Your laptop’s keyboard will grow filthy if you don’t clean it periodically. Finger oils can leave a coating on the keys, and dust, large crumbs, loose debris, and even pet hair can accumulate in the cracks.
Don’t stress over the state of your dirty keyboard! We will teach you how to clean laptop keyboard yourself. The following is a comprehensive guide that will teach you how to dust-proof and properly clean the keyboard on your laptop.
What Can You Use To Clean My Laptop Keyboard?
There might be several reasons to decide to clean your laptop. One of them might be the fact that your laptop keyboard is not working. First, ensure you have the proper equipment to clean your keyboard safely, such as:
- Microfiber cleaning cloth
- Soft paint brush
- A cotton swab dipped in alcohol
- Pressurized air/blower
All of them are fine to use with a touch of isopropyl alcohol to clean your keys. Disinfecting wipes designed for disinfecting surfaces can also be utilized. However, bleach-containing wipes or other items should be avoided because they can remove the crucial coating.
The type of coating a keyboard have will depend upon the laptop model you have. Make sure you don’t let put any liquid inside the keyboard keys. You have to gently tap the cotton swabs or brushes on the keyboard to avoid damage.
How To Clean Laptop Keyboard
Feel like your keys are dirty or see that debris is preventing the keyboard from working properly? Perhaps a thorough cleaning of the laptop is in need. Methods for cleaning a laptop’s keyboard are outlined below.
Unplug And Turn Off Your Laptop
Electronics should be switched off before being cleaned, as a general rule. Since you’ll be dealing with keys, turning off the computer will make things much simpler. (You don’t want to accidentally control + alt + delete your way to a miserable tech experience.)
Shake The Debris Out
Turning the laptop keyboard upside down and giving it a good shake may help remove any obvious debris, such as yesterday’s vanilla wafer crumbs and the gorgeous skin dust that has accumulated over the years.
Pat the back of the keyboard at an angle and a little bit as you do this. The best way to keep crumbs from scattering across your table or floor is to do this over a garbage can. Shaking the keyboard back and forth gently will also help loosen any dust particles or dirt that has become lodged.
Pressing some cleaning slime between the keys may help loosen stuck parts. Over a towel, flip the laptop upside down. Place the laptop side down and open it as widely as you can before placing it on the bottom of a towel or other soft surface.
Gravity will draw moisture away from the motherboard and other electrical components when you turn the laptop over.
Blow Out The Gunk With Compressed Air
Snatch the long straw from the compressed air can and tilt your keyboard so the dust can escape. To cover as much ground as possible when spraying, it is suggested to hold the device at a 75-degree angle and move in a fluid zigzag pattern. Turn the keyboard around and continue the zigzagging action until you’ve pressed every key on every row.
You can use short bursts of air to spot-clean the area between the keys if you still detect other debris. It’s not a good idea to blow the air with the straw underneath the keys because that could ruin the keyboard and the electronics inside.
Disinfect And Remove Smudges
Next, carefully wipe off the keyboard’s top surface to remove any dirt, dust, or fingerprints. Start by giving the area a wipe down with a cleaning wipe.
Wipes containing bleach should be avoided at all costs. Instead of wipes, you can use a delicate cloth dampened with rubbing alcohol. Ensure you get every crumb by wiping the keycaps and the spaces between them one by one.
If you are unwilling to risk getting water under the keys, don’t use a moist cloth. Wet your wipes down before using them if necessary. Avoid spraying the keyboard with water or other cleaning solutions.
Then, wipe the whole thing down with a wet rag. Try to get your hands on a clean microfiber cloth. A substitute fabric will suffice in its absence. Don’t use a paper towel or anything else that might scratch the keys.
Avoid Liquid Cleaners
You shouldn’t apply any liquids, such as soapy water, on your laptop keyboard because of the close proximity of the keys to the hardware. Laptop keyboards are very sensitive when it comes to moisture.
Alternatively, thoroughly clean the keyboard with a cotton swab or lint-free cloth dampened with isopropyl alcohol. If you want to prevent any further damage, you should dry it thoroughly afterward.
Use A Dust Vacuum
A dust vacuum is one of the most effective methods when you seek answers to how to clean laptop keyboard. Keyboards can be cleaned using a specialized dust vacuum or with the hose attachment of a standard vacuum. To protect your keyboard, only utilize the pipe attachment on its lowest level.
Remove Stubborn Grime
A cotton ball dampened with isopropyl alcohol will do the trick. Unlike water, the alcohol evaporates fast, making it a much safer option for cleaning your laptop. You can use a different type of sponge comparably, but it may not be as efficient, particularly for removing stubborn stains and grime.
In addition, alcohol works marvels in washing away greasy fingerprints. Don’t ever pour the alcohol simply onto the keyboard; instead, use a cotton ball.
Use Toothpicks To Remove The Dust From Conners
Toothpicks can be used to remove dust from areas of the keyboard that are inaccessible to human fingers or any type of cleaning cloth. These areas include the spaces between the keys.
Toothpicks can be used to clean the nooks and crannies of each key, which are the most challenging to reach. Don’t ever try sharp things like a butter knife to pick out debris.
Use The Right Cleaning Solution
Use premade disinfection wipes like these (as mentioned above, stay away from anything containing bleach), or whip up your own.
Get some isopropyl rubbing alcohol and a soft towel to manufacture your own. If you need to go to a particularly inaccessible area, try using a cue tip that has been lightly wet.
You can easily clean the keyboard by wiping down each keycap and the space between them. They should dry off quickly, but it’s important to make sure they’re completely dry before powering back up.
Using a microfibre cloth or another similar, nonabrasive material helps hasten the process. The right cleaning solution will be most helpful to clean a laptop keyboard.
How To Remove Keyboard Keys
If you’ve tried everything to fix the sticking keys on your laptop and nothing has helped, you may have to take the key out and clean it by hand.
You may remove a stuck key by putting the very tip of a flathead screwdriver under each of the four edges. Contacting your laptop’s original equipment maker will yield the greatest results.
If the keys on your laptop are locking, you can usually see the debris that is causing the problem once you have pushed off the key or keys that aren’t operating properly. You can then wipe this debris away with a cotton swab wet with rubbing alcohol or with compressed air.
You can clean the keys of the laptop that you have removed by using a cotton swab or a microfiber cloth that has been dampened with rubbing alcohol.
After wiping off the keys, you should also wipe the space beneath them. If the keys aren’t stuck after being popped back into position, you’re good to go.
If you’ve tried removing the keys and cleaning them, but your laptop keyboard still isn’t working, you may require a new keyboard or the help of a laptop repair expert.
Tips For Always Keeping Your Laptop Clean
Putting a protective coating on your notebook, such as wax, is unnecessary now that it has been cleaned. Just don’t picture it as a car’s paint job! It’s possible that utilizing something like that could lead to issues, especially if it ends up on the screen.
Keep in mind that the keyboard deck or keytops may come into touch with the screen when the laptop is shut down, depending on its design. What’s more, anything on the screen might be transferred to the panel.
Yet, in another way, a laptop is like a car: putting off cleaning it might extend the time it takes to complete. Thus, you can save time and effort by maintaining a neat and tidy notebook.
A reminder in your calendar is unnecessary. Having microfiber handy (in a backpack or on a desk, for example) means you’ll have no excuse to let messy food and coffee stains build up. If they are kept wet, regular tap water should be plenty.
The Final Thoughts
It may be necessary to resolve an issue when the keyboard malfunctions or causes problems. If you want your laptop or computer to continue functioning at peak efficiency, learning how to clean laptop keyboard is a must.
After trying everything else and the keyboard still won’t work, it’s time to engage with the professionals. Contact the manufacturer to check if the laptop can be serviced or if a replacement keyboard can be installed while the device is still covered by the warranty.
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