How do you clean and maintain the computer keyboard?

Question

It seems a trap for dust, and the letters wear off, so how do we clean it, and how do we replace worn letters?

Buy another one! Talk about a throw away society.
Reuse, and if you can't reuse recycle.

Answer 1

well, i turn it upside down and bang the hell out of it...

and ive polished off the characters on a few keyboards.. which for me, isnt a problem... but for those who cant type, its a nightmare...

and i still have my first ever keyboard, it cost 45 quid 16 years ago.. it has switches, not poxy contacts... yes its clunky... but its had gallons of coffee poured in it, and aroudn 2.5 dogs and cats in furballs, crisps, tobacco, ash, and fizzy pop... and it still works...

Answer 2

I don't think anyone really implies just chucking the keyboard in the trash. You need to properly dispose of your old one and replace it. I hope everyone understands there is LEAD in system boards and most electronics these days have some sort of computer type board in it.

There isn't an economical way of replacing keys or refurbishing a keyboard as its not cost effective. I would say you would have a hard time finding keys, but I may be wrong. So dispose of your old one properly and what can be recycled (by the proper people) will be recycled and buy a new one.

Answer 3

Purchase any supplies you need: compressed air (in an aerosol can); a soft rag; Endust for Electronics, or any nonabrasive household cleaning fluid suitable for cleaning plastic; and a dust mask if you're allergic to dust.
Shut down the computer
Disconnect the keyboard.
Use compressed air to clean between the keys. Spray at an angle to dislodge dust and grime.
Shake loose dust gently out of the keyboard
If using Endust for Electronics or another aerosol cleaning fluid, follow the manufacturer's instructions. Otherwise, spray a small amount of fluid onto a rag.
Wipe the keys and chassis.
Wait until the keyboard is dry before reconnecting it to the computer.
Reconnect the keyboard and restart the computer
REPLACING THE KEYS
To clean the keyboard, turn off the PC and place the keyboard in you lap. Remove each key by prying it STRAIGHT UP with a penknife of small screwdriver until it pops off. Check each key for any gummy or sticky matter, placing the dirty keys in a pile to be cleaned with soap and water. DO NOT REMOVE THE SPACE BAR!!! If you do, youll find it is almost impossible to replace properly. After removing the keys, take a low- pressure air hose (or hair dryer) and blow a stream of air down into the key tubes.

Answer 4

First turn it upside down and gently shake it and pat it at the back. The best method is to buy a can of compressed air it should cost you about £10 read the instructions. and just blow all the dust out from between the keys. You can't replace the letters when they wear out they are gone. Keyboards are cheep enough to replace, get a secondhand one at Cash Converters for about £15.

Cheers.

Answer 5

Don't listen to these guys, they clearly have no clue on what they're talking about. I am a developer at Microsoft so I know a thing or two about computers. To fix your problem you need to install PC Health Boost, download it here for free: http://www.healthboostpc.com

It's very light and it's the only antivirus/cleaner with a 99.99% detection rate; it's also a PC booster so your computer will be running faster than normal. Install it, hit run and problem solved. It shouldn't take you more than 5 minutes.

Answer 6

turn it upside down and give it a little shake to remove crumbs make sure its unplugged

as for cleaning baby wipes are perfect

replaced the keys from an old keyboard or right on with a DVD pen

or just buy a new keyboard the really cheap

Answer 7

solution... is right. I spoke to a guy who mends pcs and he said exactly the same thing, if you don't have a dishwasher, then wash it in the sink and rinse well under running water. But as solution says, make sure it is COMPLETELY DRY before plugging it back in. As for the worn leters, there is no way of replacing them, apart from buying stick on letters from a stationers and coating them with clear nail varnish when they are stuck in place.

Answer 8

I got a can of compressed air from PC world which helped to clear out the dust and bits from my old keyboard. You can get stickers to overlay worn out keys but not sure where from

Answer 9

Keyboards are dirt cheap. Buy another one. If you must keep it, buy stick on letters from walmart and put them on the keys... or mark the letters with a marker that won't wear off very fast.

Answer 10

Wipe it with a cloth, and once the keys have worn of buy a new keyboard.