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Author Topic: How to safely clean keys?  (Read 3857 times)

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Offline dmbr

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How to safely clean keys?
« on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:14:04 »
I've looked for a good answer, but so far I've only found warnings of what not to do...

Could you guys please tell me how I could safely clean my keycaps without damaging them in any way, please?

Thanks!
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Offline rowdy

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #1 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:31:26 »
Soak in dental tabs (follow the instructions on the box - usually something like 2 or 3 tablets in warm water).  Dry thoroughly (e.g. overnight) before replacing on keyboard.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

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Offline nullstring

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #2 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:49:41 »
For the record, what are the ways not to do it?
If it were me, I would probably pour isopropyl all over them and then wipe them with a cloth..
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Offline dmbr

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #3 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:51:56 »
Yes, I was thinking isopropyl alcohol, too, but read not to use it as it was not gentle enough :(

Thanks for the advice, rowdy, I'll look into what dental tabs are xD
« Last Edit: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:53:30 by dmbr »
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Offline Skull_Angel

  • Posts: 453
Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #4 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:56:22 »
I guess it depends on the keycap material. Couldn't care less for my old POM caps, so I took a toothbrush and alcohol to 'em if ever they got dirty; I'd not do that with PBT or ABS though, lol.
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Offline DanGWanG

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #5 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:56:31 »
I should really write an article on this...

1.  Go to CVS/Walgreens or something similar and buy yourself the cheapest denture tabs they have.  Usually the store brand ones.
2.  Depending on how many keycaps you want to clean, drop 1-3 tabs into a small bucket/bowl along with the keycaps.
3.  Fill up the bowl with warm water and stir until all the tabs have dissolved
4.  Wait 20-30 minutes and strain the keycaps
5.  Rinse them a few more times in just plain warm water
6.  Lay them out and wipe them with a micro fiber towel until they are semi-dry
7.  Throw them into a pillow case > tie the loose end > throw them in your dryer on low heat (delicates) for 10 minutes.
8.  Take them out, re-wipe with microfiber towel
9.  Enjoy.
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Offline nullstring

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #6 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 15:58:59 »
Thanks. Good to know.
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Offline metalliqaz

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #7 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 16:26:39 »
Definitely do NOT use GooGone / CitriSolve.  I learned that the hard way.

I was planning on soaking my old Model M caps in an OxyClean solution.  That's  probably equivalent to denture tabs.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #8 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 17:02:43 »
I mix a spoonful of powdered laundry detergent (I prefer Charlie's) and a spoonful of Oxi-Clean or Biz in 2 liters of hot water.

Soak for 10-30 minutes and rinse thoroughly (ie several times in a basket or colander).

Air dry for several hours, or hand shake each key onto a dirty T-shirt on your bed and air dry for 15 minutes.

I have cleaned thousands of keys this way, and it is the easiest and cheapest, and I can count the number of times it has failed on one hand.

On really stubborn marks, use a pencil eraser.
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Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
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Offline rowdy

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #9 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 17:14:53 »
Example: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36326.0

My adventure was pretty much the same as this.
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

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Offline jeroplane

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #10 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 18:30:32 »
Quote from: rowdy on Wed, 07 November 2012, 17:14:53
Example: http://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=36326.0

My adventure was pretty much the same as this.

:)

One important thing is that just before you're going to put the key caps back on the keyboard, tap the bottom a few times on some paper towel and make sure no water comes out. Water droplets can very easily get stuck in the stem mount even after they're left out to dry, and you wouldn't want those getting into your switches.
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Offline laffindude

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #11 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 18:31:32 »
I use ~5:1 water to generic dishwashing liquid to soak them overnight (overnight because I rather not wait around). I wouldn't use denture tabs or other chemical cleaning stuff unless they are visibly stained. Dishwash will clean most of the body oils from your fingers off of it. I clean monthly so I never had to use more aggressive stuff.
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Offline fohat.digs

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #12 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 18:50:08 »
If you hold the key upright between your index finger and thumb, and sling it diagonally downwards, you will remove 98% of the water and it will air dry the rest of the way in minutes.

Laundry detergent works best, in my opinion.

The "oxi" or bleach-type additives really make it squeaky-clean, but you must rinse well. They are also corrosive, so I wipe down all my wire stabilizers with light oil, in addition to lubing the clips they are seated into.
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"However, even though I was born in the Mesozoic, I do know what anyone who wants to reach out to young people should say: Billionaires took your money. They took your chance to buy a home. They took your chance at a good education. They stole your opportunities. Billionaires took the things you want in life. If you really want those things, you have to take them back.
That's the message. That's the whole message. Say that every day, not just to reach America's frustrated young white men, but people of every age, race, and gender.
Late-stage capitalism is a wealth-concentration engine, focused on vacuuming up every dollar and putting it in as few hands as possible. Republicans are helping that vacuum suck.
How does a tiny fraction of the population get away with this? They do it by dividing the other 99% of Americans against themselves."
- Marc Sumner 2025-05-30

Offline laffindude

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #13 on: Wed, 07 November 2012, 19:29:44 »
You know those mesh laundry bags? I toss the washed caps in them, and swing it around for a bit and they are dry enough to put away.
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Offline pasph

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #14 on: Thu, 08 November 2012, 03:32:22 »
caps in a mesh laundry bag -> washing machine (50 °C) -> perfect
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Offline mistakemistake

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #15 on: Sun, 11 November 2012, 01:50:05 »
^I'd feel so bad having the keys beat each other up in there. :(
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Offline Paranoid

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #16 on: Sun, 11 November 2012, 07:58:46 »
Quote from: mistakemistake on Sun, 11 November 2012, 01:50:05
^I'd feel so bad having the keys beat each other up in there. :(

I was afraid to try that in the beginning too, but now I also do it like this. Did my last five sets or something like this. They are superclean when they come out. I put it on the short wash function (like 30min), adjust the swirl speed and voila!
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Offline rowdy

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #17 on: Sun, 11 November 2012, 15:16:09 »
lol the thread title does say "how to safely clean keys".
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"Because keyboards are accessories to PC makers, they focus on minimizing the manufacturing costs. But that’s incorrect. It’s in HHKB’s slogan, but when America’s cowboys were in the middle of a trip and their horse died, they would leave the horse there. But even if they were in the middle of a desert, they would take their saddle with them. The horse was a consumable good, but the saddle was an interface that their bodies had gotten used to. In the same vein, PCs are consumable goods, while keyboards are important interfaces." - Eiiti Wada

NEC APC-H4100E | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED red | Ducky DK9008 Shine MX blue LED green | Link 900243-08 | CM QFR MX black | KeyCool 87 white MX reds | HHKB 2 Pro | Model M 02-Mar-1993 | Model M 29-Nov-1995 | CM Trigger (broken) | CM QFS MX green | Ducky DK9087 Shine 3 TKL Yellow Edition MX black | Lexmark SSK 21-Apr-1994 | IBM SSK 13-Oct-1987 | CODE TKL MX clear | Model M 122 01-Jun-1988

Ị̸͚̯̲́ͤ̃͑̇̑ͯ̊̂͟ͅs̞͚̩͉̝̪̲͗͊ͪ̽̚̚ ̭̦͖͕̑́͌ͬͩ͟t̷̻͔̙̑͟h̹̠̼͋ͤ͋i̤̜̣̦̱̫͈͔̞ͭ͑ͥ̌̔s̬͔͎̍̈ͥͫ̐̾ͣ̔̇͘ͅ ̩̘̼͆̐̕e̞̰͓̲̺̎͐̏ͬ̓̅̾͠͝ͅv̶̰͕̱̞̥̍ͣ̄̕e͕͙͖̬̜͓͎̤̊ͭ͐͝ṇ̰͎̱̤̟̭ͫ͌̌͢͠ͅ ̳̥̦ͮ̐ͤ̎̊ͣ͡͡n̤̜̙̺̪̒͜e̶̻̦̿ͮ̂̀c̝̘̝͖̠̖͐ͨͪ̈̐͌ͩ̀e̷̥͇̋ͦs̢̡̤ͤͤͯ͜s͈̠̉̑͘a̱͕̗͖̳̥̺ͬͦͧ͆̌̑͡r̶̟̖̈͘ỷ̮̦̩͙͔ͫ̾ͬ̔ͬͮ̌?̵̘͇͔͙ͥͪ͞ͅ

Offline hoggy

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Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #18 on: Sun, 11 November 2012, 15:27:15 »
Just don't dry the keys in the oven...
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Offline Peter

  • Posts: 86
Re: How to safely clean keys?
« Reply #19 on: Tue, 13 November 2012, 10:01:11 »
10-16% HYDROGEN PEROXIDE !!
It KILLS any 'DNA' left on the keyboard by the wanker who previously owned it !!
It also removes 'yellowing' .. Permanently !
To 'boost' the speed of the process, add some 'Oxy-axi vanish' or whatever brand-name they use where you live .
Check out  http://retr0bright.wikispaces.com/  for more info .

(DO NOT get this stuff in your eyes - or on your skin !)
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