How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard

If you’re traveling and taking a dirty laptop with you, you may be transporting a great deal of dust and germs, not to mention run of the mill crud. And let’s face it, that luggage is heavy enough already without taking along unwanted hitchhikers. So clean off your laptop’s keyboard before you get going. It will only take about 20 minutes.

Before you start cleaning your laptop’s keyboard, make sure it is unplugged and powered off. (It is always better to have a dirty laptop than to shock yourself or ruin your machine during the cleaning process.) Also, remove the mouse, any discs or CDs, USB drives and anything else that is protruding from your machine.

Cleaning a Laptop Keyboard

The process you will use to clean your laptop has to do with how ambitious you are feeling at the time and how hardy your machine happens to be. For example, on some machines it is easy to pop the keys off and put them back on. But on others, it is about as simple as performing brain surgery. In other words, if you’re not confident that you can get the keys back on your laptop’s keyboard, do not take them off. You will still be able to clean your laptop pretty well. Not sure? Check the owner’s manual.

Cleaning your laptop with the keys intact

If you’ve elected to take the easy road and leave the keys o attached to your laptop, you can clean in between them by using a can of compressed air. Be aware that a can of compressed air does not simply contain air but contains a toxic chemical. So be careful when handling it and never hold the bottle upside down. Just tilt it at an angle two or three inches away from your key board as you direct the air between the keys. The good thing about having a laptop is that if it is too difficult to tilt the can of air you can always tilt your computer. Just be careful not to drop it.

If you feel comfortable doing it, you can also hold your laptop upside down over a trash can and tap on it lightly to dislodge any remaining debris that might be hiding in there once you’re done spraying.

Cleaning your laptop with the keys removed

If you’ve decided that you would like to take off the keys, use a knife or similar object to gently pop them off. Then store them in a safe place so that they don’t get lost. Even if you’re one of the confident ones, it’s still recommended that you leave the space bar and other larger keys in place. They are a real doozy to get back on due to their design.

Once you’ve pried all of the keys off of your laptop that you will be prying, place them in a small bowl, such as a cereal bowl, and add a couple drops of dish soap for hand washing to clean them with some light scrubbing. (Be sure to plug the drain if the bowl is in the sink.) Then follow the rest of the steps below while they soak.

Cleaning the rest of the keyboard

Unlike a traditional desktop keyboard, your laptop has many more nooks and crannies that need to be cleaned, such as drives, ports and the touchpad. For any nook and cranny type areas, the best thing to do is just spray inside them with the compressed air. Remember that the air is pressurized so you don’t want to get too close to the surface or this pressure could damage your computer.

For the rest of the keyboard, such as the touchpad, you can use a cloth that will not leave fuzz, such as an old t-shirt or handkerchief, a microfiber cloth, or one made specifically for electronics.

Dampen the cloth by dipping it in a solution of half lukewarm water and half isopropyl alcohol, a bowl of lukewarm water with a drop of dish detergent for hand washing, or just lukewarm water if your laptop is not that dirty. Wring out the cloth (water dripping into your machine, bad thing) and then wipe the keyboard top, sides and bottom. If you’re having trouble cleaning a tight area, such as where the monitor meets the keyboard, you can use a cotton swab. Just be careful that the swab doesn’t shed.

Note: You can also use electronics cleaner of course. Always spray it on the cloth, not the machine.

If you have the little rubber nub in the middle of your keyboard, known as the pointer, you can remove it from the keyboard and drop it in the cleaning solution or give it a quick onceover with an old toothbrush to remove any gunk from the grooves.

Letting your keyboard dry

Leave your laptop out so that it can dry. Do not shut the lid. Hopefully, since you used the water or cleaning solution sparingly, it should not take very long. If you removed the keys from your keyboard, you can set them out on the counter or table or wipe them dry with your cloth (if it’s not dry, use a new one of course). Then pop them back on when you’re sure that your machine and the keys are both fully dry.

Never plug in and/or turn on your machine until you are positive that it has dried completely.

Major Spill?

If you’ve had a major accident with some Starbucks and your laptop is swimming in non-fat latte, you may have to remove the entire keyboard in order to clean up the mess. Of course, this is easier said than done. Consult the owner’s manual or call the manufacturer to determine your best course of action in this situation.

Keeping your laptop’s keyboard clean

Of course, there is no way your laptop will remain spotless with regular use, but you can attempt to keep it from harm by not eating or drinking in its presence. Also, try to find a non-dusty area in which to use it. Not only is this better for your computer, it’s also better for your lungs.