How do you clean your keyboard?

[watduzhkstand4]

Let's say you buy a used keyboard from eBay and it is a bit dirty,
What do you use to clean the keyboard?

[vultureparade]

When I picked up a used Model M a couple years ago, I dissembled it and soaked all the plastic parts in a bucket of soapy water before giving each piece a light scrub.

For actual circuit boards, I recommend using something like a flux remover that evaporates quickly.

[itlnstln]

Let's say you buy a used keyboard from eBay and it is a bit dirty,
What do you use to clean the keyboard?

Dishwasher.  You can do a search and find some guidelines.  I used to break everything down and soak it in some Simple Green.  The key in either method is to give it ample time to dry.

[ch_123]

Last one I cleaned I removed all the key caps and washed them in a mixture of hot water, washing-up liquid and disinfectant. I then took a can of compressed air to the innards of the keyboard, and cleaned the exterior with soapy water, and some isopropyl alcohol for the dirt that didnt come out easily.

[watduzhkstand4]

Thanks for all the input!

@ itlnstln
I will do some research on that.

So mostly it's all about soaking soapy water into the plastics then clean and have ample time to dry.

But what about the sticker on the bottom of the keyboard? If I soak that wouldn't it come off? How do I prevent that from happening?

[itlnstln]

Definitely do a search on what keyboard was used in the dishwasher and fine tune your dishwasher settings. Some people have warped their cases.
 
I've used a dishwasher on my son's cheap Logitechs and they came out great.

 
I think someone has used the technique with a Model M.  My main concern is water temperature.  I would think if the water got too hot, it might damage some of the chips.

[lam47]

I use a whitening toothpaste. Just a normal brush or if its very yellow an electric one.
You would be surprised at how white you can get them
Another tip is to keep a large flat soft bristled brush by your PC.
Its great for dusting between the keys on black boards. The HH and Topre I have are dusted every day

[itlnstln]

Another tip is to keep a large flat soft bristled brush by your PC.
Its great for dusting between the keys on black boards. The HH and Topre I have are dusted every day

QFT.  I have an ostrich-feather duster I use for the same purpose.  All my 'boards stay looking brand new (except for the shiny keys on my Costar 'boards).

[itlnstln]

LOL - your keyboards must smell Minty Clean!

Maybe, but he and Chloe had some of the best-looking vintage 'boards because of it.  The results were stunning.  One of them had an AEKII that looked NIB.  It was amazing.
 
Quick question, lam: do you floss between the keys?

[wellington1869]

i wonder if a water pik would work.

[talis]

I think someone has used the technique with a Model M.  My main concern is water temperature.  I would think if the water got too hot, it might damage some of the chips.

During the soldering process, the chips can get upwards of 500F for a brief period.  I doubt if the temperature in a dishwasher would damage the electronics, the case is likely to fail long before any of the electronics.  I'd be more worried about water getting trapped in the membrane and not drying out.  How long do you let it sit after running it through the dishwasher?

I've used This before with limited success to remove yellowing from plastic.  I just haven't been able to find the strength of Hydrogen Peroxide that they suggest.

I usually just soak the keys in some laundry detergent and water, then blow them out with a compressor.  I've found model M keys tend to trap water in the top area of the key, and take forever to dry completely if you don't blow them out.

[itlnstln]

During the soldering process, the chips can get upwards of 500F for a brief period. I doubt if the temperature in a dishwasher would damage the electronics, the case is likely to fail long before any of the electronics. I'd be more worried about water getting trapped in the membrane and not drying out. How long do you let it sit after running it through the dishwasher?
 
I've used This before with limited success to remove yellowing from plastic. I just haven't been able to find the strength of Hydrogen Peroxide that they suggest.
 
I usually just soak the keys in some laundry detergent and water, then blow them out with a compressor. I've found model M keys tend to trap water in the top area of the key, and take forever to dry completely if you don't blow them out.

True.  Household water rarely gets above 120 deg. Farenheit, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[majestouch]

I've had good luck with Simple Green on the plastic and unless you can *see* corrosion or some kind of unnatural residue on the electronics then I wouldn't touch them with anything other than canned air.

[ironcoder]

True.  Household water rarely gets above 120 deg. Farenheit, so it shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Maybe yes maybe no. Most dishwashers heat the water.

[Mercen_505]

When cleaning, I break down the board as much as reasonable (i.e. I'm not stripping the rivets off an M, thank you), soaking the keys in warm water several times, then letting them air dry for about 24 hours. In the mean time, I take several small brushes and clean the gunk out of the baseplate, and attack the two halves of the case with plastic-friendly all purpose cleaner. Anything serious gets hit with the magic eraser.

I let it all dry out, carefully reassemble the bits and pieces, and enjoy a fresh keyboard. The only time I tried using the dishwasher was with the case on my model F. It was absolutely freaking filthy, but the trip through the dishwasher did some permanent damage. It didn't warp the case, but it seemed to strip the finish off the plastic. You can't tell from looking, but the surface feels like extremely fine sand paper ^__^

[IBI]

A related question, what proportion of mechanical keyboards are easy to clean? A lot of rubber dome keyboards have a faceplate that goes under the keys so the only thing that is ever likely to get dirty is plastic that easily comes. My Dell AT102W and Raptor-Gaming K1 are both not as well designed and don't have that feature so after I've taken the case off I have to take a small brush to clean between all the keys. Is this typical for mechanical keyboards? Which ones do it a better way?

[lowpoly]

That was me with the warped cases. White Ambra Model M clones. Cheap plastic.

Once I lost the printing on a label. I put duct tape and plastic foil over paper labels in the past and it worked. But usually the bottom half is easy to clean by hand, even on a dirty 'board. So, covering the label is even more work.

Stuff I don't put in the dishwasher:

• Ambra cases (doh)
• buckling spring assemblies
• cherry/alps switch pcbs
• rare collectibles
• usually controller pcbs

Temperature is 50 or 55 degrees Celsius.

I cleaned rubber domes in the past and put everything in after opening them. Even the pcb was not a problem. It has to dry well though, trapped water under ICs can lead to shorts. Don't take any risks!

I use glass cleaner and a very narrow brush to clean the switch pcbs by hand.

As for yellowing, I just ordered a considerable amount of H2O2. I'll post results when I have them.

[patrickgeekhack]

I am too scared to put my keyboards in a dishwasher. This is why, with the exception of my Dell AT101W, all my keyboards are black. Of course, having bought all of them new, I did not have to wash them. All I have to do is keep them clean and I'm good. I don't eat nor drink at my computer either.

My Customizer keycaps are not black, but they can be cleaned easily.

[ricercar]

Never use Windex to clean Mylar sheets with electrical traces in them. It can remove the metal without damaging the plastic at all.


<--- has first hand experience, unfortunately

[Idiot_Hacker]

It never ceases to amaze me how dirty a Model M can be.  Everytime I think I get a filfthy model M, the next one I get is even more disgusting.  First thing I always do is wear gloves.  I take the case apart.  Using just soap, hot water and a toothbrush, I clean the outer casing.  On the baseplate, jesus, let me tell you it is like a science experiment gone bad.  It's like crust of dead skin, oil, dirt and dust all caked together.  I literally have to use cloth soaked with rubbing alcohol with a stick to get in-between the key stands.  Around the key stands, I sometimes use a blunted x-acto knife to scrap off the crap.

All in all, it can take me hours to clean the damn thing.  But after, I am always amazed how new the model M can look like.  It's must be pretty nice plastic.  Can someone here tell us what type of plastic the model M used?

[ynggrsshppr]

I was also surprised how new the model M looked when I took off the keycaps and soaked them in warm water with some bleach. The dirt literally melted off the keys. The keycaps also seem to keep clean for the longest time. Maybe it's the texture of the keys.

[sixty]

Maybe we should have a topic about the most dirty keyboards and most horrible findings inside vintage keyboards? I know there is one like that over at KBDMania, where one guy found something like 4 living larvae or worms of some type inside an old Dell.

Actually never mind, just the idea is gross.

[Rajagra]

Maybe we should have a topic about the most dirty keyboards and most horrible findings inside vintage keyboards?

Look what crawled out of this guy's keyboard...
http://www.wimp.com/unusualanimal/

[keyb_gr]

That was my G80-3000LPMDE before it was mine. You need to look closely to see how dirty it really was. Really a case for a complete teardown. Cleaned case parts, washed keycaps, brushed off PCB, borrowed a foot from parts G81, that was much better.

[bsvP585hUO2Y6]

keyb gr writes:

> That was my G80-3000LPMDE before it was mine. You need to look closely
> to see how dirty it really was. Really a case for a complete
> teardown. Cleaned case parts, washed keycaps, brushed off PCB,
> borrowed a foot from parts G81, that was much better.

I wouldn't call it a complete teardown unless the switches have been
unsoldered and disassembled :-).  I did that after I poured orange juice
into my beloved G80-3000LSMDE-0 w/ blue switches two years ago.  I took
some notes about the process:

Code: [Select]

| Headline               | Time |
|------------------------+------|
| Desoldering switches   | 1:29 |
| Disassembling switches | 0:36 |
| PCB cleaning           | 0:20 |
| Reassembling switches  | 1:01 |
| Soldering              | 1:02 |
| *Total time*           | 4:30 |

While cleaning the PCB, the switch parts spent the time in an ultrasonic
bath.  I remember it taking ages for the switch parts to dry because of
their many cavernous features.  The case and keycaps were cleanded in
the dishwasher.  It looked and felt like fresh from the factory after
reassembly.  Typing on it right now :-).

regards,
andreas

[genegold]

I think someone has used the technique with a Model M.  My main concern is water temperature.  I would think if the water got too hot, it might damage some of the chips.

Don't have any links offhand, but the dishwasher instructions I've seen say to use the cool dry.

[ironcoder]

Take it to a cheap restaurant and let the guy washing dishes blast it with his wand. Or even a car wash...

[ironcoder]

http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/r/roseroyce/carwash.htm

[keyb_gr]

I wouldn't call it a complete teardown unless the switches have been
unsoldered and disassembled :-).

I'd call that a hardcore teardown. It took me a few hours as-is (can't tell how long exactly as I was also working on the G81-12100 keycap restoration at the same time).

[lowpoly]

Don't have any links offhand, but the dishwasher instructions I've seen say to use the cool dry.

Mine doesn't have that option. In any case, if you set it to 50 degrees Celsius, that temperature shouldn't be exceeded during heating either.