Never scrub the inside of ports on your computer. From here, you will clean the key off and then replace it back on the keyboard. After you use compressed air to blow out the keyboard, wipe it down with paper towels or a microfiber cloth dampened with a little 91% alcohol. Here are a few ways you can keep your Mac looking new and fresh. Alcohol won't damage any of the electrical components that are underneath those keys. Even though you’ve deleted the files, they reside in your Trash bin taking up a lot of … First, unplug your keyboard from your computer or, in the case of a wireless keyboard, remove its batteries. If you find that it doesn’t work, you can always remove the clip (not really ‘essential’ for the smaller keys), buy some more lubrication grease at a DIY or electronics shop, and then use it sparingly on the clips and replace. They shouldn’t feel mushy or sticky anymore, and if they do it’s probably because they either didn’t set properly in the base or it’s in the wrong place. The iMac, for example, has inputs below the display and a large exhaust at the top, behind the display. Apple Footer. Apple recommends that you use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to clean screens more thoroughly. If you have a powerful vacuum cleaner, you can suck some dust out of the bottom, but it’s not easy, and probably won’t help much. Clean up removed keys by using a soap solution. So you're getting the junk Apple won't take (2nd's and worse). Your Mac Keyboard. Use the compressed air to clean the keyboard in a left-to-right motion, emphasizing the gaps between the key and the chassis. This article was co-authored by Jeremy Mercer. I bought screen cleaner and a microfibre wipe, and with prompt cleaning can see marks appearing regularly. He has over ten years of experience working in electronics repair, as well as retail stores that specialize in both Mac and PC. Your Mac’s keyboard is probably one of the things you touch the most. Again, all models vary slightly; however by simply poking around gently under that key, you'll be able to identify the scissor mechanism. If that doesn’t get everything, give the keyboard a once-over with a vacuum. Now wipe the cloth over the keys to get rid of the grime. If you have a MacBook made in 2015 or later, you can use compressed air to blow out any additional stubborn dirt. X Make sure you dry keycap individually after. Copyright © 2021 IDG Communications, Inc. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Jeremy Mercer is the Manager and Head Technician at MacPro-LA in Los Angeles, CA. If you have a Mac keyboard, you will want to take special caution when cleaning your keyboard to avoid causing any damage. Another note, when you lift up the top edge, more of the key pops off. Hold your Mac notebook at a 75-degree angle, so it's not quite vertical. Unplug the USB plug. By using our site, you agree to our. All you will need is some isopropyl alcohol and cotton balls or cotton pads.Follow me! “When cleaning a keyboard, you have a couple of things to think about,” Maker says. Yes. If you have a white keyboard, take extra time to scrub the dark brown areas that tend to develop on the spacebar and where your fingers rest. To do that, take a can of compressed air and spray it along the side of the keyboard. You may want to squeeze the damp cloth out over a sink before applying it to your keyboard, to be sure you aren't adding unnecessary water to the keyboard. Clean­Sweep mon­i­tors the degree of dirt on the key­board and is there­fore the ide­al com­ple­men­tary tool. (If you’re cleaning a laptop keyboard, shut down the computer and unplug the power adapter.) Eating at your desk can cause crumbs to lodge inside the keyboard, which can increase the bacteria that builds up on your keyboard as the crumbs decay. [1] The Essential Toolkit. In this Quick Video I show you how to clean your Apple Keyboard! To learn how to disinfect your keyboard, read on! Now test out your keys. It was a little frightening at first, but just be careful and it'll be fine. But before you take out your laptop cleaning kit, you have to understand first your Mac’s butterfly keyboard. Other Macs are harder to remove dust from. Find a suction cup, at least a couple of inches wide. Blow out the dust and, if necessary, vacuum the space between the keys (or under them, depending on the type of keyboard you have). The … Check iKlear and RadTech for options. The Mac mini doesn’t seem to collect a lot of dust, but you can open the round bottom cover and check inside to see if there’s an accumulation of dust, pet hair or anything else that your vacuum can remove. Since the alcohol evaporates, there’s no risk of liquid damaging the keyboard. [Editor’s note: This article originally posted in 2013.]. He's also the author of Take Control of iTunes 12: The FAQ. Read our, Learn more about Macworld's Digital Edition. Because of this, it is important to regularly clean and disinfect your keyboard. Last Updated: August 20, 2020 Don't use rough towels or cloths when cleaning. Senior contributor Kirk McElhearn (@mcelhearn) writes The Ask the iTunes Guy column and writes about Macs, music and more on his blog Kirkville. Use a damp microfiber cloth and wipe down the keyboard. Avoid getting excess moisture in any part of your computer or keyboard. Take off the back part of the keyboard with a screwdriver (make sure not to lose the screws!). Thats why you need to rip out the keyboard from the inside and mount a replacement. Even if you wash your hands every time you sit down to type, the keyboard collects the germs and sweat from your fingers, and the dust in your room or office. To learn how to disinfect your keyboard, read on! Wiping down your keyboard with a damp cloth cleans up any extra cleaning solution while giving you a final chance to scrub dirty spots. Use compressed air to spray the keyboard, or just the affected keys, in a left-to-right motion. It’s not difficult to do, but keeping a clean Mac can help it run smoother, and keep you from getting sick as well. When I did this, I was able to see under the key and could see the juice on the key, and was able to clean it off with the alcohol. Clean Carefully Get your clean cloth a little damp with water, and thoroughly wash the outside of your keyboard. Be very careful not to get water under the keys. This article has been viewed 140,341 times. Keep the MacBook tilted 75º so that it is in an upright position. Take a bowl and prepare a soap solution in warm water. In this video, we learn how to clean your Mac computer keyboard. So wipe away, just don’t wipe-type your password and you’ll be fine. Rinse the detergent out of your cloth, wring it out, and then finish up by wiping your keyboard off again. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. Clean your keyboard and mouse once per week, especially if the keyboard is used by multiple people or in a crowded office area. This works well on MacBook, iBook G4, and Apple desktop keyboards (both slim aluminum and older PowerMac keyboards). The butterfly keyboard on Apple's latest MacBook and MacBook Pro models can put you in a sticky situation. Type the key, clean away, then type the key again to unlock. That will help you get a lot of the crumbs and normal day-to-day stuff out of there. While most Macs today are designed so you can’t open them, the Mac Pro remains the one model that’s easy to get inside. It’s fair to say that the dirtiest part of your Mac is its keyboard. Learn how to remove, swap, replace, repair and clean the keys on your iMac, Mac or MacBook laptop, with our simple Mac keyboard repair guide. Instead, purchase a vacuum specifically designed for electronic components or use a battery-powered vacuum. of your Mac's screen, you can hit the shortcut buttons on the keyboard....want to track you. This is a brief overview of how to clean the surface of a white Apple Keyboard using Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser. I’ve never used any special monitor cleaning solutions on my Macs, though if you spill something on your laptop, for example, and get something really icky on its screen, you may need to go that route. Rotate your Mac notebook to its right side and spray the keyboard again, from left to right. We give you the scoop on what's new, what's best and how to make the most out of the products you love. Next, hold your laptop or keyboard upside-down over a wastebasket and gently shake it from side to side to dislodge any loose dirt. I keep a microfiber cloth—the kind you use to clean eyeglasses—handy to clean my Apple display. % of people told us that this article helped them. Still, make sure to squeeze out sopping wipes. Unplug your keyboard from its power source. You can't really replace the key caps to fix this as the coke went into the membrane switch unit which is on the other side. You can watch a helpful video of this process here. Apple doesn't recommend the use of compressed air for all keyboards, as it may push particles further into the the keyboard. While you don’t need to be obsessive about cleaning your Mac, these simple tips can help you spruce it up regularly—that’s an especially good idea if you have a laptop that you tote around wherever you go. Another approach is this tool, which uses a specific keypress to lock your keyboard so you can clean your keyboard and screen. Are some keys unresponsive? If they are still sticky continue on to Step 5. First, unplug your keyboard from your computer or, in the case of a wireless keyboard, remove its batteries. After every couple keys, I would move my finger to a new clean damp spot on the paper towel… In only a couple minutes the entire keyboard – and in between the keys – was completely clean!… Was seriously SO surprised how little time this took and that it didn’t require a special cleaning … Pull gently, and you’ll find that the plastic cover of the display comes right off; it’s held onto your Mac or your display by magnets. The wikiHow Tech Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work. Clean off the inside of this cover, with a soft cloth, and put it back in place starting from the bottom edge, then let the magnets do their work. To start, you will take off the tops to each of the keys one by one. This site contains user submitted content, comments and opinions and is for informational purposes only. Finally turn the keyboard to the left and repeat the action. Place all the keys inside the bowl, and soak the keys for 5 to 10 minutes. As you’re typing, you’re spreading the bacteria all over your keyboard, which means that all the keys, even those you use rarely, get dirty and sticky. When you’re done cleaning and have to put back the keys what you have to do now is put the bottom part of the key first because it has a small hinge that will connect it to the keyboard. The screen doesn't have enough clearance, is in contact with the keyboard when closed, and gets marked. It can be used to clean connections, potentiometers, and dust off of electronic components. So, it’s essential to clean the keyboard often. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. As long as you don’t remove it from these clips, it is fine to clean it from the keys and the keyboard. I use a can of compressed air can help get dust out of the tightest corners. This will help protect your computer from damage. Edit. (Don’t worry, you can wipe off any marks from the suction cup later.) Senior Contributor, Try using alcohol to wet your cloth. References Microbiologists have tested keyboards and found that they can harbor more germs than a toilet seat! It’s probably time for you to clean your keyboard. This means that the key is detached from the keyboard. Empty the trash. My current laptop is a MacBook Pro 16 I bought in May, about four months ago, and noticed key marks on the screen straight away. Solve the most annoying tech problems, FAST. I open my Mac Pro—after turning it off, of course—and vacuum out dust from some parts of it, notably the CPU and RAM areas. [2] X Research source You will need to have iKlear and iClean to do this, along with a microfiber cloth. To clean the keys you can wash them in warm water and/or use some cotton swabs. A clean keyboard is a happy keyboard, but keeping the keys clean and their action snappy can be a bit of a hassle. Electronics should be turned off while this is being done. Turn the computer to the right and reapply the compressed air from left to right. To put the keys back on, just place them over their correct position and press them until you hear a snap. Got a stuck key on your Mac keyboard? Stuck key? After you remove one, you will place the cloth over the top of it and then spray it. An even thinner option is the Moshi ClearGuard. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. (Apple recommends Lysol and Clorox Kitchen disinfecting wipes.) Our Expert Agrees: First, you want to remove the bulk of any dirt or dust from the keyboard. Before you start spraying your keyboard with … Unplug. If you really can’t stand to see another ad again, then please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Soak a soft cloth in this concoction and then wring it out until it’s barely damp. Apple recommends Lysol and Clorox Kitchen disinfecting wipes. Repeat the action, this time with your Mac notebook rotated to its left side. You can buy many kinds of monitor wipes, pre-treated with appropriate cleaning solutions, and these might be worth keeping around in case of a disaster. You should do this regularly, to make sure that no germs fester under your fingers. Avoid eating at your desk to maintain a cleaner keyboard. Finish up by wiping your keyboard with a slightly damp cloth or cotton swab, then dry it with a clean microfiber cloth. Whether you inherited someone else's keyboard or are doing a stem-to-stern deep clean of your work area, here are the best ways to clean your Mac or MacBook keyboard. If cleaning your keyboard proves a mighty chore, or if you have a new one you want to protect from pet hair, cookie crumbs, and the like, you might want to use a keyboard protector, such as the iSkin ProTouch, a silicone keyboard protector that’s easy to wash (about $20). Question: Q: How to clean the keys on the Smart Keyboard More Less. Otherwise, disconnect the keyboard from your computer, laptop, or tablet. 4 Macworld is your best source for all things Apple. Learn the right way to clean your MacBook's keyboard. If you don’t have wipes, put a drop of standard dishwashing detergent in a glass of water. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 140,341 times. Remove the keys, place them in a strainer and rinse with water. By turning off your device, using microfiber cloths and disinfecting wipes, being gentle, and avoiding getting liquid in any openings, you will be able to keep your Mac keyboard clean and free from germs. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Tested. Unfortunately, because of the way it’s designed, it also collects a lot of dust. Obviously, you will want to pay … Next, clean your keys with disinfecting wipes. I had an iMac that went for service and when it returned, I thought it had a dead pixel. Before getting loose dirt and debris out of your Mac keyboard, shut your computer down and unplug the power source. To my surprise, on older iMacs, it was easy to remove the front cover to clean this out. Note: When you purchase something after clicking links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. I think in the MacBook Pro 15 is the same. this may sound obvious... but it needs to be stated. Now you can take the key out and clean underneath the key as well. If I slide out the hard drives, you can get further inside the Mac Pro and get dust out of the nooks and crannies. How to clean your Mac’s keyboard. If the keyboard is part of your laptop, unplug the laptop entirely. Macworld |. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. This puts you in the lock screen, but will not use your Apple Watch to unlock your Mac. From a simple chassis shakedown to removing all the keycaps and the outer shell and giving certain bits a bath, these tips will help you banish that keyboard … Go up and down the rows, first vertically, then laterally. How to Clean a Computer Keyboard. 22. Looking closely, though, I realized that there was a bit of dust behind the screen; actually, between the display’s plastic cover and the actual display. I had a pre-2013 Mac Pro (the original “cheesegrater” case) for several years, and found I had to clean it every few months. Remove the Dirt … So I may do this the next time for more of the keys. Research source Make sure any cleaning agent is squeezed out and will not drip into the crevices and openings of your keyboard. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Clean-a-Mac-Keyboard-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Clean-a-Mac-Keyboard-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/69\/Clean-a-Mac-Keyboard-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid4021081-v4-728px-Clean-a-Mac-Keyboard-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"