Friday, June 8, 2012

How Should I Clean My Keyboard?

Dusters and putties and air, oh my! With so many different ways to clean your computer's keyboard, which way's best? The keyboard is a very important part of your computer, and while they're not terribly expensive, you should clean it regularly to ensure it operates smoothly and has a nice, long life.

Look down at your keyboard. Unless you're using a keyboard with low-profile keys (like Apple uses on their keyboards nowadays) you're likely going to see a lot of gunk under or between your keys. The first step I usually recommend to cleaning your keyboard is just turning it upside down and giving it a little shake. Not hitting it or shaking violently, but a little shake while upside down can help dislodge loose bits.

If your keyboard still has particles of stuff in it, I recommend blowing some canned air into it. Canned air is sold in most electronic stores or departments, and really is just canned, compressed air. Hold the can as upright as you can and blow air between the keys. This usually will help dislodge more stuck-on pieces, and if you give your keyboard another shake you'll likely get more bits coming out.

Note: Do NOT use your canned air while the bottle is inverted. One of the chemicals used in the canning process can flash-freeze items, and therefore you should use caution to keep it inside the can. This is also why your can will get cold after you've used it for awhile.

Practical Tip of the Day:
Noticing the letting on your keyboard is wearing off? Do you use hand lotions? Some lotions can react with the natural oils of your skin to make a slightly acidic oil that then transfers onto your keyboard when you type, slowly eating the lettering away! The best way to prevent this is to either A) Make sure your hands are completely dry after using lotion and before typing. B) Change lotions. or C) Use a plastic keyboard cover. Keyboard covers sit on top of your keyboard helping keep stuff off and out of it. Using a keyboard cover will also make it so you don't have to clean your keyboard as often!

1 comment:

  1. This is a very helpful tip. Most of us are usually too concerned with keeping our software cleaned and running smoothly, without realizing that we also have to pay close attention to our hardware. They are actually the parts of the computer that get damaged easily due to neglect and absentmindedness. :)
    Cordia Remsen

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