How to clean a laptop keyboard

In this guide, you’ll learn how to clean your laptop keyboard without removing the keys. We like to keep munching on some snacks while using our laptops, and the scrapes just fall on the keyboard. They can get stuck in the keys, making typing difficult, and if we continue to fight dirty and messy keys to keep working, it will cause unnecessary delays in our work. Over time, the dirt that builds up in the keys can also become sticky and hinder typing, so it’s necessary to have a spotless laptop keyboard. Well, it’s not hard if you know what to do and which tools to use.

Tools Required:
Here is a list of stuff that you need to clean your laptop keyboard.
1. USB keyboard vacuum cleaner
2. Compressed air
3. Alcohol
4. Micro-fiber cleaning cloth

Get all these tools, and then you are good to go and clean your laptop keyboard. Here is how you need to use these tools to clean the keyboard to start enjoying the experience of clean and smooth keys.

Step 1: Shut down the laptop and get ready

The first step is to shut off the laptop and remove any cables and accessories. This is to make sure that moisture does not harm the laptop’s functioning when you turn it on again.
1. Place a towel or cleaning cloth underneath the laptop so that all the dirt and debris will fall on it, and you do not have to clean the surface later.
2. Lift one side of the laptop and tilt it so that all the dirt and mess come out of it. Shake it a bit to remove any loosely stuck stuff in the keys.
3. Lightly brush a cloth over the keyboard to remove any bigger dust particles that stay even after shaking it.

Step 2: Use a USB vacuum cleaner to clean the keyboard

You can use a USB keyboard vacuum cleaner to clean your laptop keyboard because it will suck up dirt and small pieces that are stuck on the keys and sides of the keyboard. These vacuums also sometimes come with LED bulbs that can also help you find any hidden dust particles. All you need to do is plug the vacuum cleaner into a USB port and let it work its magic while you slowly move it over the surface of your laptop’s keyboard.

Buying a USB keyboard vacuum cleaner is necessary because you need to clean the keyboard frequently. Usually, we recommend cleaning it once a month. The vacuum cleaner costs around $10, and you can buy it from eBay or Amazon.

Step 3: Use compressed air to clean a keyboard

If you don’t have a USB keyboard vacuum cleaner, you can clean the keyboard with compressed air.
1. Get a compressed air can from the supermarket and insert a small straw. The diameter of the straw has to be small so that the air comes out with greater pressure.
2. Release the air from a compressed air can result in short swift bursts to let the sticky stuff come out of the keys. It is better to direct the straw outlet at the sides of the keys to clean them thoroughly.
3. It would be better if you tilted the laptop to one side and then treated the keys with compressed air in the canister, as this would allow for better access to tiny particles.

Step 4: Use a Micro-fiber cloth to clean a keyboard

Since you have removed all the visible impurities, it is time to clean off the ultra-small particles. For this, a soft microfiber cloth is perfect since it lets the particles get adsorbed on its surface, leaving the keyboard free of any pollutants. Just sprinkle a small amount of water on the microfiber cloth, and its adhesive capacity will be further improved. Remember to sprinkle just a little bit of water, as excessive water will seep in through the sides of the keys and cause harm to your laptop.

Step 5: Using alcohol cleaning keyboard

A clean laptop keyboard does not only have no dust particles but also no bacteria and other microorganisms. Soak some cotton in a solution of diluted alcohol and then drench it completely. After that, gently rub the cotton over the surface of the keyboard, and your keyboard will be like new!

Make sure that you follow these steps thoroughly, and you will be amazed by the clean and spotless surface of the keyboard that you will eventually get!