• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 21:27
CEST 03:27
KST 10:27
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
Code S Season 2 - RO4 & Finals Results (2025)0Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy4Code S RO8 Preview: herO, Zoun, Bunny, Classic7Code S RO8 Preview: Rogue, GuMiho, Solar, Maru3
Community News
Weekly Cups (June 9-15): herO doubles on GSL week0Firefly suspended by EWC, replaced by Lancer8Classic & herO RO8 Interviews: "I think it’s time to teach [Rogue] a lesson."2Rogue & GuMiho RO8 interviews: "Lifting that trophy would be a testament to all I’ve had to overcome over the years and how far I’ve come on this journey.8Code S RO8 Results + RO4 Bracket (2025 Season 2)14
StarCraft 2
General
How herO can make history in the Code S S2 finals Firefly suspended by EWC, replaced by Lancer Rain's Behind the Scenes Storytime Code S Season 2 - RO4 & Finals Results (2025) Weekly Cups (June 9-15): herO doubles on GSL week
Tourneys
RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series $3,500 WardiTV European League 2025 [GSL 2025] Code S: Season 2 - Semi Finals & Finals WardiTV Mondays Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers [G] Darkgrid Layout
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 478 Instant Karma Mutation # 477 Slow and Steady Mutation # 476 Charnel House Mutation # 475 Hard Target
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ ASL20 Preliminary Maps BW General Discussion Recent recommended BW games FlaSh Witnesses SCV Pull Off the Impossible vs Shu
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL 2v2] ProLeague Season 3 - Friday 21:00 CET Small VOD Thread 2.0 [BSL20] ProLeague Bracket Stage - Day 4
Strategy
I am doing this better than progamers do. [G] How to get started on ladder as a new Z player
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Path of Exile Beyond All Reason What do you want from future RTS games?
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine UK Politics Mega-thread US Politics Mega-thread Echoes of Revolution and Separation Russo-Ukrainian War Thread
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Korean Music Discussion [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NHL Playoffs 2024 TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
A Better Routine For Progame…
TrAiDoS
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Heero Yuy & the Tax…
KrillinFromwales
I was completely wrong ab…
jameswatts
Need Your Help/Advice
Glider
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 33686 users

Cleaning My Mechanical Keyboard

Forum Index > Tech Support
Post a Reply
Qharmonix
Profile Joined August 2011
Australia12 Posts
January 26 2014 09:53 GMT
#1
Hey guys, I recently moved house and went through a long painful month without internet. Naturally, I ran out of things to do and went on to discover the true meaning of profound boredom. Then I realized that my keyboard hadn’t been cleaned in over 6 months and that it was in a pretty disgusting state. Prior to this, if I cleaned my keyboard I did it quite swiftly and treated it like a chore, but this time I was determined to keep myself distracted from my inability to connect to the world and so ended up doing the best cleaning job I’ve done in my life.
So here is a little walk through of how I like to clean my keyboard, with tricks and tips that some of you may not know.

Here are some of the things I used:
• Alcohol wipes (moist tissue works too)
• Q-tips
• Key Cap remover (I just use a plastic card)

[image loading]

Step 1: Removing key caps

This bit is always quite fun, as your motivation is at its highest and you get that false sense of productiveness. I tend to do this bit as I watch a video, but as mentioned before I didn’t have internet, so I had to settle for listening to music (Chili Peppers all the way!!!!!!!).
I know that there are special keycap removers out there, but to be honest it’s a rip off to buy them, so I used a plastic card. To remove the caps, wedge a corner of the card in under the key and gently wiggle it loose. Make sure you are careful when doing this because although mechanical keys are quite durable, you really don’t want to break any thing.
I like to organize the removed keycaps into the keyboard’s layout just because it makes it easier when you put them back on.

[image loading]

Step 2: Cleaning the inside of the keyboard

At this stage I was starting to lose interest and wanted to go do something else because I have a pretty short attention span when it comes to non-game related things. However I had all my keys sitting on my table and didn’t want to just leave them there. So I continued on in disgust, as I started to find 6 months worth of food crumbs, dust and to my surprise a dead bug!
I start by blowing really hard from an angle to remove all the dust that you can initially. Now you use the Q-tips to get in between the narrow nooks and crannies and clean away any residual dust. If you are feeling really anal, clean the inside of your keyboard twice; once with dry Q-tips and once with moist Q-tips. Putting a drop of water on the Q-tips helps to wipe away any stains from prior mini spillages of food or drink.
After I clean the inside, it’s also good to wipe down the frame of the keyboard, as this is where the drops of instant ramen soup seem to land. Using alcohol wipes or wet tissue both work for this.

[image loading]
I found this little dead fella among the many crumbs and hairs. Is it bad that I am glad that my shift key killed it before it could lay any eggs?

Step 3: Cleaning the Key Caps

This is the most tedious part of cleaning a keyboard, because you have to wipe each key cap individually. But I knew I was nearly finished, so the excitement having a clean keyboard for the first time in 6 months encouraged me on.
For this I use alcohol wipes. Mostly because they seem to wipe away that congealed, build-up of hand and finger oil really nicely. You can use moist tissue for this, but I find that it’s not as effective and can cause you to miss some spots because when the keys are wet it’s hard to see the dirt.

[image loading]

Step 4: Final Touches

Be careful when putting the key caps back on, because there is nothing more confusing than having a few keys out of place. But once all the keys are in place, I like to do a final check to see if all the keys are clean and if there are any visible stains left anywhere on the keyboard. And I was done :D
myxoma_strain
Profile Joined December 2013
United Kingdom371 Posts
January 26 2014 10:19 GMT
#2
I think this might make more sense to be in the tech support section
HaruRH
Profile Blog Joined August 2011
Singapore2780 Posts
January 26 2014 10:21 GMT
#3
Thanks alot for this little guide, I have the same keyboard and the same amount of nonsense inside. I was considering soaking the whole darn thing in water lol
It is fucking D4 and you are still alive as a CONFIRMED FUCKING TOWN. This is how fucking terrible scum thinks you are - Koshi
Sicion
Profile Joined June 2011
Germany131 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-01-26 11:12:46
January 26 2014 11:09 GMT
#4
Please make a spoiler for the third picture. It is disgusting and not safe for eating!

Step 3 easy mode:
Take all caps
throw them in the dishwasher on low heat
Done

Also you can take a picture before taking all caps off just in case you dont remember their place
There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.
farhanjani12
Profile Joined February 2025
11 Posts
April 24 2025 23:08 GMT
#5
--- Nuked ---
farhanjani12
Profile Joined February 2025
11 Posts
May 07 2025 10:52 GMT
#6
--- Nuked ---
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Replay Cast
00:00
2025 GSL S2 - Ro8 Group B
CranKy Ducklings102
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
PiGStarcraft697
NoRegreT_ 57
Ketroc 29
StarCraft: Brood War
Britney 10457
Artosis 765
HiyA 150
Aegong 75
Sharp 65
Icarus 7
Dota 2
monkeys_forever58
LuMiX0
League of Legends
Trikslyr79
Counter-Strike
Fnx 1416
Stewie2K720
Other Games
summit1g5263
C9.Mang01006
shahzam852
WinterStarcraft252
Maynarde126
Mew2King90
Temp023
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick1365
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH284
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• Azhi_Dahaki12
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
Other Games
• imaqtpie868
• Scarra658
Upcoming Events
RSL Revival
8h 34m
Cure vs Percival
ByuN vs Spirit
WardiTV Qualifier
14h 34m
PiGosaur Monday
22h 34m
RSL Revival
1d 8h
herO vs sOs
Zoun vs Clem
Replay Cast
1d 22h
The PondCast
2 days
RSL Revival
2 days
Harstem vs SHIN
Solar vs Cham
Replay Cast
2 days
RSL Revival
3 days
Reynor vs Scarlett
ShoWTimE vs Classic
uThermal 2v2 Circuit
3 days
[ Show More ]
SC Evo League
4 days
Circuito Brasileiro de…
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
5 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Acropolis #3 - GSC
2025 GSL S2
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
BSL Season 20
Acropolis #3
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
NPSL S3
Rose Open S1
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025
YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025
PGL Bucharest 2025

Upcoming

CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
SEL Season 2 Championship
Esports World Cup 2025
HSC XXVII
Championship of Russia 2025
BLAST Open Fall 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.