Cleaning a Computer Keyboard
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- In this video from ITFreeTraining I will have a look at how to clean a computer keyboard. As time goes on, your keyboard will collect dirt, hair, food and other materials. These will get stuck between the keys and attract germs. This may also affect how well the keyboard works.
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Why Clean Your Keyboard?
0:17 The first thing to consider is, why should we clean our keyboards? There have been a number of studies done that have found that there are more bacteria in a computer keyboard then a toilet seat. This is mainly because we regularly clean our toilets, but we don’t clean our keyboards very often, if at all. Everything from skin, hair and food gets stuck between the keys of the keyboard, making it a great breeding ground for bacteria. Shared computers that have many different people using them tend to have higher amounts of bacteria.
In this video I will be cleaning a mechanical keyboard. A mechanical keyboard has a switch for each key, so it is a little harder to clean then a non-mechanical keyboard. However, the processes I will show you can be used on a non-mechanical keyboard.
To get an understanding of how dirty a keyboard can get, I will have a look at the same keyboard using a black light. A black light will make certain things under it appear to glow. This can make it easier to see dirt and other materials. At the end of this video I will have a look at the same keyboard under the black light and see how much cleaner it looks. Black lights are good for checking how clean things really are, as they show things that you may not be able to see with the naked eye.
Keyboard Cleaning
1:35 In this video I will look at three different levels you can use to clean your keyboard. The basic clean is a quick clean without taking anything apart. This clean will take care of the external dirt and dust from the keyboard making it look clean, but it won’t clean anything under the keys or inside the keyboard. If you just want your keyboard to look nice, this is a good clean to do. However, if you are having problems with keys getting stuck this may not fix the problem, particularly if you have spilled anything on the keyboard and keys are now sticking.
Next, I will look at a medium level clean where I remove the keys from the keyboard. This clean will help with any stuck keys, but increases the chance that you may damage the keyboard.
The last clean that I will look at is the advanced clean. This will give your keyboard the very best clean. However, this will mean a full disassembling of the keyboard. This will increase the risk of damaging the keyboard and may void any keyboard warranty you have.
Each of the levels of cleaning builds on the last, so feel free to start with the basic cleaning and stop at any point if you feel you have cleaned your keyboard enough. In the real world, if your keyboard only costs a small amount, if it is really dirty you may just consider buying a new keyboard. If the keyboard costs a lot, it is probably worth the time cleaning it once in a while.
Without any further to do, let’s get started on cleaning the keyboard.
Basic Clean (1)
3:06 You can see this keyboard has seen a lot of use and is in need of a clean. You will notice that, between the keys, a lot of dust, dirt and other items get stuck in there. The first thing to do is try to remove the bulk of these unwanted materials.
Before starting the cleaning process, first unplug the keyboard. If you apply any kind of cleaning products or soapy water, it is easy to create a short circuit and potentially damage the keyboard.
Basic Clean (2)
3:34 The next step is to use air compression to blow out as much dust and other materials as possible. The cheap option is to purchase a compressed air can. The more expensive option is to purchase a reusable can air system. In this case we will use the reusable can system.
You can see how much dust and dirt is removed, including dust that is under the keys. Using compressed air will not damage the keyboard. If the keyboard is particularly dirty, you may want to consider doing this step outside.
Description to long for RUclips. Please see the following link for the rest of the description. itfreetraining....
References
“Microbial contamination of computer keyboards in a university setting.” www.ncbi.nlm.n...
“Are There More Bacteria on Computer Keyboards Than Toilet Seats?” www.center4rese...
“Picture: keyboard” pixabay.com/ve...
Credits
Trainer: Austin Mason ITFreeTraining.com
Voice Talent: HP Lewis hplewis.com
Quality Assurance: Brett Batson www.pbb-proofre...
I'm still using a beige Genius keyboard from the early 2000s. I prefer the black on beige text since it's far easier to see, especially at night. Every few years I strip it down, remove the contacts etc. and wash the keys etc. in a lukewarm soapy solution, rinse and dry with a hair dryer. One thing I did learn on another keyboard, NEVER get moisture on the tracks below the keys - don't even wipe with a damp cloth, it will ruin them.
Thanks, good to know. Some of those old keyboards are great keyboards.
This could also work for 1. Relaxation 2. Comedy
It's simultaneously full of useful hints and tips, satisfying to watch because cleaning is always satisfying... duh. And finally the tone could work as that of a sarcastic deadpan comedic sketch.
Perfection x 3 😎👍
Thanks for watching.
WTF?
Time is an asset too?
No?
Just.Buy.Another.Freaking.Keyboard.
The video states a number of times you would normally just buy another keyboard, particularly in a work environment. This is why it has the basic quick clean and more advanced cleans that take more time so you can decide what level you want to clean it at or buy a new keyboard instead..
What about grease up the keys before installing them?
Not really required, since the key really only pushes down on the switch.
How often should you clean or buy a new keyboard?
Depends on how often it is used. Giving it a basic disinfectant once a week is not a bad idea particularly in an office environment.
12hrs UV, seriously U think people have time for this? ? ?
Extreme waste of time, using 50-70% alcohol solution or any biocidal would do the same in seconds !
Makes things much simpler.
Also remember - ANY pure alcohol is not conductive.
At the start of the video we explain that in a lot of cases the cheapest and best option maybe just replace the keyboard. We give the different options as people are aware the other options exists. We also make the point that going the extra levels of cleaning increases the risk of damaging the keyboard and result you achieve get less. It is up to the individual to decide what level they want to clean the keyboard at, we just explain the options available.
Pure isopropyl alcohol isn't conductive I think.
That is correct.
It is definitely cheaper to buy a new keyboard instead of the step 3 cleaning.
Unless, of course, it is yours and you don't have to pay for your own time. :-)
I agree, I personally would just buy a new keyboard.