Keyboard Deep Clean

How to complete Keyboard Deep Clean

Keyboards collect a startling amount of crumbs, skin, and hair in the gaps under the keys, which eventually causes sticky or dead switches. A proper clean-out makes typing feel crisp again and is the cheapest way to extend a board's life.

1. Unplug the keyboard (or power off a wireless one), flip it upside down, and give it a firm shake over a bin.
2. Blast between the keys with compressed air in short bursts, working row by row from one side to the other.
3. Wipe the keycaps with a slightly damp microfiber cloth or an alcohol wipe to lift grime.
4. For a deeper clean, pop off the keycaps with a puller, brush the exposed base, then refit them.

Tips

• Photograph the layout before removing keycaps so each one goes back in the right place.
• Leave the large stabilized keys (space, enter, shift) alone unless confident, since they are fiddly to re-seat.
• Hold compressed-air cans upright and use short bursts so you don't spray liquid propellant onto the board.

What counts as done

Tilting the keyboard shakes nothing loose, the keycaps look clean, and every key presses without sticking.