Studies consistently find keyboards to be among the most bacteria-laden surfaces in a home or office — harbouring more bacteria per square inch than a toilet seat. Beyond the hygiene concern, debris between keys causes sticky keys and degraded feel over time. Here's how to clean a keyboard properly at two levels: quick maintenance cleaning and a full deep clean.
Quick Clean (10 minutes — do this monthly)
- Turn the keyboard upside down and shake gently over a garbage bin. You'll be surprised how much debris falls out.
- Use compressed air (available at any electronics store in a can) — blow between the keys from multiple angles to dislodge debris that didn't fall out. Hold the can upright to avoid releasing liquid propellant.
- Wipe the keycaps — dampen a microfibre cloth with isopropyl alcohol (70% — available at pharmacies) and wipe each key. Alcohol evaporates quickly and disinfects without leaving residue. For laptops: use a barely damp cloth and avoid getting moisture around the edges of the trackpad.
- Clean between keys — a cotton swab (Q-tip) lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol can clean the surface between keycaps where a cloth can't reach.
Deep Clean — Desktop Keyboard with Removable Keycaps
For mechanical keyboards and many full-size desktop keyboards, keycaps can be removed for thorough cleaning. This is for desktop keyboards only — never remove keycaps from laptop keyboards (the scissor mechanisms are fragile and not designed for removal).
- Take a photo of your keyboard layout before removing keycaps — you'll need a reference to put them back correctly
- Use a keycap puller tool (included with many mechanical keyboards, or inexpensive at electronics stores) to remove all keycaps
- Soak keycaps in warm water with a small amount of dish soap for 30–60 minutes
- While keycaps soak, clean the keyboard base using compressed air and cotton swabs with isopropyl alcohol
- Rinse keycaps, dry thoroughly (a few hours in a dry area or use a fan — they must be completely dry before reinstalling)
- Reinstall keycaps using your photo as reference
Laptop Keyboard Maintenance
Laptop keyboards are not user-serviceable for deep cleaning — removing keys risks breaking the scissor mechanisms. Stick to compressed air and gentle surface wiping with a barely damp microfibre cloth. For severe debris contamination, professional cleaning by an electronics repair shop is safer than attempting to disassemble.
Keyboards are wiped as part of Maidless's standard surface cleaning on every visit. Book a Toronto house cleaning — HST included.