Dirty Apple Keyboards

Q: My keyboard is filthy from dust, airborne particles and fingerprints from over the years. Is there anyway to clean it and not buy a new one? It’s pretty dirty...

A: Actually there is. The best bet is to get a can of compressed air and turn the keyboard upside down (obviously not attached to the mac) and blow in between the keys with the compressed air. You might want to do this outside or over a sink as lots of “stuff” comes out.

(Compressed air can be purchased at camera stores or bigger department stores in the electronics section. Best Buy and larger computer stores should sell them too.)

Next, take a cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, but not wet. Run the cotton swab around the outside of the keys. Rub the tops of the keys. If you have a laptop, follow the same procedure but take extra care with your machine. Do this monthly.

Note: I thought I was the only one to try this but several times I’ve put different Apple keyboards in the dishwasher and I just read it was suggested in a copy of Mac World. So if your keyboard is beyond gunky and sticky, go ahead, put it in the top rack of the dishwasher. Set the washer to rinse only with NO soap. Afterwards let it drain with keys facing down. It could take days to dry but I’ve saved a couple keyboards from spills and just plain wear this way...