Keyboard maintenance

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 15:24:59 UTC Post #175263

We use them everyday, but how often do you actually clean your keyboard? Sure turning em over and patting them on all sides from time to time helps get out most little dirt particles but what about the stuff under the keys?
What i did (dont ask me why i did this) was i pulled my penknife (blade down) between the keys of my keyboard and sort of levered it out at the end. i was amazed at what i found. For me it was usually alot of short hairs (prolly form when i'd gone to a hairdresser and had scratched my head at the comp) and i'm sure its the same for alot of othe people. this is especially usefull for people who eat chips while playing

So i adivse everyone to atleast try this. Dont press the blade down to hard, just gently pull it through. Also go in different directions to get everything out.

Most of you will prolly just say, oh i can look under the keys from where im sitting and they look clean. Well so can i and they did look clean, but they werent. So just try it from time to time.

the Arcan

Seventh-Monkey

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 15:49:30 UTC Post #175284

About... once a year :. It's a bit grubby at the moment, but I don't have a couple of hours to take all the keys off and scrub them. Nice keyboard though it is.

Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 15:57:44 UTC Post #175291

how do you safley and easily remove the keys without bruteforce?

btw my technique is fast but it doesnt clean the keys themselves. only whats beneath

the Arcan

Archie

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:00:33 UTC Post #175293

/me cringes...

AAAAK!

the ammount of gunk i just removed from underneath my keyboard is.... disgraceful...

Hair, nails, peanutt skin, random sticky gunk, dust, dandruff, blue string, hundreds of bread crumbs, several wood chippings (wtf) and more dust...

ArchieGoodbye Moonmen

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:02:10 UTC Post #175295

see, i told you

i'm happy i'm not the only one with the nasties under my keys

the Arcan

Hugh

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:05:10 UTC Post #175298

Now clean out all the gunk under your mouse buttons, that's also rewarding. Make sure to clean out the dust near your mouse's laser (if you're an optical person). I don't think it helps functionality at all but at least you can say it's got less dust.

Hugh

pepper

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:06:17 UTC Post #175299

My mouse always collects all the dust from my mousepad. I remove it from time to time.

pepper

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:07:46 UTC Post #175300

dont forget the deadskin clumps in your mouseewheel XD

the Arcan

Hugh

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:08:16 UTC Post #175301

My mousepad is the armrest on an old recliner... still smells of cigars, ahhhhh. Refreshingly masculine.

Hugh

Captain P

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:14:53 UTC Post #175304

I sometimes clean out my mouse with a knife. Hardly ever cleaned my keyboard, though. They're so cheap these days that buying a new one from time to time might be more effective counted in time versus money. Nope, I don't buy expensive latest tech keyboards.

Captain P

Seventh-Monkey

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:21:21 UTC Post #175311

how do you safley and easily remove the keys without bruteforce?

Screwdriver, of course. Archimedes was really on to something.

Seventh-MonkeyPretty nifty

Xyos212

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:28:33 UTC Post #175314

Spray it with a hose of course.

Xyos212

Habboi

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:34:31 UTC Post #175316

Mine is just full of mayonaise...I should stop eating mayonaise pasta...
Make sure to wash your hands after using the keyboard...You sneeze, wipe etc all over it and then eat. Yum.

HabboiSticky White Love Glue

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 16:41:34 UTC Post #175319

ah yes i see the screws now

the Arcan

m0p

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 17:24:45 UTC Post #175335

I never clean my keyboard unless I have a really big crumb stuck under a key so it gets stuck, and usually even then I just hit the key really hard to break the crumb up. If that fails I'll pull the key off and a few around it and clean it out.

m0pIllogical.

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 18:41:19 UTC Post #175359

Due to the fact that I am an obsessive-compulsive sicko, my keyboard is quite clean. I always wash my hands for a full minute before touching the keyboard or the mouse. But on top of that, I still clean my keyboard and mouse buttons with moist Q-tips once a week. I vacuum between the keys about once a month.

This is how my desk looks:

Notice the items on the desk? They are spaced exactly equidistance from one another, measured with a ruler.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

m0p

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 18:51:24 UTC Post #175365

LOL get help

m0pIllogical.

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 20:17:54 UTC Post #175383

I see a doctor everyday.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 21:43:52 UTC Post #175392

lol i used q tips to, tho they wernt moist :/ i did however rub my keys in alcohol

the Arcan

nickelplate

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 22:03:09 UTC Post #175394

I use a letter opener probably about once a month. I'm a pretty shed-y person, so my kbd gets filled up fast.

nickelplate

srry

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-19 23:32:33 UTC Post #175399

Dust-Off! I use it every week on my keyboard, and it gets most of the gunk out. For those of you who haven't heard of it, it's just compressed air.

srry

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 01:26:54 UTC Post #175430

Compressed air is over-rated.

The typical household vacuum cleaner works like a charm.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

Luke

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 01:29:59 UTC Post #175431

My bro's keyboard when he cleaned it out:

LukeLuke

Strider

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 01:37:00 UTC Post #175432

I haven't clean my keyboard in years, i really should! And my mouse is really over-sensitive for some reason, when ever i click it sometimes detects it as a double click. I think it's from my family playing FEAR, whenever something scary happens they slam the mouse on the table and squeeze the shoot button hard! Time for a new mouse methinks, or time to educate the family on how to handle a PC.

StriderTuned to a dead channel.

Luke

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 01:37:47 UTC Post #175433

BTW, that pic up there is 5 years of no cleaning :/

LukeLuke

Strider

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 01:39:40 UTC Post #175434

Sick, to think he actually touched that thing. looks at own keyboard and wonders

StriderTuned to a dead channel.

srry

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 01:56:47 UTC Post #175436

I think I see some ear wax in there...

The only reason I like compressed air more is because I don't have to take the keyboard all apart. Besides, I can blow trash to the back of my desk with it!

srry

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 02:00:53 UTC Post #175437

i think i see gray hair in there. I spose mine woulda looked the same hadnt i cleaned out the hair with my knife last week

the Arcan

Captain P

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 04:03:16 UTC Post #175458

I see a doctor everyday.

Hehe...

Captain P

MNuTz

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 09:37:05 UTC Post #175504

Best thing ive found for cleaning all the grime from off the keyboard and keys is nail polish remover and some kitchen roll, works a treat.

I have also used paint thinner on some old beige keyboards and it does the job however it may be a tad too strong for coloured keyboards/keys!

MNuTz

Habboi

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 10:45:10 UTC Post #175521

Luke...That's just...

Funny enough I shove the keyboard under my desk while eating and so the only thing in my keyboard is dust, hairs and white D-druff...

HabboiSticky White Love Glue

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 10:49:54 UTC Post #175526

Now I don't even want to remove my keys to look what's underneath. That's just nasty.

Ignorance is bliss.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

G_KID

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 11:07:12 UTC Post #175532

Jesus Satcheh...

That is quite urm...organised ;D.

How long are your arms by the way?

G_KID

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 12:59:43 UTC Post #175560

How long are your arms by the way?

My arms? I never measured them. I don't measure them because I don't plan to re-arrange them.

For everything else that I can arrange, I measure and re-adjust. Sometimes I drive my wife crazy, but she knew what she was getting into when she married me.

Our apartment is impeccable...except her desk.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

G_KID

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 15:40:55 UTC Post #175618

I mean the distance from the computer and keyboard etc. to the mouse mat, which is about a yard away. ;D

G_KID

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 16:34:51 UTC Post #175644

Oh yeah. I "park" my keyboard and mouse at specific locations on my desk. The angle and the position is measured precisely.

However, when I am actively using my computer, they get re-adjusted so that the angle and the position are most conducive to an ergonomic utility.

I like them "parked" when the computer is not in use because I like the central desk space avaialbe for other tasks.

I know my compuslions can be sickening sometimes, but they also allowed me to study longer than anyone else. It has its pros and cons.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

Habboi

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 16:40:03 UTC Post #175649

Satchmo must have arms as long as this guy:

HabboiSticky White Love Glue

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 16:42:48 UTC Post #175652

Damn! Who's that guy? He's so ugly, I almost threw up my lunch.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

Archie

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-20 16:43:41 UTC Post #175653

in Britain, we consider people like that to be hawt <RAWR>

ArchieGoodbye Moonmen

VOX

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 07:02:08 UTC Post #175778

My keyboard is much, much worse than that. I'm never going to clean it! Just buy a new one. 20 bucks YES!

VOX

Luke

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 12:20:59 UTC Post #175868

Soooo, looks like i win?

LukeLuke

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 12:50:15 UTC Post #175876

neva

although this is a competetion whgere it would be wiser for me to back down. after all who wants to have the nastiest keyboard eva?

the Arcan

nickelplate

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 13:27:37 UTC Post #175889

I work as a technology coordinator and part-time teacher at a highschool: Our keyboards are the nastiest, no competition.

nickelplate

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 13:30:02 UTC Post #175892

I can always pwn yall by bringing my keyboard to the bathroom and shit directly on it.

Take that!

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

nickelplate

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 13:41:05 UTC Post #175901

nope, you still don't beat the school.

nickelplate

rowleybob

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 13:42:20 UTC Post #175904

Luke: Give me your address and I'll send you a new keyboard...that is...repulsively repugnant

I spilled coffee on my notebook keyboard when it was new--last summer. After immediately turning it off, I simply opened up the cd drive, turned it on it's side, and let the coffee gush out. I then proceeded to wet wipe and q-tip it to death as much as possible, without taking anything apart...

Still works with no problems a year later, but I'm sure there's some nasty gunk left inside

Satchmo: For the love of Allah, go to Best Buy and buy your self a nice big LCD monitor or something...I mean...anything besides that little 15" one you got. Nice desk anyway

Did you see Vanilla Sky, where his TV pops up from the floor? Something like that might be nice too, and you know you can afford it

rowleybob

satchmo

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 13:42:26 UTC Post #175905

Okay, then I'll ejaculate on the keyboard after I poop on it.

satchmo“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better. -- Samuel Beckett”

nickelplate

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 13:48:45 UTC Post #175907

lol. Satch, I'm pretty sure that 3 of the 9 pregnant girls in this school actually GOT pregnant on these keyboards...

BTW: I'm an arsehole. I saw one of the pregnant girls walking to the bus she rides home because she is not old enough to drive, and I had the urge to loudly say "Betcha wish you hadn't screwed him now!!!" But i didn't.

nickelplate

the Arcan

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 14:33:46 UTC Post #175917

rofl that woulda been awesome its like the old joke:

"i hate going to weddings because old people always poke me and wink and say: "you're next, you're next!"
I get revenge by going to funerals and poking them and saying: "you're next, you're next!"

the Arcan

VOX

Posted 18 years ago2006-04-21 17:09:27 UTC Post #175956

hahahahaha wow that is great

VOX

Keyboard maintenance Created 18 years ago2006-04-19 15:24:59 UTC by the Arcan