How to clean your keyboard and keep it free from bacteria and viruses
Cleaning the keyboard is extremely important, and unfortunately many of us don’t do it regularly, if at all. Because our hands come into contact with many things, it is safe to say that we transfer bacteria and viruses to our keyboard when they are used.
How to keep your keyboard clean
In other cases, we may also collect bacteria and viruses from a keyboard, especially those that have not been cleaned up for eons. You see, while many people will be cleaning multiple devices in their office, the keyboard is usually examined and, as such, the germs multiply.
The question then is what is the best possible solution for cleaning a keyboard? We certainly can’t water it with bleach and bleach, so there has to be a better way that won’t end up damaging the device.
Now, before we go ahead, we must point out that 27% of desktop keyboards have high levels of contamination, according to the Healthland section of Time.
Precautions before cleaning your keyboard
- Turn off keyboard power
OK, so the first thing to do here is to unplug the keyboard from the computer to make sure that power is not provided. Now, for those who use a laptop, this task is more difficult, and as such, only advanced users should attempt to remove the keyboard.
For ordinary people, just turn off the laptop and remove the battery if possible. Failure to do so could damage the overall system, and we do not want that at all.
- Flip the keyboard
Now is the time to remove the dust from your keyboard, so grab a small paper bag or trash can and gently shake the keyboard from the upside down position to remove all dust, debris and food particles.
Depending on the keyboard design, it may be possible for the user to easily remove individual keys to clean the card. In many cases, deleting the keys is problematic and, since we don’t want you to break anything, we recommend the following tool:
That’s pretty good, and in our experience, it should be a lot easier when it comes to cleaning your keyboard.
Lily: Tips for physically cleaning your Windows computer.
Keep the keyboard free from bacteria and viruses
Now let’s discuss the tools you should use to clean your computer keyboard without causing unexpected damage.
Placing slime on your keyboard does not seem like a good idea, but it is not an ordinary slime. We are actually talking about cleaning mud. You see, cleaning sludges are sticky and gummy objects that stick to your device. Once removed, the mud carries with it much of the dust, grime and all that lives on the surface.
Now, from what we have experienced, the cleaning mud works best on mechanical keyboards or any type with enough space between the keys.
If you have a deep hatred for dust on your devices, including your keyboard, then why not get yourself a can of compressed air? When you press the button, air blows directly out of the box and into your keyboard, which in turn expels any amount of dust and thin layers of grime.
Compressed air is also great for cleaning the interior of desktop computers, so keep that in mind for the future.
- A little rubbing alcohol never hurts
Before going out to get a bottle of rubbing alcohol, remember that you will need the one containing 70% alcohol. Less and it won’t have enough power to kill germs and bacteria, so read the description or ask the store clerk.
When it’s time to clean, take a small cloth and moisten it with rubbing alcohol, then wipe the surface of your keyboard. To get in between and under the keys, get a cotton swab stick soak it in alcohol.
Obviously, this method is not easy to use compared to compressed air and mud, but it is the best way to kill bacteria.
