Cleaning keycaps with... denture cleaning tabs!

[WhiteRice]

Wow, good stuff!

[ThirdLap]

If you can't find high concentration Hydrogen Peroxide, Clairol Professional Creme 40 [strike](I believe the 40 indicates the concentration of hydrogen peroxide)[/strike] is widely available at Sally Beauty Supply stores, as well as other 'open to the public' beauty stores.  It is fairly viscous, and can be easily painted onto objects in need of de-yellowing.  Works very well.

[ThirdLap]

Sally 40 is actually 10-15% concentration.  It's a weight vs volume thing IIRC.  [/IMG]

Guess you're right. The MSDS actually says 7-13%.  The MSDS is the same for all four levels of Creme, and it would seem the 40 has the highest concentration.

[ThirdLap]

Looking over the MSDS sheets, it appears that the concentration of hydrogen peroxide is the same for Clairoxide as it is for Creme 40 (12%).  So either would be fine for the Retr0bright process.

[Konrad]

Hmmm, yeah.  There are plenty of variations.  Different concentrations (within limits) of active bleaching agents probably aren't particularly important for this application; you can always do it twice or do it longer or hotter or try out different kinky positions or whatever if you want bleachyer(?) results.
 
I'll have to confess that I didn't actually use the exact formula given in my linky, but it had a decent explanation and some photos.
 
This denture stuff is a good find though.  Only problem is that I'd be embarassed buying it.

[keyb_gr]

This denture stuff is a good find though.  Only problem is that I'd be embarassed buying it.

Apparently denture cleaning tabs actually are a proven household cleaning aid, so it shouldn't be all that embarrassing. One pack should also last a pretty long time.

(That reminded me of a hilarious German TV ad for condoms from the '90s though. Hey, actually found it. Makes denture cleaning tabs look harmless, doesn't it? )

[itlnstln]

I used to buy them all the time when I used a retainer.  It's no big deal, grow a pair.  Trust me, people really don't give a ****.  Buying the morning after pill is about the only thing remotely embarrassing, but then, you probably have other things to worry about.

[Mental Hobbit]

Has anybody tried dishwasher tablets yet? I use them for all kinds of stuff that's otherwise a pain to clean.

[phototristan]

If you really want to raise an eyebrow, try buying some denture cleaning tabs along with some condoms.

[itlnstln]

If you really want to raise an eyebrow, try buying some denture cleaning tabs along with some condoms.

That sounds kinky.  I wonder what it's like without the dentures in.

[Soarer]

Thread resurrection... to show this resurrection...

Before:



After:



Edit... another after pic, taken in daylight:



Just soaked with half a dozen Steradent Extra Strength for a while then rinsed.

Magic!

[Konrad]

Wow, ****.  That's a huge difference.  Just soaking?  No scrubby with a toothbrush?
 
I can't tell from the pics, but are the (clean) key plastics slightly age-yellowed?

[NewbieOneKenobi]

I use toothbrush and paste.

[Soarer]

No scrubbing, no rubbing, no hard work at all... and that wasn't loose dirt! I tried cleaning one key with a cloth soaked in Muc-Off - it took ages and still wasn't really clean.

Not yellowed, before pic was in daylight and after was with flash. The key colour is about right in the first pic (where it shows through!).

[woody]

Soaker is right - denture tab cleaning is MAGIC. It's the most simple and effective method I've seen so far. Recently I cleaned the keycaps of an Apple IIc using 6 tabs. The result was excellent, at the cost of simple soak, rinsing and drying. No more brushing keycaps one by one with toothbrush.

Sixty, I owe you, man. At least a hooker and booze.

And Happy New Year!

[Konrad]

I wonder if Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser® can be safely used on keycaps.  Or would the micro-abrasive and mysterious chemicals damage the surfacing/finish layer (and inks, in the cases of printed or subliminated labels)?

[theferenc]

I've been using these for years. The first thing I do with a new keyboard is to disassemble and toss in hot water with denture tablets.

It just works so amazingly well. Even removes corrosion and build up from the metal stabalizers.

[turbocharged]

I've done this to my Cherry MX-11900, NMB, IBM Model M, and my friend's Dell AT101W...works extremely well...highly recommended.

[Soarer]

Sixty, I owe you, man. At least a hooker and booze.

+1 :-)

I figured adding pics was a good way to show appreciation. I've used denture tabs on other boards before, but none so nasty as this one.

(Daylight 'after' pic added to previous post).

[7bit]

+1 :-)

I figured adding pics was a good way to show appreciation. I've used denture tabs on other boards before, but none so nasty as this one.

(Daylight 'after' pic added to previous post).

Doesn't the keyboard stink like toothpaste now, or does that smell vanish?

[Soarer]

No stink at all, the stuff smells a bit like the mouth rinse at the dentist, but it doesn't linger on the keys.

[woody]

Actually, I looked it up and the chemical ingredients look pretty safe but I'd still be careful with vintage black keys.

Care to explain to us, non-alchemists?

[sixty]

I should mention that I have slightly changed (improved?) my method. I now put keycaps into a zipper-bag normally used for marinating meat and stuff like that. Then I add the denture tabs and hot water. Let it soak in that bag with the zipper closed for about 30 mins.

[ynih]

Thanks sixty for the original idea and the updated method!

Actually, I'm thinking the Hot water might help dissolve things a little faster, but I'm afraid if I put scalding hot water, it's going to deform my keys

[theferenc]

It takes a solid amount of heat to warp keys, and most household water heaters have safety shutoffs after 140 degrees F. It takes at least 170 to warp even wimpy keys.

Also, sealed plastic bag: not the best idea. Unless it is quite large, and you get as much air out of it as possible, and keep an eye on it during the soaking period. There's a large quantity of CO2 released during this process. More than enough to burst such a bag if you aren't careful.

[Konrad]

I don't see any advantage to using an enclosed container (bag) for this. As pointed out, the gas release might be explosively wet and messy.  You won't be able to control (or prevent) the reaction by capturing the escaping gas, unless maybe you have high pressure equipment.  Of course, I haven't done it myself, so who knows?
 
The chemical reaction doesn't require any extra heat to activate. Room temp (or whatever the package instructions say) would work well enough; added heat would probably only give quicker results, not better results. Longer reaction time would let the bleach penetrate more thoroughly than short concentrated reactions.

[sixty]

I prefer the bag method because I can clean several kits separated at once. Of course, I guess you could also just put up several bowls...

Anyway, the gas reaction happens, but its not even close to blowing up a bag with 4 tabs in. In fact now I feel challenged and might try to see how many it takes until it blows up.

Mythbusters, go!

[theferenc]

It entirely depends on the size of the bag, the volume of water, and how much air you allowed in it before you sealed it.

Just to check, I was able to burst a quart size zip lock bag with only a single tablet, but there was nearly a quart of water in it.

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, but rather more of a "don't try this at home, kids" idea. If you know what you're doing, it's fine. If you don't, it might be fine, or might be a giant mess.

[jaynoon]

I wonder if Mr. Clean® Magic Eraser® can be safely used on keycaps.  Or would the micro-abrasive and mysterious chemicals damage the surfacing/finish layer (and inks, in the cases of printed or subliminated labels)?

Key word is abrasive. Unless you like 'teh shiny' I wouldn't use one.

[Konrad]

What's wrong with teh shiny?  At least all the other keys will match the spacebar.

[HaaTa]

Did someone say "shiny keys"?

[Moogle Stiltzkin]

Is this cleaning method ok for Topre key caps that are dye sublimated ?

[theferenc]

Dye sublimated topre keys? That's weird. But, I don't see why not. Aren't the IBM keys dye sublimated as well?

I've done a lot of those this way. Along with Dell AT101 keys, Sun rubber dome keys, some cherry double shots, etc. Never saw any problems with it.

And it's SO EASY.

If you're worried, just toss one that you don't care much about, such as Pause, and see what happens.

Science. It works, *****es!

[Half-Saint]

My g/f just bought me a huge box of Kukident Aktiv Plus tabs. 136 tabs in the box!!!

[theferenc]

My bad, ripster. Given the look, and the black on dark, I always thought they were lasered.

[msiegel]

anyone tried this with model m or f spring/flyplate assemblies?

i just did a set of model f keys and barrels; they came out fresh and minty

[Lanx]

anyone tried this with model m or f spring/flyplate assemblies?

i just did a set of model f keys and barrels; they came out fresh and minty

i did model m keycaps, minty on my end too.

[George7]

Fantastic idea!

[hoggy]

Tried this idea this weekend.  Worked a treat.

I'm going to give the oxi-action stuff a go soon.  

It does say to not use on finished surfaces, so I'm going to look for a messed up keyboard to test.

[bakageta]

Just did this to the blanks from my Filco, came out great.

[Tony]

Up for anyone who needs this.

[niz]

Sorry to revive such an old thread but I was just curious. Has anyone tried using this cleaning method on black keycaps? I mean, you wouldn't notice quite the difference that doing this to white ones would yield, but just thought I'd try this out to remove any residue/oil that's built up. What do you guys think?

[sixty]

Pefectly fine with black and with all colors of the rainbow.

[bettablue]

I finished cleaning all three of the really nasty eBay Cherry boards today.

I figured I would share some more results of the denture tabs:

Show Image

Show Image

Look! they even replace missing keys too!

[Alex]

The only brand i seem to be able to find here in Sweden is ProFast Super Rengöringstabletter


Anyone who tried it for cleaning keycaps? It seems to have the following contents:

Sodium Perborate, Sodium
Bicarbonate, Potassium Monopersulphate,
Trisodium Phosphate, PEG-240, Sulfamic
Acid, PVP, TAED, Silica, Sodium Methyl Oleoyl
Taurate, Cellulose-Lactose, Colour C.I. 42090,
Aroma.

[Ascaii]

Try them on one of the spare stems I sent you before trying the caps. Honestly I think theyll be fine but you can never be too careful =D

[keyb_gr]

TAED? Isn't that some stuff in some of the Retr0brite ingredients, too?

[Findecanor]

Sodium Perborate makes hydrogen peroxide -- which is a form of bleach. TAED makes the hydrogen peroxide effective in temperatures below 40 °C.
Bicarbonate and acid makes the tab dissolve in water.

Hmm.. I hope that there are some denture cleaning tabs available in Sweden that do not contain any flavour. I don't want my keyboards to smell "minty fresh", sorry.

Because of some history I have been through I strongly associate the smell of mint with mucus and infection. For instance, I can't stand some Lebanese food that has mint in it, and I have a problem working with people who chew gum.

[The Solutor]

We should call this method the "ghetto Jacuzzi" :tongue:

[Findecanor]

The only brand i seem to be able to find here in Sweden is ProFast Super Rengöringstabletter

I found a pack of "Corega" "3 Minutes" tabs at Ica Kvantum (Swedish convenience store). 66 tabs for 55 SEK.
Worked nicely on my off-white Cherry PBT caps. I had only to rub off some pencil marks. If I compare closely, they appear to be slightly less yellow also. Same active ingredients as those "Pro Fast" tabs (Sodium Perborate and TAED), and I think also some abrasive powder.