1) Cost
2) After my last splurge on tools, the wife's hidden the debit card.
So, who else dismantles their keyboard to clean it?
- Thread starter AntonyF
- Start date
2) After my last splurge on tools, the wife's hidden the debit card.
If it was a normal keyboard I could just buy a new one. But Microsoft don't do this exact one any more, and it's my favourite, so I want to maintain it.
Keyboards are resiliant. It's unlikely you'll break it. The keys themselves you just pull up with a knife, leverage them all up from the bottom. Bigger keys (space, shift,enter) be slightly more careful with, as they have metal bars attached that hook into the keyboard housing.
Then you can clean to varying degrees. I separate the keyboard itself apart, so I can really wash the area that holds the keys while leaving the electronic gubbins behind. But even if you don't do that, you'd now have a lot easier access to where all the dirt is to vacuum it out.
But ultimately the keys are just pushing down on rubber, and that rubber touches an electronic membrane thing. As long as the rubber is still in line, the keys will push the rubber... it's not complicated, and in that sense it's hard to break.
Maybe I should do a picture tutorial next time.
I do take pictures of the keyboard before, so I know where all the keys go. I'm fine on the letters, but all the other stuff not so much.
I have ascertained that no one is as anal as me on cleaning it though, it seems.
My brother used to take the keyboard apart to clean it. That was back in the late 70s/ early 80s. I have seen no one since then do such a thing. He stopped when he found a place that stocked canned air.
Yeah, that wasn't much of an option back when a keyboard was over $100. I still have all my keyboards from the '80's and '90's. They're sturdy as hell--though they can also be a bit hard on the fingers.
This is pretty controversial.
I wash it in the dishwasher, crack the case to drain the excess water, give it no less than 24 hours in front of a fan and turning it when I remember. Sometimes I pour rubbing alcohol over the washed keyboard to displace and dilute the water as it evaporates more easily than water alone.
If a key goes out, it is usually due to water and drying will take care of it. Trapped water can remain for a very long time so as you can imagine there are a lot of factors.
And I do this *because* keyboards are cheap. The stakes are low and there's nothing more satisfying than a do-it-yourself gone right.
I wash it in the dishwasher, crack the case to drain the excess water, give it no less than 24 hours in front of a fan and turning it when I remember. Sometimes I pour rubbing alcohol over the washed keyboard to displace and dilute the water as it evaporates more easily than water alone.
If a key goes out, it is usually due to water and drying will take care of it. Trapped water can remain for a very long time so as you can imagine there are a lot of factors.
And I do this *because* keyboards are cheap. The stakes are low and there's nothing more satisfying than a do-it-yourself gone right.
If you take the keyboard apart and only put in the top section with the plastic keys, you can be back up and running in short order.
I've heard a lot of "guides" on this subject warn against leaving it in through the dry cycle but I haven't had any issues letting it dry in the dishwasher... works like a charm.
I've heard a lot of "guides" on this subject warn against leaving it in through the dry cycle but I haven't had any issues letting it dry in the dishwasher... works like a charm.
I really ought to clean out the gunk under the laptop keys, but frankly I can't be bothered. It still works, so sod it.
QFT
I mean...really.
When the cigarette ash starts piling up, I just vacuum my home keyboard.
The one at work...It contains the remains of years of lunches. There is a splash of yoghurt on the 'enter' key. So.what.
A
Amaris
Guest
I disassemble and clean my keyboard every three months or so.
If I'm not feeling like it, I can just shoot some compressed air through it while standing over a garbage can.
Either way, I wipe it down with sanitary cleaner every week.
J.
If I'm not feeling like it, I can just shoot some compressed air through it while standing over a garbage can.
Either way, I wipe it down with sanitary cleaner every week.
J.
I have a ten year-old Microsoft Natural Keyboard. I dismantle it about once a year, vacuum out the hair and food particles and the like.
I love this keyboard, it's like second nature to me, and Microsoft doesn't manufacture one exactly like this any longer. So I clean it, coax more life out of it, and away I go. Even if some of the keycaps are unreadable and worn down now, after a decade of use.
I love this keyboard, it's like second nature to me, and Microsoft doesn't manufacture one exactly like this any longer. So I clean it, coax more life out of it, and away I go. Even if some of the keycaps are unreadable and worn down now, after a decade of use.
In a few extreme cases, I've pulled the keys off of a keyboard and thoroughly cleaned out underneath, but with a little care, I'm generally able to avoid getting anything truly evil in there. Turning the keyboard upside down and giving it a good shake or blowing it out with canned air will usually do the job quite adequately for me.
Keyboards cost like $20. I just go buy a new one.
I really ought to clean out the gunk under the laptop keys, but frankly I can't be bothered. It still works, so sod it.
QFT
I mean...really.
When the cigarette ash starts piling up, I just vacuum my home keyboard.
The one at work...It contains the remains of years of lunches. There is a splash of yoghurt on the 'enter' key. So.what.
If nothing else, it will mean we're teh only two who won't starve if we ever get trapped in our houses and run out of food.......
Commander Rabbit
Commander
I have one of these:
The keys don't come off, but it's waterproof so it's very easy to clean.
But yeah, when I used regular keyboards I would disassemble them to clean them.
Oh, wow, like the roll-up piano keyboard in "Lessons"! That's what I really want!
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I do clean my keyboards and also computers like the Commodore 64 and Atari ST's which have the keyboards mounted on top of the machine itself, I've once been given a Atari 1040 ST for nothing just because it had a hamburger accident which made its keyboard useless, took me a day or two to clean it.. fun fun fun.. not. 
As for normal keyboards, I two IBM Type M keyboards, they're both from 1987 and came with my PS/2 Model 30 machines, they are a delight to clean, the keycaps just pop off and you can just drop them in a bucket of luke warm water with a little amount of washing up liqued you can use a can of air on the rest and/or a little soft brush with long hairs, the two M's are exceptional and like new even after 22 years.
As for normal keyboards, I two IBM Type M keyboards, they're both from 1987 and came with my PS/2 Model 30 machines, they are a delight to clean, the keycaps just pop off and you can just drop them in a bucket of luke warm water with a little amount of washing up liqued you can use a can of air on the rest and/or a little soft brush with long hairs, the two M's are exceptional and like new even after 22 years.
