Such a simple question. But something I myself find always looking for other suggestions. The more you wash the keys and use the keys, the more run down they will become. I would suggest a tried and true method. When the computer is not in use, it is shut down and a linen sheet is placed over it to prevent dust. And a electric air compressor works wonders too. Not too mention a shop vac for the really dusty rigs.

Nranco wrote:

Hello,
I've heard one can wash the keyboard in the dishwasher. Is this true? If so, how is it done?

Thank you.

Open dishwasher, place keyboard in it, add some dish washing stuff, close dish washer, start the hottest program.
Afterwards curse me 😉

For membrane keyboards I disassemble them, remove the conductive sheet and electronics, then wash the rest by hand or machine.
For mechanical keyboards I remove the keys and throw them in the washing machine in one of those baggies for delicate clothes, the rest gets cleaned by hand.

By not getting the membrane/electronics wet you can have your keyboard working sooner. Your typical keyboard membrane takes a long time to dry out completely, which is why laptop keyboards are a huge pain.

I've washed a few membrane keyboards in the dishwasher and I didn't do anything different to how I use it to wash the dishes. Just wrap the cable around it to prevent that from tangling in the spinner things.

It takes days for them to dry out but they all worked afterwards. Note though that these were only cheap keyboards I didn't really care about, I clean my Model M lovingly by hand.

I've cleaned a ton of keyboards, and I always do it by disassembling them. It's time consuming, but usually not too difficult.

Flip it over and take the screws out of the back. Have a dish or old TV dinner tray handy to put the screws and parts in. When you separate the case, you'll probably find a flex circuit (clear plastic with traces on it), which forms a sandwich with a layer on the top & botton and a separator in the middle. There will also probably be a silicone sheet with a bunch of little domes on it to act as springs. If you flip the top half of the case over, you'll see the bottom of the keys.

If the bottom end of the keys are hollow and look like the same plastic the keys are made from, then they're usually one-piece and you should be able to push them out from the bottom. Place the keyboard face down over a large bowl, take a small screwdriver, place the tip into the hollow bottom end of the key and gently, but firmly push it out. It should pop out with a moderate amount of force and land in the bowl.

If the bottom of the keys isn't hollow and looks like a different type of plastic, then the keys are made up of separate caps snapped onto stems. For these, you will usually have to pull the caps off from the top. Place the keyboard over a large bowl so that the stems drop into it when the cap comes off. Since it's normally quite difficult to actually pull the caps off, I usually end up CAREFULLY prying them. Place a screwdriver under the edge of the key so that it's resting on the shaft of the screwdriver, then gently pry up, while using your other hand to keep the cap level, so you're not twisting it to the side too much. People will tell you that this isn't a good idea, but I've never broken a key yet by doing this. Just do it carefully.

With either method, if the keys have individual springs or silicone tubes under the cap, make sure not to lose them. Also note that some of the longer keys like the Spacebar, Enter, Zero and Plus keys on the numeric keypad and possibly the Shift keys, will have pieces of wire under them to keep them from rocking when you press on one side of them. Typically these will snap into clips on the keyboard base, or they will slide under retaining clips. On the key, they usually hook into slots on the underside of the key. Sometimes these slots are a separate insert that just presses in. Don't lose them and take note if the wires are different sizes.

Once everything is apart, I usually spray the case and most other plastic parts with Windex (window cleaner with ammonia) and run a scrub brush over them, then rinse thoroughly with hot water. While I'm doing this, the keys are usually soaking in hot water and soap. I use one of those big drink cups with a lid so that I can shake it. You can then let everything air-dry, or use a towel and dry it off.

When dry, snap the keys back into place. I find it's easiest to do the keys with the wires first. Place the flex circuit back in place, add the silicone sheet, pop the case together and then put the screws back in.

For very dirty membrane keyboards, I typically do the following:

• disassemble everything
• clean the electrical contents (damp rag is usually enough)
• put the keys in the sink and hand wash with dish soap
• blast the flat plastic parts with a garden hose
• dry everything thoroughly
• reassemble and cross fingers 🤣

A bit labor-intensive, but it works with even the grungiest, nastiest Goodwill keyboards. Haven't cleaned a mechanical yet.

Servicing the keyboard is like servicing a watch. Disassemble, and clean individual key points.

I cleaned my childhood keyboard in 2011 and it never recovered. It is a Honeywell keyboard (Philips re-badge) with plastic sheets that have the traces in them. Pretty interesting really. I bought a new one recently. 😀

maximus wrote:

A bit labor-intensive, but it works with even the grungiest, nastiest Goodwill keyboards.

It's funny that you mention Goodwill. Every time I go in there, I look at the filthy keyboards and can't help thinking that they look as bad, if not worse than the ones I find side of the road during bulk trash pickup. Of course, after I get done with them, they look almost brand new.

Interesting. My local Goodwill usually has 1 - 5 keyboards but they are mostly clean. 😀 Maybe they trash dirty ones.

Does anyone use a lubricant to grease the keys? Whenever I clean a keyboard they don't feel like they used to and the keys tend to jam a bit.

I do when the keyboard feels stiffer after the wash as you say. I use the same type of white grease that I have for CD/DVD player mechanisms.

133MHz wrote:

I do when the keyboard feels stiffer after the wash as you say. I use the same type of white grease that I have for CD/DVD player mechanisms.

I tried teflon and silicon spray, the keys are smooth for a while but the lubricating effect dissappears after a few weeks.
Must get some of that white stuff too then but I don't know where to get it. 🙁

Most recently I've popped the keys off one by one with a paper clip, cleaned them individually with an old toothbrush, cleaned out the "tray" underneath (how does it accumulate so much hair?), and then put the keys back on. It's not the most elegant solution, but it's straightforward and unlikely to cause problems.

I was initially worried about damaging the keys when prying them off, particularly as some places sell specialized key-pulling tools, but nothing's gone wrong yet. Sometimes I just pry individual keys off when I'm bored.

Has anyone tried something like the Cyber Clean putty ? It seemed tempting when I first learned of it.

Jorpho wrote:

Most recently I've popped the keys off one by one with a paper clip, cleaned them individually with an old toothbrush, cleaned out the "tray" underneath (how does it accumulate so much hair?)

I know exactly what you mean;

BTW, that's not mine, it's one I found and cleaned up;

This is a cheap keyboard that came with a cheap PC I bought yesterday. I just threw it to the dishwasher and started the 30min program with no detergent. The results are not satisfying.
Before:

After:

Procyon wrote:

133MHz wrote:

I do when the keyboard feels stiffer after the wash as you say. I use the same type of white grease that I have for CD/DVD player mechanisms.

I tried teflon and silicon spray, the keys are smooth for a while but the lubricating effect dissappears after a few weeks.
Must get some of that white stuff too then but I don't know where to get it. 🙁

I use very light industrial silicone spray for that. The consumer-grade spray is waay too thick/sticky for moving parts, but it's okay to use on dome sheets to prevent drying out after cleaning.

To clean a keyboard I usually take it apart entirely, and wash the larger parts by hand with dishwashing soap. Circuit boards too, just make sure they're 100% dry before reassembling. For the smaller parts, like keys etc, I use a mixture of hot water, dishwashing soap and isopropanol, and let it sit overnight.

Nranco wrote:

This is a cheap keyboard that came with a cheap PC I bought yesterday. I just threw it to the dishwasher and started the 30min program with no detergent. The results are not satisfying.

Looks like grease/tar residue. Try spraying some citrus cleaner, let it sit for ~20 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

133MHz wrote:

Nranco wrote:

This is a cheap keyboard that came with a cheap PC I bought yesterday. I just threw it to the dishwasher and started the 30min program with no detergent. The results are not satisfying.

Looks like grease/tar residue. Try spraying some citrus cleaner, let it sit for ~20 minutes and rinse thoroughly.

I second that. Citrus cleaner or Simple Green will cut right through that.