One of my worst habits? Letting my keyboard get absolutely filthy. There are plenty of products on the market that will clean your keyboard without doing any harm, but this simple DIY alternative uses household products to safely wipe away germs and dust. All you need is a cotton swab and a basic alcohol mixture.
Before you get started with the swabbing, turn your keyboard over to get all the dust and crumbs out. If you have a keyboard with deep keys, you may consider using a compressed air cleaner. However, it isn't absolutely necessary. You have a perfectly free option hiding in your bathroom: your hairdryer. Set your hairdryer to a low heat setting, hold it at least 6 inches away from the keys, and blow over in a slow motion to get any tough dirt out.
Next, The Family Handyman suggests mixing a solution of half water and half isopropyl alcohol for your cleaning solution. Isopropyl alcohol is a common first aid solution and usually costs less than a dollar at the drug store. Mix the solution well and dip your cotton swab in it. Then carefully wipe down the keyboard and use a paper towel to dry off any excess solution so it doesn't get into the electronics between the keys.
What are some simple and affordable home methods you have found to clean your peripherals?
(Images: The Family Handyman and Walgreens)
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how can I clean the screen ?
I always used nail polish remover to clean my white keyboards. I just dab a little bit on a cotton ball. For the screen, I use soft cloth (dry) --- blow on your screen to get some moister and wipe away.
Note: 91% or higher is the proper dilution for cleaning electronics. 70% alcohol will leave streaks and not dry fast enough. I wouldn't dilute it with water at all. This also safe for cleaning monitors and any other electronics you can think of. A toothpick is also essential when cleaning game controllers and keyboards, IMO.
@m23b, I got the Belkin screen cleaning kit off of Amazon for under $10. It comes with a low-viscosity gel cleaner and a microfiber cloth. It's safe for most electronics screens and it cleaned my (admittedly super disgusting) Macbook screen so well that it felt like I had a new laptop.
I use the compressed air and a slightly damp microfiber cloth on my laptop keyboard.
DovieAnn is absolutely right: DON'T mix with water and use 91% alcohol (easy to find at the drug store and either isopropyl or ethyl alcohol is fine to use). The whole idea is to have a solution to lift the grime, but that evaporates very quickly before any moisture gets into the electronics. I definitely wouldn't use acetone (nail polish remover) at all, because it's a powerful solvent and depending on how they're printed, will dissolve the letters on some keys.
If you're using a hairdryer, set it on cool/cold only - forgo the dryer if it only goes to "warm" - and stand the keyboard upright on it's short side and blow straight down the rows so you don't end up blowing crumbs deeper inside.
m23b: if your screen is glass, you can use the alcohol (I do), but it does leave streaks that you have to "buff" out. If not, the manufacturer will recommend a cleaner - check their website.
I've always used a dishwasher to clean my wired keyboards....
Moisture is terrible for screens so I just try to use the microfiber cloths that come with a pair of glasses.
Or just spring for Logitech's water-resistant keyboard and dunk it in your sink: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/washable-keyboard-K310
I've been using pledge wipes to clean my electronics. There is a specific kind of pledge wipe that has no residue and is safe to use on screens. If you'd like to try it, look for the package with a computer icon on it. A package of 25 is under $5!
I use a Mr Clean Eraser sponge on my white keyboard - works a treat!
I just use a stubby flathead screw driver and pop the keys off. Wash them in the sink, and have easy access to clean out the rest of the recess behind them.
Once it's all dry re-assemble. You might want to take a picture of where the keys go though if you're not a touch typer :p
I do the same as TheDanMan, pop off all the keys and go to work; but that's not always possible with some newer keyboards or laptops. It's pretty shocking to see just how disgusting it gets under all those keys...
As for cleaning the monitor, I actually use the cleaner and cloths for my camera lenses.
Another key-popper here. The best way to get all the grime out in between the keys.
Oh dear... it's genuinely never occurred to me to clean my keyboard. I might just get on that now.
Paintbrush and whatever cleaning solution you prefer. Dry off with towel of some sort.
Good reminder, but I think eKlenz Cleaners are a much faster and easier way to clean my keyboards and nasty remote controls.
http://eklenz.com/products/eklenz-keyboard-cleaner
http://eklenz.com/products/eklenz-remote-cleaner
I'm usually a lurker, but I had to register once I saw the dangerous advice some people were giving out here. If you're going to use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning, never EVER use it undiluted. You should do as the article says and use it in a 50/50 mixture (with distilled water), especially if you're using it to clean a monitor. Failure to do so can damage LCD screens, remove paint from plastic and remove glossy/semi-gloss coatings from surfaces.