While you can reference photos online or consult your user manual to figure out the correct locations, a picture lets you can see the difference before and after cleaning.
Don’t bend the keys as you pull them, as this can damage the connection. Pull the keys straight up to dislodge them, revealing plus-sign-shaped holdings.
You can identify hinged keys by looking for white hinges on the bottom of any keycaps you couldn’t pull off. Usually, the spacebar, shift key, enter key, and tab key will have hinges. [5] X Research source The hinges are slotted at the bottom of the keyboard and are more easily seen once all other keys are removed.
Put a lid on the container to prevent leaks, and store it in the sink or in a draining area to avoid getting gunk on your floor.
Let the keys soak for longer if there are particularly bad stains on them, up to 30 minutes at most, as water could loosen the surface layer of paint if left for too long to soak. You can also add some mild soap to the water to help remove buildup.
Let your keys sit on the towel until they are completely dry, even if it takes longer than an hour. Any water in your keyboard could damage the internal electronics, so be absolutely certain there are no drops left before you reattach them.
While rubbing alcohol evaporates on its own, it’s still best to run these keys under water and dry them again so your keyboard doesn’t smell like alcohol. [11] X Research source Place them symbol-side-up on the towel when you’ve cleaned the persistent gunk.
If you don’t have access to keyboard duster spray, you can use a leaf blower or similar high-pressure air blowing tool. Just lay it flat on the ground, hold it steady with heavy objects, and let the leaf blower loose. [14] X Research source This will spray lots of gunk, dust, hair, and other particles all over the place. If you want to keep your floor and desk space clean, take the keyboard outside to spray it off.
If you leave your cotton swabs in the alcohol for too long the cotton will unravel from the stick and become unusable. Instead, just dip it in for a brief second, and let any excess alcohol drip off.
If you find any gunk that is particularly stuck, try using more pressure, or use a small sharp object like a pocket knife to gently chip away the outer part of the gunk and then rub it with alcohol again. Be careful around the LEDs and consider using a cotton swab that has barely any rubbing alcohol on these parts to prevent electrical damage.
Let the keyboard fully dry before continuing, and dab away excess alcohol with a dry cloth if necessary. You can also use regular cleaning wipes for this step, as they don’t drip and are less likely to cause electronic damage. Opt for alcohol-infused cleaning wipes to get the best clean.
You won’t hear a click, but the plus-sign-shaped hole should fit snugly over the plus-sign-shaped attachment on the keyboard. Do not reattach any keys that have not yet fully dried, as this could cause damage to your LEDs or render the key unusable. [20] X Research source
If you see gunk that you missed, just remove keycaps from the area and clean it with a cotton swab again. You don’t need to go through the entire cleaning process again for one mark. [21] X Research source
