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dballance

(5,756 posts)
3. I Don't Think I'd Use Acetone. Regular Rubbing Alcohol Instead.
Thu May 2, 2013, 03:50 PM
May 2013

Acetone harms some types of plastic. I'm not sure it's damaging to computer keyboards but I wouldn't take the chance it might harm the keys and might get onto components inside the keyboard that are could be vulnerable to it.

Regular old rubbing alcohol isn't a bad cleaner. It evaporates quickly so your keyboard and components within it will be dry faster than if you used a damp cloth or something like Windex. Get some compressed air, turn the keyboard upside down and blow out all the debris too.

Always make sure it's unplugged while you clean. You don't want to short out any components.


On Edit: I've used plain old rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) to even clean out soda spilled on a keyboard that was gumming up the keys and the electrical contacts with very good success. There's no way I'd let acetone run freely on the keyboard. I don't know what it might do if some of it got onto the printed-circuit boards and chips inside the keyboard.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
4. I have always used a small paintbrush
Thu May 2, 2013, 05:28 PM
May 2013

to brush all the dust up, then I turn it upside down and shake and blow. I think that vacuum cleaner idea is great though, but I have no experience with it. I have also never cleaned the keyboard well with any liquid, but I have taken a lint-free cloth and dry-wiped after all the brushing and shaking and blowing.

CTyankee

(65,012 posts)
5. Yeah, I consider the wiping of the keyboard to be intermediate cleaning, not the main
Thu May 2, 2013, 06:34 PM
May 2013

cleaning. I just don't like to see lint and dandruff, etc, in between vacuuming...but I still would like another way...maybe not possible, however...

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
6. Then, the paintbrush will work well.
Thu May 2, 2013, 07:19 PM
May 2013

All the icky dust bunnies stick to the bristles and come right out from between the keys.

patricia92243

(12,827 posts)
8. Loosed the keys when I vacuumed. Actually was never able to get one of them
Fri May 3, 2013, 08:42 AM
May 2013

to fit back on keyboard. I can't figure out how to make the vacuum less powerful in order to use it on the computer.

Curmudgeoness

(18,219 posts)
9. Does your vacuum have attachments?
Fri May 3, 2013, 05:32 PM
May 2013

The ones with brushes on them are not so powerful. Also, my vacuum has a switch on the hose that will open up and take some of the pressure off if you don't want so much of a vacuum.

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