Question about cleaning keycaps

[SSIPAK]

Is it safe to use disinfecting wipes like this one

to clean my keyboard/keycaps or will this damage it some how?

[Candyflip]

I believe this won't damage your keycaps but I would suggest using couple of denture cleaning tabs, easier and faster.

[SSIPAK]

I believe this won't damage your keycaps but I would suggest using couple of denture cleaning tabs, easier and faster.

so use one tablet inside a bowl and put my keycaps in there?

[Candyflip]

I believe this won't damage your keycaps but I would suggest using couple of denture cleaning tabs, easier and faster.

so use one tablet inside a bowl and put my keycaps in there?

yea pretty much that, you can use maybe couple of tablets with warm water. Be careful not to use with too hot water as the plastic may warp, keep it below 60C.

[SSIPAK]

I believe this won't damage your keycaps but I would suggest using couple of denture cleaning tabs, easier and faster.

so use one tablet inside a bowl and put my keycaps in there?

yea pretty much that, you can use maybe couple of tablets with warm water. Be careful not to use with too hot water as the plastic may warp, keep it below 60C.

Got it, I will definitely try this out. Thanks 

[rowdy]

I believe this won't damage your keycaps but I would suggest using couple of denture cleaning tabs, easier and faster.

so use one tablet inside a bowl and put my keycaps in there?

yea pretty much that, you can use maybe couple of tablets with warm water. Be careful not to use with too hot water as the plastic may warp, keep it below 60C.

Got it, I will definitely try this out. Thanks 

And of course make sure that they are totally dry before you put them back on.

I usually spread mine out on newspaper and leave them to dry for a week (generally I only have to do this sort of thing on weekends).

[intelli78]

Yes, the denture tabs are amazingly effective. Use 2-3 tabs depending on dirt level, hot tap water, and shake them around in a container a few times while they're sitting. 30 mins later, they'll be spic'n span.

[SSIPAK]

Yes, the denture tabs are amazingly effective. Use 2-3 tabs depending on dirt level, hot tap water, and shake them around in a container a few times while they're sitting. 30 mins later, they'll be spic'n span.

so no need to scrub them at all?

[dustinhxc]

I use the yellow one on things like mouses, cables, etc. for caps I use denture tabs, spearmint smell nice. I put 2 in a water bottle with warm water and the caps, shake it for 2 mins. Let them dry in the sun spread out over a towel. Clean and nice. Then I dry inside overnight too.

[Candyflip]

leave them to dry for a week

That might be a bit paranoid, letting them dry for a couple of days will be more than fine.

[intelli78]

Yes, the denture tabs are amazingly effective. Use 2-3 tabs depending on dirt level, hot tap water, and shake them around in a container a few times while they're sitting. 30 mins later, they'll be spic'n span.

so no need to scrub them at all?

I have used denture tabs on some seriously nasty keycaps, and I never had to scrub them. I just shake the container a little bit and let them soak. It really works.

[dorkvader]

Yes, the denture tabs are amazingly effective. Use 2-3 tabs depending on dirt level, hot tap water, and shake them around in a container a few times while they're sitting. 30 mins later, they'll be spic'n span.

so no need to scrub them at all?

not really. They fizz up a little which helps the clean.

Some keycaps, especially those with deeply engraved legends, you will have to scrub with a disinfecting wipe, but for most keycaps you won't need to.

I actually need to pick up more denture tabs to clean some more of my hall effect keyboards that are still dirty.

[rowdy]

leave them to dry for a week

That might be a bit paranoid, letting them dry for a couple of days will be more than fine.

I generally only get the chance to do this on weekends.  So remove keycaps and clean one weekend, leave to dry for the week, replace keycaps the next weekend.

[mougrim]

leave them to dry for a week

That might be a bit paranoid, letting them dry for a couple of days will be more than fine.

I generally only get the chance to do this on weekends.  So remove keycaps and clean one weekend, leave to dry for the week, replace keycaps the next weekend.

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

[Candyflip]

leave them to dry for a week

That might be a bit paranoid, letting them dry for a couple of days will be more than fine.

I generally only get the chance to do this on weekends.  So remove keycaps and clean one weekend, leave to dry for the week, replace keycaps the next weekend.

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

I actually agree with him, better be safe than sorry + it fits his schedule

[fohat.digs]

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

I drop them out of the basket onto a T-shirt.

Then I pick up each key individually, give it a quick shake, and toss it aside. After shaking out the excess water, keys are fully dry in 10-20 minutes.

[mougrim]

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

I drop them out of the basket onto a T-shirt.

Then I pick up each key individually, give it a quick shake, and toss it aside. After shaking out the excess water, keys are fully dry in 10-20 minutes.

Exactly. In an hour - tops.

[intelli78]

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

I drop them out of the basket onto a T-shirt.

Then I pick up each key individually, give it a quick shake, and toss it aside. After shaking out the excess water, keys are fully dry in 10-20 minutes.

This works OK for Alps and Cherry caps, but be careful of buckling springs. Tons of crevices in those guys; I have let them dry for many hours in dry AZ after slinging out the water, yet a blast of compressed air will still find more droplets inside.

One trick I have used to speed drying is to put keycaps in a pillowcase, tie it off,  and throw it in dryer with a few towels so the bundle isn't constantly smashing against the metal walls of the dryer. 30-45 minutes will usually dry them out. Of course, do this at your own risk. If you're not in a rush, air drying is probably safest.

[mougrim]

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

I drop them out of the basket onto a T-shirt.

Then I pick up each key individually, give it a quick shake, and toss it aside. After shaking out the excess water, keys are fully dry in 10-20 minutes.

This works OK for Alps and Cherry caps, but be careful of buckling springs. Tons of crevices in those guys; I have let them dry for many hours in dry AZ after slinging out the water, yet a blast of compressed air will still find more droplets inside.

One trick I have used to speed drying is to put keycaps in a pillowcase, tie it off,  and throw it in dryer with a few towels so the bundle isn't constantly smashing against the metal walls of the dryer. 30-45 minutes will usually dry them out. Of course, do this at your own risk. If you're not in a rush, air drying is probably safest.

Just get yourself two-part keys for BS keyboards and clean only keycaps No need to clean stems then

[rowdy]

leave them to dry for a week

That might be a bit paranoid, letting them dry for a couple of days will be more than fine.

I generally only get the chance to do this on weekends.  So remove keycaps and clean one weekend, leave to dry for the week, replace keycaps the next weekend.

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

Yes, but I don't have time to remove, clean, (dry,) and replace a set of keycaps in one weekend.

Hence the drying phase usually lasts a week.

No doubt then that they are dry

[mougrim]

leave them to dry for a week

That might be a bit paranoid, letting them dry for a couple of days will be more than fine.

I generally only get the chance to do this on weekends.  So remove keycaps and clean one weekend, leave to dry for the week, replace keycaps the next weekend.

Isn't drying them for a week seems... excessive to you?

Yes, but I don't have time to remove, clean, (dry,) and replace a set of keycaps in one weekend.

Hence the drying phase usually lasts a week.

No doubt then that they are dry

Yep, by that time they're sure very dry Like the sand in Sahara