- Eliminate the bacteria
Grab some Q-tips or cotton swabs and dip them in 70% isopropyl alcohol (your standard household bottle of rubbing alcohol) Rubbing alcohol kills up to 99.9% of germs in just 10 seconds, plus it dries really quickly, making it a good choice for removing dirt and bacteria from a keyboard. Don’t worry if you put a bit too much liquid on your swab the alcohol will evaporate quickly, just dry it off a little with a piece of kitchen towel before you use it on the keyboard. With your swab, gently clean in and around all parts of your keyboard’s base, removing the dirt whilst being careful not to use too much liquid. Never pour rubbing alcohol directly into or over your keyboard. - Clean the Keys
Once the base is clean, it’s time to clean your keys. Pour some more rubbing alcohol into a small dish and wash each key with a soft microfiber cloth dipped in the liquid. Leave to air dry, which they will do fast. - If you can’t remove the keys from the base
For keyboards where the keys can’t be removed, take a soft microfiber cloth and dip it into a dish of rubbing alcohol. Make sure the cloth is only slightly dampened so it’s not too wet and gently clean over and between the keys all over the keyboard. - Pop the keys back in place
Once the keys are clean and fully dry, it’s time to rebuild. Each key will snap back in place with a small amount of pressure. Consult a keyboard map online if you can’t quite remember where each key goes. Give everything one last wipe with a dry microfiber cloth. - Plug it back in
Switch your keyboard back on and check that it works properly, and you’re good to go, so you can finish that short story (or check out your shopping cart) with a clean keyboard and a clean conscience. - Bonus Time
Here’s one of the best tricks to keep your keyboard as clean as possible: When you have the dirt removed, you’ll want to keep your keyboard dust-free going forwards. With that in mind, it’s a good idea to store stand-alone keyboards upside down when they’re not in use. That way, crumbs, and dust don’t get a chance to settle inside. Any debris should hopefully fall out overnight and can be cleaned up off the desk the next day.
RELATED: 12 Ways Rubbing Alcohol Will Help You Clean Better
To maintain the clean, shake the dirt and debris at least once a week, but ideally every day and try to clean the keys or between them with rubbing alcohol at least once a month.
While you have the rubbing alcohol out, why not check out some other cool things you can do with it? – Safely disinfect surfaces in your home, and save dollars on expensive cleaning products at the same time.
RELATED: HOW TO MAKE A CHEAP HAND SANITIZER WITH INGREDIENTS YOU ALREADY HAVE AT HOME
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