and remove the battery if possible. Failure to do so could cause damage to the overall system, and we don’t want that at all.
Turn keyboard upside-down
It’s now time to get the dust out of your keyboard, so get a small paper bag or a dustbin, and gently shake the keyboard from the upside-down position to get out all that dust, debris, and food particles.
Remove the keys
Depending on the design of the keyboard, it may be possible for the user to easily remove individual keys to clean the board. In many cases, there are challenges with removing the keys, and since we do not want you to break anything, we would like to recommend the following tool:
It’s pretty good, and from our experience, it should make like much easier when the time comes to clean your keyboard.
Read: Tips to physically clean your Windows computer.
Keep Keyboard free from bacteria and viruses
Were now going to discuss the tools you should use to clean your computer keyboard without causing unforeseen damages.
Use the slime
Placing slime on your keyboard doesn’t sound like a good idea, but this is no ordinary slime. We are, in fact, talking about the cleaning slime. You see, cleaning slimes are sticky and gummy-looking objects that stick to your device. When removed, the slime takes with it much of the dust, grime, and whatever else living on the surface.
Now, from what we’ve experienced, the cleaning slime works best on mechanical keyboards or any type with enough space between keys.
Compressed air is great
If you have a deep hatred for dust on your devices, which includes your keyboard, then how about getting yourself a can of compressed air? When you press on the button, air blast right out of the can and into your keyboard, which in turn, blows out any amount of dust and thin layers of grime.
Compressed air is also perfect for cleaning the inside of desktop computers, so keep that in mind for the future.
A little rubbing alcohol never hurts
Before going out to get yourself a bottle of rubbing alcohol, please bear in mind that you’ll need the one with 70 percent alcohol. Any less and it won’t have enough power to kill germs and bacteria, so read the description or ask the store clerk.
When it’s time to clean, get a small cloth, and damp it with the rubbing alcohol, and from there, wipe down the surface of your keyboard. To get in-between and under the keys, get a cotton-swap stick dip it into the alcohol.
Clearly, this method is not easy to use when compared to compressed air and slime, but it is the best way to remove bacteria.
Now read: How to clean your Computer Mouse of Dirt and Grime.
