Instructions for cleaning fake mechanical keyboards and gaming keyboards at home

The keyboard is placed in the middle of the table, which is also where we can do many things such as eating, drinking, meeting online and playing games. However, this makes your gaming corner dirty. Especially with long-term use, the keyboard often gets dirty quite quickly and needs to be cleaned regularly.

Keyboards should be cleaned at least once every two weeks, and this can be done using a simple microfiber cloth. However, there are better ways to clean them that can improve their longevity and help them sound better when you type.

Clean the outside to remove large dirt.

The easiest way to clean your keyboard is to lift it up, turn it upside down, and shake it around. This will remove any small particles from underneath the keys. You should also unplug it from your PC first and sweep any dust and debris off your desk.

Use a compressed air tank

Using a can of compressed air is also a good idea. Its nozzle goes into the crevices and blows all the dust out with force. However, users should make sure that this is done outdoors as this will blow dust around, possibly getting inside your PC, requiring you to clean it again. Do not place the nozzle directly on the surface as it can create moisture that can damage the device, so keep it far enough away to clean under the keys.

A can of compressed air can also be used to clean your PC. Case fans, GPU fans, and CPU heatsinks are tight spots where a cloth cannot be used properly. In such situations, the can's nozzle can reach in and blow away the dust comfortably.

Buy keyboard cleaning kit

There are specially designed keyboard brushes that come in different shapes and sizes that can help you clean away dust. 

The cleaning kit comes with a keycap puller that helps remove the keycaps without damaging them. A keycap puller is extremely useful because it allows the surface to be cleaned better without getting the keys stuck. The surface can then be cleaned with various products to remove all sorts of debris. You should also avoid harsh chemicals that will discolor the keys.

Once the keycaps are removed, they can be cleaned separately by soaking them in warm soapy water for 30 minutes. Take a picture of your keyboard before removing the keycaps so you know where to put the keys back.

If you don't want to spend money on a cleaning kit, a soft toothbrush can clean the keycaps without removing them.

You can refer to the cleaning steps for fake mechanical keyboards and gaming keyboards in the video below:

David Pac

Update 16 January 2025