[Lilux-help] keyboard cleaning - best practice?

[Patrick Kaell]

Eric Dondelinger wrote:

> since my trusty Logitech wireless keyboard seems to have died (reloaded
> the accus, reboot, didn't work out - no idea what's broken), I replaced
> it with one of those "unbreakable" IBM keyboards pilfered from god knows
> where - it's wonderful typing btw, these IBM thingies really are
> something else.
> What bothers me is that this ol' IBM keyboard really does look battered,
> i.e. unclean - dark stains on the keys etc. (otherwise it's fine).
> What's the best way to clean this up? Use of acetone or whatever?
> I'd prefer not to have to take it all apart.

I ebay'ed some old Sun equipment which were in use in universities. The 
keyboards were very dirty (10 years dirt from students). I strongly 
dislike dirty keyboards, especially if the dirt does not come from me. I 
also read a newspaper article which claimed that some studies proved 
that many keyboards are more contamined biologically than the average 
toilet.

Now, I always did take apart the keyboard, put everything (except the 
electronics and the contact foil) ie. keys, springs etc. in hot water 
with dish washing products. After an hour I cleaned the parts with clean 
water from the dish washing products. Then I let the parts dry from a 
whole day and put everything together again.

It all takes a lot of time. I only did it because I needed and wanted 
this keyboard. I would never have done it for a normal PC keyboard 
(which I simply would have replaced by a new one).

The results are very good. The keyboards now all looked like new ones. I 
think that if you really want to remove all the hair, food rests from 
other people you will have to take it all apart! It is not possible 
otherwise.

Greetings, Patrick Kaell