Your laptop keyboard collects all kinds of dirt, dust, hair, food crumbs, oil from your fingers, and other gunk. Not cleaning your keyboard can lead to stickiness, blocked keys, contamination, and the spread of germs.
Keeping your laptop keyboard clean improves its functionality and lifespan. It also makes using your laptop a more pleasant experience.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to clean your laptop keyboard safely and effectively.
Materials and Tools Needed for Cleaning a Laptop Keyboard
Before cleaning your laptop keyboard, ensure you have the right cleaning materials and tools. This prevents damage to your laptop.
Cleaning Materials
- Compressed Air – Helps blast away loose external debris between and around the keys. Choose an air duster specifically for electronics.
- Cotton Swabs – For wiping away dirt in tight spaces between the keys. Opt for lint-free ones.
- Isopropyl Alcohol – High concentration (90% +) works best for disinfecting between keys.
- Distilled Water – For mild, safe cleaning to avoid corrosion from tap water minerals. Use sparingly.
- Microfiber Cloth – A smooth, non-abrasive lint-free cloth ideal for wiping down laptop surfaces. Avoid paper towels.
- Disinfecting Wipes – For convenient disinfecting of external laptop surfaces. Check they are plastic-safe first.
Tools
- Vacuum Cleaner Attachment – For vacuuming dust and debris around and between the keys.
- Soft-Bristled Toothbrush – To gently sweep away debris around and between keys.
- Keycap Puller – Required for removing keycaps for deep cleaning the keyboard.
- Tweezers – Help remove stubborn debris lodged between keys.
Cleaning a Laptop Keyboard – Step-by-Step
Follow these steps to thoroughly clean your laptop keyboard safely:
1. Prep Your Work Area
Clear a flat, spacious area to work on and lay down some paper towels to protect the surface from any moisture and grime.
Power down your laptop first and remove any connected devices and cables. Remove any large debris around the keyboard keys first so it doesn’t get lodged deeper inside.
2. Vacuum The Keyboard
Use a handheld vacuum cleaner attachment to vacuum all around, between and underneath the keys to remove loose external debris.
Hold the attachment nozzle parallel to the keyboard surface as you vacuum. Work slowly and methodically. Pay extra attention to the gaps between keys where crumbs love to hide.
3. Inspect for Stuck Debris
Inspect if any debris is lodged deeper between the keys, around the edges or stuck underneath keycaps.
For stuck debris around key edges, use tweezers to grip and remove it. For stuck debris between keys, slide a business card between keys to loosen and remove it.
4. Blast Pressurized Air
Use short bursts of compressed air to blast away stubborn debris lodged between keys or around hinges.
Tilt your laptop to help dislodge blasted debris. Never use liquids before electronics air dusters. Avoid blowing air directly at screen and vents.
5. Disinfect With Isopropyl Alcohol
Moisten a microfiber cloth or cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol (90%+ concentration) and rub gently between keys and around hinges to disinfect.
Isopropyl alcohol dissolves oil and grease buildup quickly. Be extremely careful to avoid dripping any liquid directly on the keyboard circuitry.
6. Scrub Keys With Toothbrush
Use a soft-bristled toothbrush dipped in distilled water to scrub away grime buildup on keycaps.
Make sure no moisture gets between the keys or anywhere except the keycap surface. Clean one key at a time, wiping away liquid immediately with a dry microfiber cloth.
7. Sanitize External Surfaces
Moisten a microfiber cloth with a 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol and distilled water. Gently wipe down all external laptop surfaces.
Alternatively, use disinfecting wipes to conveniently sanitize external surfaces. Avoid harsh scrubbing or using too much liquid.
8. Flush Keys With Distilled Water
For greasy keys, flush with distilled water using an electronics-safe silicone squirt bottle to get rid of oil and grime from fingertips.
Tilt laptop gently while squirting water so it runs out. Absorb all moisture immediately with a microfiber cloth before moisture gets inside keyboard.
9. Air Dry
Point a fan towards keyboard to speed up drying time. Let it air dry for at least 24 hours before reattaching keycaps or powering on your laptop. Moisture trapped can short circuit the keyboard.
10. Clean Between The Keys
Once fully dry, use cotton swabs dipped in isopropyl alcohol to gently clean in tight spaces between keys and hinges.
Bend and trim swab tips to suit tight gaps. Take your time and scrub any hidden dirt and grime away. Edge keycaps can hide plenty of gunk.
11. Clean Keycaps
Pop off keycaps using a keycap puller tool one at a time and clean debris buildup underneath using cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol.
Soak any stubborn stains on keycaps using warm water mixed with a gentle soap before scrubbing clean. Rinse with water then dry immediately with a cloth.
12. Replace Keycaps
Before replacing keycaps, clean the internal keyboard plate using swabs and isopropyl alcohol.
Align keycap clips carefully before gently snapping them back into place. Improper alignment can break the flimsy clips. Work methodically and patiently.
13. Test Keyboard
Reconnect your laptop, power it on and test every key. Ensure no keys are still stiff or sticky and every key types properly on screen.
If keys respond erratically, don’t type properly or make clicking sounds, you may have moisture trapped – power off and let dry for longer.
How Often Should You Clean Your Laptop Keyboard?
How often you clean your laptop keyboard depends on how much you use your laptop and how quick dust and grime accumulates.
As a general rule of thumb:
- Perform a quick external cleaning of keys once every week using air dusters and disinfectant wipes.
- Thoroughly clean between keys, under keys and external surfaces once every 1-2 months depending on your usage.
- Plan deep cleaning sessions less frequently – once every 6 months or year. This involves taking all keycaps out for cleaning.
Adjust cleaning frequency accordingly:
- If you rarely use your laptop – Deep clean every 8-12 months. Quick clean every 2-3 months.
- If you use laptop heavily and eat around it – Deep clean every 4-6 months. Quick clean weekly.
After prolonged idle periods – Always do a quick cleaning session before using your laptop again.
Cleaning Tools and Materials Cheat Sheet
Print out this handy cleaning tools & materials cheat sheet as a reference:
| Task | Tools | Materials | How To |
| Removing loose external debris | 1. Vacuum cleaner attachment 2. Compressed air | N/A | Vacuum gently around the keys. Use short bursts of compressed air to dislodge stubborn debris. |
| Dislodging stuck debris between keys | TweezersBusiness card | N/A | Use tweezers to remove stuck debris around keys. Slide business card between keys to loosen stuck debris. |
| Disinfecting between keys | Cotton swabsMicrofiber cloth | 1. Isopropyl alcohol (90%+)2. Distilled water | Dip cotton swabs in alcohol to disinfect between keys & hinges. Use sparingly. |
| Scrubbing keycaps | Soft-bristled toothbrush | Distilled water | Dip toothbrush in distilled water. Gently scrub one key at a time. Wipe away moisture immediately after scrubbing each key. |
| Flushing grimy keys | Silicone squirt bottle | Distilled water | Flush keys with distilled water bottle. Tilt laptop gently allowing water to run out through keyboard. Wipe away moisture immediately with microfiber cloth. |
| Drying keyboard | Fan | N/A | Point fan towards keyboard. Let air dry minimum 24 hours after cleaning before reconnecting power. |
| Cleaning between keys | Cotton swabs | Isopropyl alcohol (90%+) | Once completely dry, use cotton swabs dipped in alcohol to clean in tight spaces between keys and hinges. |
| Cleaning keycaps | Keycap puller Cotton swabs | 1. Warm water2. Gentle soap3. Isopropyl alcohol | Remove keycaps carefully with keycap puller. Clean debris buildup under keycaps with cotton swabs. Soak stubborn stains on keycaps with gentle soapy warm water then scrub clean. |
| Replacing keycaps | N/A | N/A | Before replacing keycaps, clean keyboard plate fully with alcohol swabs. Carefully align keycap clips before gently snapping back in place. |
Best Practices When Cleaning A Laptop Keyboard
Follow these vital best practices when cleaning your laptop keyboard to avoid damage:
- Shut down and unplug your laptop first. Remove batteries from portable keyboards.
- Never scrub roughly, bend keys sideways or yank keycaps off forcefully.
- Take your time and be extremely gentle around the delicate keys and hinges.
- Take photos of your keyboard first so you can place removed keycaps back exactly right later.
- Never allow moisture directly on keyboard circuitry. Always wipe liquid away immediately.
- Isopropyl alcohol can strip laptop paint. Spot test on inconspicuous area first.
- Before turning laptop back on, allow minimum 24 hours drying time after any liquid cleaning methods.
- When replacing keycaps, take utmost care aligning the flimsy inner clips correctly before snapping in place.
- Always test every single key after cleaning to ensure keyboard wasn’t damaged during cleaning.
By carefully following these laptop keyboard cleaning tips, your laptop keyboard will look like new again and give you the best typing experience possible!
Final Tips For Keeping Your Laptop Keyboard Clean
- Establish a routine cleaning schedule based on your usage rather than waiting until dirt builds up.
- Use a keyboard cover to protect your laptop keyboard from spills, scrapes and crumbs.
- Avoid eating while using your laptop to minimize food bits and sticky drips on keys.
- Wash hands before laptop use and trim fingernails regularly to minimize oil and dirt transfer to keys.
- Shut down, unplug then wipe grime off your laptop after returning home from travel.
- Store laptop in a bag when not in use to limit dust buildup.
Consistently following these simple habits keeps dirt and grime buildup minimal – reducing how often you need to deep clean your laptop keyboard.
So grab your keycap puller, toothbrush and isopropyl alcohol then get scrubbing… your laptop keyboard will soon look tidy and work smoothly as new!