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I have a 2 year old keyboard here and the problem is it is now becoming sticky, by sticky what I mean is it is becoming hard to press, hard pressing will work but I find it hard, I cleaned it already, I even remove certain keys the reattached it to see if it will solve my problem, all of those doesn't seem to solve my problem.

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5 Answers 5

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Over time your keyboard gathers an incredible amount of dust, dirt and many other bits which inevitably results in sticking of the keys, to clean up you keyboard and make it feel as good as new...

You will need:
Cotton buds
Anti-bacterial wipes
Acidic solution/Vinegar
Patience


Firstly, un-plug your keyboard and tip it upside down and shake to remove any excess debris. Then remove all of the keys (these should just pop off and pop back on again with a little force, be careful not to break the clips underneath the keys).
Place the keys in a container of acidic solution such as vinegar and leave for around 20 mins, then give them a good scrub with a cloth. Grab an anti-bacterial wipe or cloth and dip in vinegar or any form of alcohol solution and scrub the keyboard thoroughly, especially around heavily used areas such as the space-bar and enter key. Use a cotton bud/swab to rub the solution around the areas where the keys should be to pick out any grime in the crevices. You should be able to see the grime coming away from the keyboard, if not, scrub a little harder!
Pop the keys back on by lining up the clips with hooks underneath and press firmly down, if you have a different sort of keyboard or any questions post us a comment.

Good Luck and remember to be patient, there's no quick fix to restoring a keyboard, unless you buy a new one!

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  • Or you can just open the keyboard, see if the vias are burned if they are throw the keyboard away, if they aren't well now you can clearly see which keys need thorough cleaning
    – Just Do It
    Feb 23, 2016 at 15:34
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Most keyboards are dishwasher safe.

Unplug the keyboard from whatever you have it connected to. Remove any batteries and attachments (non-glued in place items, but not the keys). Place on the top tray of the dishwasher, face down. Wash using your normal detergent. Do not go through the heated drying cycle as it may damage the plastics. Allow the keyboard to thoroughly air dry before reattaching it to your device. Put the batteries and other attachments back in place.

If you don't have a dishwasher, you can use a shower head to clean almost as much as the dishwasher. I would not add liquid dish soap to assist the cleaning as it becomes extremely difficult to remove all of it.

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    Keyboards are not dishwasher safe, please edit your answer with the right steps. As it is, it's unclear and will probably be misinterpreted by other users.
    – Just Do It
    Feb 23, 2016 at 17:19
  • And as a side note, it might be more tedious but the thorough cleaning of a keyboard with swabs and cloths gives a slower but better result
    – Just Do It
    Feb 23, 2016 at 17:20
  • I have done this procedure many times. It works. I have not had to replace keyboards that I have washed in the dishwasher. Feb 23, 2016 at 17:21
  • @JustDoIt The number 4 answer on the duplicate question link is to wash the keyboard in the dishwasher. Number 5 is place the keys in the washing machine (for clothes). Feb 23, 2016 at 17:23
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    Still not fond of the idea, but I recognize the validity of the answer as is.
    – Just Do It
    Feb 24, 2016 at 15:12
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You can try to use steam, but it will take some time.

  1. Unplug the keyboard
  2. Use a water kettle or something that can produce steam (be careful!)
  3. Hover the keyboard, upside down over the steam. Make sure the steam can rise between all keys (again be careful!)
  4. Keep the board upside down and put it on a dry towel to dry for at least 2 days or use something like a hair dryer

Another trick I learned to clean carpets (yes, carpets) is to put it upside down in the show and push it down so the snow gets pushed in. Maybe this also can be done with a keyboard if you have show around.

Good luck!

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  • So what you're saying is, damage the keyboard and buy a new one?
    – Arazio
    Feb 23, 2016 at 11:44
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First thing’s first, unplug your keyboard. Dump out any excess liquid and mop up as best you can with paper towels. While it’s best to clean while the keyboard is still wet to minimize the stickiness, the process is much the same whether you spilled your soda 30 seconds ago or 30 days ago.

To get rid of sticky keys, we’ll need to pop off the keys and clean the keyboard more thoroughly. If you have a standard keyboard, you’ll be able to find references to where all the keys should go if you don’t already have the layout memorized. For custom keyboard, it might be helpful to draw a quick map or take a picture with your digital camera so you know where everything belongs when you go to put things back together.

For desktop keyboards, take a butter knife or a screwdriver and try to pry up one corner of the keys. You don’t need to use a lot of force; you should feel a pop and the key will come right off.

To clean the keys you can wash them in warm water and/or use some cotton swabs. To put the keys back on, just place them over their correct position and press them until you hear a snap. 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.

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go and grab some cotton swabs and start pulling keys off the keyboard once you've done this grab a can of compressed air and spray it on the keyboard's inside bit, then grab the cotton swabs and wet them (Preferably with water) then clean the keys with it.

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  • This is not substantially different from another previous answer. You could have added a comment as clarification if you had sufficient reputation, but... Mar 26, 2016 at 4:24

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