content/posts/2023-08-28-cleaning-keyboard.md


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---
title: "Cleaning my keyboard"
date: 2023-08-29
lang: en
categories: [ blog ]
tags: [ keyboard, cleaning, hygiene]
translationKey: "2023-08-29-cleaning-keyboard"
---

I have replaced my keyboard with a mechanical one around July last year, so
it's been more than a year, but shamefully I haven't cleaned it properly.  The
most cleaning I've done is using a tissue paper and rubbing over it.  In my
defense, it came with a plastic cover, so I thought covering it when not in use
is enough, but apparently it isn't.  As its keys are getting more and more
often stuck, I looked more closely between the keys and noticed dust and even
cobweb (I'm not exaggerating it).

![my keyboard and its plastic cover](/images/keyboard/keyboard-cover.jpg)

I didn't even get the tool needed to disassemble it for cleaning, so I just got
a keypuller last week, along with a switch puller and a brush.

So let's start cleaning this keyboard.

First, I remove all of those keycaps.  Hopefully I'm not breaking anything in
the process.

![my keyboard without keycaps, with a lot of dirt](/images/keyboard/bare-board-dirty.jpg)

Afterwards, the keys are put into a bowl of water mixed with handwash.  Some
guides would recommend mixing a lot of 90° alcohol, while some others say too
strong agent can damage the keys, so I prefer to stay safe with it.

![keycaps in cleaning bowl](/images/keyboard/keycap-soak.jpg)

Now, I brush the board gently while holding it upside down to avoid dust
sticking in further.  The keyboard is significantly cleaner after brushing.
Then, I use cotton swabs to clean it more thoroughly with water, and then dry
them with a towel.

![cleaning keyboard with a cotton swab](/images/keyboard/cleaning-board.jpg)

Next, I wash the keycaps that have been soaking.  The keys are quite clean now.
I rinse them with water to ensure no soap is remaining.

And voilà, the keyboard is as clean as new!

![the keyboard, now clean](/images/keyboard/bare-board-clean.jpg)

OK, not "as new", but it's much better than before.  The cleaning process takes
around 1 hour.

Finally, I and dry them completely before reassembling them.  Several methods I
use to dry faster include:

- use a towel
- use a fan
- human-powered centrifugal force

It takes another hour to dry.  I tries to use my memory, but it seems I don't
remember all the positions as well as I thought initially, particularly the
navigation buttons and the volume controls on the right of the main keys.
Fortunately, I already took the pic of the keyboard before disassembling it, so
it is not a problem.