How to Clean a Mechanical Keyboard

Co-authored by Filip Boksa

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References

Removing Liquids and Debris

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Washing the Keycaps

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Keeping Your Keyboard Clean

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Video

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Things You'll Need

Mechanical keyboards are useful devices that are typically more sensitive to the touch than regular keyboards. They often cost quite a bit more than normal keyboards, so taking care of them should be a priority. If your mechanical keyboard needs cleaning, you can take it apart and try to clean up the area under the keys. But you can also perform some preventative maintenance with canned air and static-free vacuum cleaners. Remember to always disconnect the keyboard before you start cleaning it!

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Removing Liquids and Debris

1
Soak up any spilled liquid. If you have an accident and spill something on your mechanical keyboard, the first step is to do damage control and clean up the mess. Soak up any of the excess material with paper towels or a regular bath towel.^{[1]
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- Then let your keyboard air dry completely before trying anything else. This usually takes about 2-3 days.
2
Wipe down the surface. Use a damp paper towel or lint-free rag to wipe down the surface of the mechanical keyboard. You should be able to scrub off any sticky residue or grime that is stuck on the surface. This will help minimize the amount of dirt that gets down into the keys that could potentially cause a problem later.
- You can also use a disposable cleaning wipe to get this job done.
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3
Use a jelly compound. A jelly compound is a material that is often used for cleaning keyboards because it conforms to the small spaces and attracts dirt and debris stuck down in your keyboard. Take off all the keycaps and then dab the sticky compound on your mechanical keyboard.^{[2]
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- You can also try using the jelly material with the keys still on. But you’ll get a more efficient clean if you remove the keycaps.
- Be careful not to use a compound that is too sticky, as this could result in residue being transferred to your keyboard that negates the whole point of cleaning it in the first place.
- You should be able to purchase sticky compound at any office supply store.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Washing the Keycaps

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Remove all the keycaps. Use a tool called a keycap puller (that looks like a little pair of wire tongs) to remove all of the keycaps from your keyboard. Simply push down on each keycap with the puller and then pull back. This should remove each individual keycap.
- Try to keep the keycaps sorted so that they are easy to reapply. You might consider keeping all of the keycaps from the right side sorted together and all the keycaps from the left side sorted together.
2
Wash keycaps. Take off all of the keycaps and wash them using a gentle dish soap and warm water on a paper towel. Be sure to remove any sticky residue or dirt from each key as you wash them.^{[3]
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- You can also submerge the keycaps in a bowl containing a solution of warm water and denture cleaning tablets. Let the keycaps soak and then wipe them off.
- Let the keycaps dry completely before attempting to reattach them to your mechanical keyboard. This could take 1-2 days.
EXPERT TIP

James Sears
House Cleaning Professional
James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James and the team have nine years of experience and offer green cleaning, interior and exterior window washing, and general apartment cleaning services. He provides transformative cleaning experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

James Sears
House Cleaning Professional

Our Expert Agrees: If the keys on your mechanical keyboard get sticky, remove the key caps and wash them individually with water and a little soap. However, do not wash the board electronics with water.
3
Dump the contents outside. Take your mechanical keyboard outside. Turn it upside down and dump all of the dirt and debris onto the ground. Be careful not to shake out any of the internal pieces from your mechanical keyboard, but shake it hard enough to get out most of the debris.^{[4]
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- You could dump it into the trash, but then you risk all of the debris flying around and settling elsewhere in your home.
- You can also spray some compressed canned air on the keyboard while it’s upside down to get rid of some of the extra grime.
4
Clean the keyboard with a pipe cleaner and alcohol. Dampen a pipe cleaner with some rubbing alcohol and gently run the pipe cleaner along the dismantled keyboard. Be careful not to use too much alcohol so it doesn’t drip on the keyboard components.^{[5]
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- Be sure to let the remnants of the rubbing alcohol dry completely before you put your mechanical keyboard back together and plug it back in. This could cause your keyboard to short out and ruin it.
5
Reassemble the keyboard. Once you have cleaned the keyboard and let it (and the keycaps) dry completely, it’s time to put the mechanical keyboard back together. Snap each keycap back into place until you have reassembled the entire façade of the keyboard.
- Make sure you position the keycaps back in the correct place – you may want to consult a diagram of a qwerty keyboard before beginning.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Keeping Your Keyboard Clean

1
Use a can of compressed air. One of the easiest ways to keep your mechanical keyboard clean is by regularly spraying it with a can of compressed air. This method involves blowing a strong stream of air onto your keyboard that pushes out all of the dust and debris that has settled in those hard-to-reach places between the keys.
- You can usually find cans of compressed air at office supply stores for less than $10.
- Spray your mechanical keyboard with the compressed air once every few days to keep it nice and clean.
EXPERT TIP

James Sears
House Cleaning Professional
James Sears leads the customer happiness team at Neatly, a group of cleaning gurus based in Los Angeles and Orange County, California. James and the team have nine years of experience and offer green cleaning, interior and exterior window washing, and general apartment cleaning services. He provides transformative cleaning experiences by reducing clutter and renewing your home environment. James is a Trustee Scholar at the University of Southern California.

James Sears
House Cleaning Professional

Our Expert Agrees: Use compressed air to blow out any dust and debris from your mechanical keyboard, then flip the keyboard upside-down so all the dust can fall out. Finish by wiping it down with a dry microfiber cloth.
2
Use an anti-static vacuum. The biggest problem with using canned air is that it doesn’t get rid of the dust and debris – it simply blows it around to settle elsewhere in the room. Vacuuming up the debris is a good solution; however, regular vacuum cleaners aren’t recommended for use with electrical devices because of the electrostatic discharge that can affect you and your computer. Instead, purchase an anti-static vacuum cleaner to suck up all the gross stuff that accumulates in your mechanical keyboard.^{[6]
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- This will help your keyboard stay cleaner for longer since you are actually eliminating the dust, rather than just blowing it around.
3
Check your manufacturer’s warranty. Most mechanical keyboards come with a warranty from the manufacturer. Many cleaning options – like running it through the dishwasher or removing and lubricating the keycaps – may void your warranty. Check what the warranty says before proceeding because you don’t want to ruin it.^{[7]
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- Follow any cleaning instructions in the user’s manual and consider contacting the manufacturer for a replacement if necessary.