• Compressed air: Any compressed air will do. I’ve used Falcon Dust-Off.
• A microfiber fabric: Again, any microfiber fabric will do. I like these MagicFiber ones.
• A wire keycap puller: If your keyboard didn’t include one, you’ll want to purchase a wire keycap puller to soundly take away your keycaps.
• Dawn dish cleaning soap: A pair drops in sizzling water will totally clear and degrease keycaps.
• Cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol: You can use cotton swabs and a few high-percentage isopropyl alcohol to spot-clean contained in the keyboard.

For a fast clear, plan for 5 minutes every week. For a deep clear, you’ll want no less than half-hour, plus drying time, to scrub a grimy keyboard and mouse.

Once every week you need to unplug your keyboard, flip it the wrong way up, and shake all of the gunk out. Then wipe down the keycaps with a microfiber fabric to take away a few of the oils your fingers have left behind. While the keyboard is the wrong way up, you too can sparingly use compressed air or a keyboard brush to take away particles after you’ve shaken out the keyboard—however beware that compressed air can blow particles into your switches and make the keyboard really feel gritty to kind on.

For your mouse, wipe it down with a microfiber fabric to take away pores and skin oils. Use compressed air to blow any mud or particles which have collected within the seams and the scroll wheel. Don’t blow air beneath the appropriate and left clicks, since that may blow grit into the switches and trigger the mouse to cease working.

If gunk builds up on the ft of your mouse or keyboard, wipe it off with a microfiber fabric or a cotton swab, and use a toothpick to take away the notably cussed bits.

When your keyboard will get too gross—maybe there’s particles that gained’t come out whenever you shake it, or your keys really feel slippery and easy from hand oils—you’ll want a deeper clear. We suggest this technique for mechanical keyboards solely, since you possibly can harm another kinds of standalone or laptop computer keyboards (like scissor-switch or membrane keyboards) by attempting to take away the keycaps.

Use a wire keycap puller to fastidiously take away the keycaps by hooking the software across the edges of every keycap and gently pulling straight up. Put the keycaps in a sealable container (or in a bowl, if that’s all you could have helpful).

Drizzle in just a little Dawn cleaning soap, and fill the container with sizzling water. Seal and gently shake the container, or simply swish the keycaps round within the bowl a bit. Let them soak for no less than half-hour.

While the keycaps are soaking, use some cotton swabs to mud out any lingering particles beneath the keycaps, across the switches and the stabilizers. If you could have any sticky stains in there, dip the tip of a cotton swab in some isopropyl alcohol, and provides it a scrub to interrupt up the residue. Don’t use the isopropyl alcohol on any keycaps, on the surface of the keyboard case, or on a mouse—it could actually harm sure supplies.

If you wipe lubricant off of the stabilizers throughout your deep clear, you possibly can add just a little extra. Look for a silicone-based kind that begins with a 92 (PDF).

After the keycaps have soaked for no less than half-hour, give them one other shake or swish, after which rinse them with clear water three to 5 occasions, till there’s no residue or gunk remaining. Then shake them out—I give mine a delicate toss in a plastic colander—and set them out on a towel to dry in a single day. Don’t go away water pooled within the stems of any of the keycaps. Once they’re dry, you possibly can put all of the keycaps again on, and also you’re completed!