Dust, crumbs, eyelashes, debris… our keyboards can become a serious haven for dirt and grime if left to their own devices. One of the most unhygienic items in our work environments, our keyboards are also the surfaces many workers touch the most in any given day, which makes keeping them spick and span an important cleaning priority – albeit one which is often overlooked. We’ve previously detailed how to clean a computer keyboard… but what about laptop keyboards?
If you want to improve workplace hygiene, keep your equipment looking professional and preserve its life, we’ve created a helpful guide which will explain, step-by-step, how to clean a laptop keyboard. Please note however that laptop keyboards can vary considerably – always refer to your user’s guide before undertaking laptop keyboard cleaning to make sure you will not cause damage to your equipment before following our steps.
1. Turn your laptop off
You don’t want to accidentally delete a week’s worth of work while scrubbing the underside of your X key, do you? Turning off and unplugging your laptop before you get started is a crucial first step. Make sure you take out any USB devices or cables too.
2. Pop off the keys
Again, make sure your laptop keys can be popped off and re-stuck before taking this step. In the majority of cases, it’s easy to pop off your keys then replace them, but this is not true for every laptop make and model.
Once you’re confident this can be done safely, use your fingers or a simple butter knife to take the edge of each key and pop it off of its base. You may want to print off a map of where each key goes (or take a quick photo with your phone) to make life easier when you come to replace them. It’s worth doing, as although you may be able to find an image online of the order of the rows (e.g. QWERTYUIOP for the top row), some of the other key placements may vary from one laptop make to another…
3. Wash the keys
Warm, soapy water is all that’s required to give your keyboard keys a good wash. While ensuring that you do not lose any keys, give them a swab with a sponge – wet wipes also work well as an easy alternative – and allow them to dry.
4. Wash the base
While your laptop keys are drying, get rid of any debris and dirt from the base. If you have a small hand-held vacuum cleaner, use this to hoover up any loose dirt before using a wet wipe to remove any stickiness and to give your laptop a good wipe down.
5. Replace the keys
Once everything is clean and dry, simply pop your keys back into place. (I bet you’re glad you took that photo now, huh?)
And there you have it! A sparkling clean laptop keyboard.
From small details like laptop keyboards, to workplace-wide deep cleaning, The Abbey Cleaning Service is one of South Wales’ longest-serving commercial cleaning companies, keeping the region spotless for well over 40 years. To discuss your office cleaning needs, get in touch today by calling 029 2067 9323 or by filling out the enquiry form on our Contact page.
