How to Clean Dust from a Keyboard
Cleaning a keyboard can appear to be a daunting task – all those little keys, fixed gently on to the keyboard, with lots of edges and crevices for the dust to get trapped in. However, it is a necessary task – leaving dust and food particles trapped in the keyboard is unhygienic, and these lead to bacteria developing on the keyboard. For this reason, it is essential to keep your keyboard clean, in order to protect yourself, and your family, from potential diseases.
While you might be wondering where to begin when it comes to cleaning your keyboard, it is really not that hard, provided you have the right tools and an effective method to follow.
Things Required:
– A can of compressed air
– Cotton swab
– Computer cleaning solvent
– Soft, lint-free cloth
– Antibacterial wipe
Instructions
-
1
Start by turning your keyboard upside down, and shaking it, to loosen up the dust and any other debris (such as food crumbs, and any other particles) caught in between and under the keys. If any particularly stubborn particles are difficult to dislodge, simply press the surrounding keys a couple of times to loosen it up and make it come out.
Image courtesy: moblog.net
-
2
Now that you have shaken the larger dust balls and other particles out of the keyboard, it is time to start with the more detailed cleaning process. Pick up your can of compressed air, continue to hold your keyboard upside down, and spray all over it. Use the thin straw nozzle of the compressed air can to get in between and under keys in order to spray away dust and debris.
Image courtesy: familyhandyman.com
-
3
Once this is done, the majority of the loose, dry dust is blown off. However, the more stubborn dust and debris will be stuck to the keyboard, so start the process of using liquid cleaners to wipe these off. Begin by dipping your cotton swab into the computer cleaning solvent (if you cannot find this, use alcohol instead). Dab it gently on a towel to get rid of excess liquid, and then use it to get in between the keys and wipe their edges. Run it through the rows of keys, both horizontally and diagonally.
-
4
After you’re cleaned in between the keys, it’s time to focus on wiping down their tops. Pour a small amount of the cleaning solution on a soft cloth, and rub it over the tops of the keys, and all over the keyboard and its edges. Finish by disinfecting the entire keyboard by wiping it with an antibacterial wipe. Run this over all the keys and the keyboard edges, and you should now have a clean, dust and bacteria free keyboard.
Image courtesy: apartmenttherapy.com
