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You’ve probably heard that taking care of your keyboard can extend its lifespan and even make it last longer. But what exactly does this mean? And how do you actually take care of your keyboard?
If you’ve got a mechanical keyboard, then you know that dirt, dust, and other particles tend to accumulate on the keys — especially if you use your computer for gaming or typing long documents. However, there are ways to keep your keyboard clean and extend its lifespan much faster than you might think.
What Is Cleaning? #
The first step to cleaning your keyboard is actually cleaning it. There are many different ways to clean your keyboard, but the most popular one is using a compressed air can and using a cloth. The idea with this method is to blow the dust off of the keys, which will then be removed by the cloth, leaving behind a clean surface for the dirt particles to stick on. The next step of cleaning your keyboard is lubricating it.
This not only helps protect your keyboard from damage while reducing wear and tear, but it also prevents dirt from sticking to the keys faster. The last part of cleaning your keyboard involves replacing any old or damaged keycaps. If you’ve noticed that some of your mechanical keycaps have too many cracks or are just falling apart, then you’ll want to replace them with something else.
How to Properly Clean Your Mechanical Keyboard #
To keep your keyboard clean and extend its lifespan, you need to invest in a cleaning kit. You can buy kits specifically designed for mechanical keyboards or you can use one of the following methods: 1) Use compressed air to remove dust particles from between the keys. Do this by opening your keyboard compartment and blasting the air inside with air (never point a compressed air canister into your keyboard).
In some cases, you may need to remove the keycaps as well in order to get to all the areas where dust has accumulated. After removing all the dust, you can use some compressed air again to clean out any remaining spaces.
2) Use a cloth or cotton swab dipped in alcohol or rubbing alcohol to gently wipe down each key on your keyboard. You should do this for about 10 seconds at a time, then move on to another spot until you’ve cleaned them all up.
3) Use hand soap and warm water mixed with dish soap or laundry detergent and let it sit for about five minutes before wiping it off with an old toothbrush (or an unused toothbrush if that’s what you have).
4) Let a small amount of vinegar sit in a bowl and dip your toothbrush in it before using it on each individual key on your keyboard.
Use a Microfiber Cloth (Including a Drying towel) #
How often do you replace your keyboard?
And how long does it take to replace a keyboard? The answer is, not too often and not too long.
Cleaning your mechanical keyboard keycaps can extend its lifespan by about 6-8 years and it only takes about half an hour to do so.
You can use a microfiber cloth for this task but it’s even better if you use a drying towel. This will ensure that the keys are completely dry before you move on with your cleaning routine. If you don’t have any of these materials at hand, then also consider using a paper towel or napkin as well because they will also work just fine.
Use a Steam Mop (Including a Dryer) #
If you have a steam mop, then this is the easiest thing to do.
Steam mops are designed to use steam and water to clean your floors and carpets. You can also use a dryer to blow away the dust that accumulates on your keyboard without having to actually touch it.
However, be careful not to get too much moisture on your keyboard or make sure that the space where you place your keyboard is well ventilated.
Use a Swiffer Sweeper or Shop Vac #
Whether you have a cloth or a microfiber cloth handy, you can use it to clean off your keyboard. If you don’t have those tools on hand, you can use the swifter sweeper or a shop vac to clear out the debris and dirt.
If you think that using water will make your keyboard dirty again, think again! Water is great for cleaning up dust, but it’s actually not good for clearing out residue. Therefore, avoid wetting down your keys and let dry before reassembling them in their respective places.
It can be easy to forget what goes where on a mechanical keyboard, so keep an instruction manual handy just in case!
Get to know your keys: bottom row, top row and function keys #
The bottom row of your keyboard includes the letters of the alphabet.
The top row of your keyboard includes keys for shortcuts (such as “ctrl,” “alt,” and “shift”). Function keys are used to access a wide range of functions with one key press. To clean your keyboard, start by cleaning the bottom row.
Press down on any letter at the bottom of your keyboard and use a cloth or paper towel to take care of any particles that may have accumulated there. If you can’t find anything on this row, then follow up with the top-row keys and function keys.
If you’re looking for a more thorough method, consider buying a canister vacuum cleaner that has an attachment specifically designed for keyboards. This will make it easier than ever to keep your mechanical keyboard free from dust and dirt while still being able to use it in-game or for typing long documents without having to stop every few minutes to clear out dust from between some keys.
Conclusion #
Now that you know how to clean your mechanical keyboard keycaps, what’s next? If you have an old keyboard that has accumulated a lot of dust over the course of its life, one way to clean the keycaps is to use a dryer.
This will remove the dust and also create a protective coating over the keys.
