How to Maintain Your Mechanical Keyboard: A Complete Care Guide

Overview

Have you ever looked down at your desk and realize you've never cleaned it from all of the dust and gunk? Well now is the time to give your peripherals a good thorough cleanse! Afterall, your keyboard and your mouse are some of the most used items on your desk. So here are some suggestions and a comprehensive guide to keeping a mechanical keyboard clean and in top shape, protected from dust, and its components like keycaps clean as well.

Tools and prep needed:

Quick Clean

If you're short on time or if you just want to do a quick cleanse, the easiest and fastest is to use a brush, like from this cleaner kit, to clean off any dust built up on the keyboard and in-between the keycaps.

Afterwards you could use a keyboard cover to prevent your keyboard from becoming dusty again when it's not in use.

Deep Clean

If you're ready to give your mechanical keyboard a deep thorough cleanse, here are some tips on how to clean and maintain mechanical keyboards.

You can start by disassembling your keyboard. Remove the keycaps, disassemble the keyboard case (if possible), take out the PCB/plate/switch assembly, remove switches (if your mechanical keyboard is hot swappable), and wipe down the plate and PCB.

Once the keycaps have been removed, they can be wiped down with a cloth and warm water or soaked in a warm soapy water bath and scrubbed with a brush. Alternatively, instead of using a brush you could also use a container to hold the warm soapy water and keycaps and shake the container thoroughly. Afterwards, make sure to wipe down and completely dry the keycaps before installing. Ideally, leaving the keycaps to dry overnight would help to dry excess water that might have gotten into the stems of the keycaps.

After the keycaps have been cleaned, you can move on the PCB/plate/switch assembly. Once you have removed the switches, you can use a cloth or a brush to wipe down the plate and top of the PCB.

After the assembly has been cleaned, you can move on to the case chassis. Depending on the material, different methods can be used to clean the case. The safest method would be to blow the debris with an air blower and then use a cloth and warm water to wipe down the case.

Maintenance

Tips for maintaining your mechanical keyboard include:

Avoid eating or drinking in front of your keyboard
Use a keyboard cover when it is not in use
Occasionally wipe down with a cloth or a brush

Things To Note

Be careful if you choose to use a can of compressed air to clean the PCB since there is a possibility of liquid spraying out or a possibility of the air pressure damaging the PCB.

Be careful using certain solutions or chemicals in your cleaning agents. Depending on the material and finish of your keycaps or keyboard, certain chemicals may damage them. When in doubt, look up online or ask a community about your specific keyboard. Or simply just use warm water.

Why Clean Your Keyboard?

Cleaning and maintaining your keyboard will help extend its lifespan. After putting resources into building your own personalized custom mechanical keyboard, keeping it well maintained will be worth the effort.

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