Cleanable keyboards ?

[Moogle Stiltzkin]

I just saw this keyboard

http://www.keyboardco.com/keyboard_details.asp?PRODUCT=757


It's cheap and they say you can stick it in the dish washer without ruining it. Why didn't they add this to the higher end keyboards :d ??

[JBert]

I'm pretty sure it doesn't use mechanical switches...

[synack]

I actually work in hospital IT.  Most of the washable keyboards are horrible membrane disasters (we even some COWs (computer on wheels) with those roll-up keyboards...  Those are an exercise in pain...)

However, there is some hope:  http://www.unotron.com/US/s6000k.htm

The first time I saw these I had doubts, but they actually are quite decent.  They are membrane, but actually do provide some decent feedback.  I find them to be quite better then any Dell and HP OEM stuff.

Until I brought in a Model M I used one for a brief stint at my desk.

[washuai]

Health stores sell colloidal silver to ingest, so I'm sure the silver on the keyboard is just fine.

[kps]

Most keyboards can be washed in a dishwasher, but some can't take the heat of drying in one. Your plastics may vary.

[washuai]

Most keyboards can be washed in a dishwasher, but some can't take the heat of drying in one. Your plastics may vary.

Even if they have plastics that can withstand it, no most keyboards cannot take being submersed in water and detergent.  Not even most keyboards are spill resistant, let alone spill proof.  Waterproof is the first step to being washed like dishes and like you said the temperature tolerances of the materials are the second.  Or are you removing your keyboard internals and just dish washing case & keys, which is still not the same thing.

[Parak]

Here's a G86 being subjected to chinese water torture. I have one of those (G86-61410 with an additional row of relegendable keys), and it's not bad at all to type on for a rubber dome. These are also fully programmable to boot. Quite firm, though.

[Stone]

I have one of these at work: CleanKeys


I got it as the lowest-force alternative to my Datahand while unable to use my left hand for typing after surgery - as the typing surface is a solid sheet of glass, with a capacitive touch surface on the underside, you can actually type without touching the surface at all! (you can actuate it from 3-4mm away on the highest sensitivity setting).

Obviously it's easy to clean as there's nowhere for dirt to hide - hitting Fn+Pause suspends operation so you can wipe it without generating spurious keypresses. It has a nice feedback 'click' noise (3 volume settings, or off) which helps a lot with the lack of tactile sensation. You can set the sensitivity as low/med/high as well.

I definitely wouldn't use it for gaming as the rollover is very strange - it seems to be divided into two portions left and right, and can register only one of those sides at a time, but it can do this with any combination of ctrl, alt, win, lshift, rshift or altgr. Weird! It also doesn't have a windows-style 'right-click' key, if that bothers you.

I've found the layout to be OK - it's close enough to UK standard that it's easy enough to switch to, the main issue being the arrow keys which still catch me out after a couple of weeks using it. The trackpad is nothing special - you can tap-click but not scroll (apparently there's a firmware fix for this but I haven't got it yet) but fine for medium-duty office use, it's just a standard pad. The glass is frosted above the pad surface which gives it a nice tactile feel - it can be quite easy to drift off it and hit 'return' by mistake though.

It's advertised as washable but not proof against immersion - I get the impression you could run it under a tap and even immerse it for short periods without trouble. The base is made of Corian (as in the artificial ceramic material used for kitchen surfaces) which makes the whole thing very solid - it definitely won't move around on the desk. As the Corian and glass are bonded with epoxy and there's a silicon bead between the two it should survive spills easily - the weakest point is the cable exit, which has a soft rubber strain relief to give extra protection.

The biggest downside is the price - they're £351 each. If you can convince work to buy you one they're really good for rehabilitation due to the very very low activation force - but I guess you'd have to be a real cleaning freak to get one just because you can wipe it down. Then again maybe you have a very messy desk ;-)

Stone

[Parak]

£351 each.

Um.
:jaw: I could get a μTRON for that... but for some reason this almost seems  more appealing. Probably due to the potential of being a complete slob and using it as a serving tray.

[kps]

Even if they have plastics that can withstand it, no most keyboards cannot take being submersed in water and detergent.

Sure they can. My main keyboard at home has been in continuous use for over 12 years and gets a full wash at least once a year. Likewise any used keyboard that I might want to use gets washed; you never know what the previous owner did at the computer.

A final rinse with distilled or deionized water is a good idea.

Not even most keyboards are spill resistant, let alone spill proof.

Spills are not usually just water; they're drinks full of sticky corrosive stuff. That's why the correct response to a keyboard spill is to immediately unplug it and run it under a tap to try to rinse all of the spill out as soon as possible.

[kps]

We've had  a rash of people doing that to model m's lately.  Even the dishwasher.

Not sure I'd recommend submersion for that particular keyboard.....

That's true -- those are probably the worst case for cleaning, since it's awkward to separate the membranes; they take a very long time to dry completely.

The other type I wouldn't casually run through a dishwasher are the vintage capacitive keys using foam spacers, if they haven't disintegrated already.

[Bruce]

Hi Moogle.

The Silver Seals are great keyboards.
But I must declare an interest.....as we sell them.

They are membrane. It lends itself more readily to the process.
I don't think we'll see a waterproof mechanical for a while.

Dishwashing is great but you do need to turn off the drying - that will melt the case.
We show these by placing them in a fish tank and typing on them, and the mice, connected to a laptop.
It is great to be able to just wash your keyboard, we have a couple in use in the office and we just run them under the tap for a freshen up. Shake it out and plug it back in.

There is one model with Silver added and one without.
The Silver works by slow release throughout the life of the keyboard, it is mixed in during manufacture and water helps activate it. There's a load of science on:- http://www.sealshield.com
They pass all the relevant tests and if Silver is a problem I might have killed my wife with a wrist watch. Silver is used in a large range of healthcare products and has been since The Romans. But they also used lead to clarify wine so might not always want to do what the Romans did.

They are a really successful product for health care and hot desking - and kids. Nothing comes close for a balance of Infection control, usability and cost. 3 yr warranty too.

Pitch over....

[washuai]

Aside from quiet, one of the best things about silicone rubber roll ups is easy clean up.  I do miss that with these mechs.

[ricercar]

Aside from quiet, one of the best things about silicone rubber roll ups is easy clean up.  I do miss that with these mechs.

Are we talking keyboards or inflatable women?

[washuai]

For Ripster's Japanese Obsession :hail:


:laugh: Keyboards.

[josewebguy]

I never realized there was such a demand for this. One of the best office improvements I’ve made is a waterproof keyboard from Man & Machine. You can clean the heck out of them with disinfectants. Great for infection control and durable as heck. http://www.man-machine.com