how to clean around keys on mac keyboard

Always spray it on the cloth, not the machine. *You can also use electronics cleaner of course. Just be careful that the swab doesn’t shed. If you’re having trouble cleaning a tight area, such as where the monitor meets the keyboard, you can use a cotton swab. Wring out the cloth (water dripping into your machine, bad thing) and then wipe the keyboard top, sides and bottom.

Remember that the air is pressurized so you don’t want to get too close to the surface or this pressure could damage your computer.įor the rest of the keyboard, such as the touchpad, you can use a cloth that will not leave fuzz, such as an old t-shirt or handkerchief, a microfiber cloth, or one made specifically for electronics.ĭampen the cloth by dipping it in a solution of half lukewarm water and half isopropyl alcohol, a bowl of lukewarm water with a drop of dish detergent for hand washing, or just lukewarm water if your laptop is not that dirty. For any nook and cranny type areas, the best thing to do is just spray inside them with the compressed air. Unlike a traditional desktop keyboard, your laptop has many more nooks and crannies that need to be cleaned, such as drives, ports and the touchpad. (Be sure to plug the drain if the bowl is in the sink.) Then follow the rest of the steps below while they soak. Once you’ve pried all of the keys off of your laptop that you will be prying, place them in a small bowl, such as a cereal bowl, and add a couple drops of dish soap for hand washing to clean them with some light scrubbing. They are a real doozy to get back on due to their design. Even if you’re one of the confident ones, it’s still recommended that you leave the space bar and other larger keys in place. Then store them in a safe place so that they don’t get lost. If you’ve decided that you would like to take off the keys, use a knife or similar object to gently pop them off. Cleaning your laptop with the keys removed If you feel comfortable doing it, you can also hold your laptop upside down over a trash can and tap on it lightly to dislodge any remaining debris that might be hiding in there once you’re done spraying. The good thing about having a laptop is that if it is too difficult to tilt the can of air you can always tilt your computer. Just tilt it at an angle two or three inches away from your key board as you direct the air between the keys. So be careful when handling it and never hold the bottle upside down. Be aware that a can of compressed air does not simply contain air but contains a toxic chemical. If you’ve elected to take the easy road and leave the keys attached to your laptop, you can clean in between them by using a can of compressed air. Not sure? Check the owner’s manual.Ĭleaning your laptop with the keys intact You will still be able to clean your laptop pretty well. In other words, if you’re not confident that you can get the keys back on your laptop’s keyboard, do not take them off. But on others, it is about as simple as performing brain surgery. For example, on some machines it is easy to pop the keys off and put them back on. The process you will use to clean your laptop has to do with how ambitious you are feeling at the time and how hardy your machine happens to be. (It is always better to have a dirty laptop than to shock yourself or ruin your machine during the cleaning process.) Also, remove the mouse, any discs or CDs, USB drives and anything else that is protruding from your machine. Cleaning a Laptop Keyboardīefore you start cleaning your laptop’s keyboard, make sure it is unplugged and powered off. There are also electric air dusters available should you find yourself needing one often enough to justify the expense. The Giottos Rocket Blaster Air Blower is a manually operated pump that can product a suprisingly strong blast of air and is commonly used by photographers to clean their lenses.

Be aware that there are other, greener options as well. This article refers to the compressed air that is most commonly found in aerosol cans. The keyboards in particular are delicate and should be kept clean to ensure proper operation. Since laptops are made to be used outside of the usual office environments, they tend to get dirty much more quickly than their desktop counterparts.

How to clean around keys on mac keyboard