Clean your keyboard & mouse right now!

[JosephLeo]

Hey guys, I just have to tell you something that I do every year. I just cleaned my keyboard and mouse. I didn't do the "wet nap and wipe" technique, and I didn't "take of the letters and clean under too" no, I cleaned the entire keyboard and mouse.

I opened up both devices to their bare parts, took away all of the electronic components, filled a small bucket with water and washed all the dead skin and food particles away from the plastic and rubber parts.

The result? Well, my keyboard feels and looks like new, but also the keys are more "springy" now because there is no more grime slowing the keys down, this also reduced the clickity-clack sound they make as well since I don't have to press as hard anymore, and thus my typing speed actually improved a little bit as well. My mouse, well, it glides like it's floating in air now and the tracking also improved- but what's really nice about it is that the texture of it is all smooth and silky instead of oily.

I do this once a year around this time of year, but I heard some people do this twice a year. Oh by the way, in my mouse I found a ball the size of a penny that was made out of lint and oil...yuck!

 

[TopLevelComp]

I throw my keyboards in the dishwasher. Always put them as brand new.

 

[AdamsAPlus]

Maybe I should start offering that as an extra, to make more money.

 

[Ccomp5950]

From an environmental standpoint: Cleaning your keyboard and mouse make good sense.

From an economic standpoint: Throw them away and purchase a new pair, you just saved yourself 2 hours worth of time for 10 dollars.

 

[tankman1989]

No optical mouse Joseph? Any specific reason?

 

[rapidcom]

I think this has been brought up on another thread, but it is worth mentioning here too.

Cyber Clean is what I use, it is a goo like thing that makes it much easier to clean keyboards. I buy mine at Target (for the US Techs).

 

[muncherw]

I throw my keyboards in the dishwasher. Always put them as brand new.

That's the way I do it too.

 

[JosephLeo]

Maybe I should start offering that as an extra, to make more money.

Why not, sounds like a good idea Just make sure for your clients you take extra precaution in making sure it's dry. Just because it looks dry doesn't mean it is.

From an environmental standpoint: Cleaning your keyboard and mouse make good sense.

From an economic standpoint: Throw them away and purchase a new pair, you just saved yourself 2 hours worth of time for 10 dollars.

$10...can you tell me where you buy your keyboards from because the cheapest I can find them is $15 for those ugly loud clickety-clack ones.

No optical mouse Joseph? Any specific reason?

I'm using an optical mouse, unless maybe you confused "ball of the size of a penny" with ball mouse.

I think this has been brought up on another thread, but it is worth mentioning here too.

Cyber Clean is what I use, it is a goo like thing that makes it much easier to clean keyboards. I buy mine at Target (for the US Techs).

That's good, but it won't remove 100% of everything that's DEEPLY embedded in there. Plus, it's still gross because of the hair and dead skin involved.

 

[Ocelot]

I just deep cleaned my keyboard after about a year of usage and I was surprised at how much stuff came out from inside the keyboard

I'm too afraid to open my mouse and clean it though

 

[tankman1989]

I'm using an optical mouse, unless maybe you confused "ball of the size of a penny" with ball mouse.

I assumed a ball mouse because I didn't see how dust could get inside an optical (he types as he examines his mouse closely). I guess I will have to disassemble my mouse and see what I find (buttons are starting to stick).

I just took apart 2 Logitech optical mice (6-7 years dirty, lol) and didn't find any lint/dirt in mine and they get some heavy usage at times. I'm still having trouble seeing how the dust got inside your mouse. I want to thank you for posting this because I have 2-3 keyboards which need cleaning and the one mouse does click much better.

 

[Ccomp5950]

$10...can you tell me where you buy your keyboards from because the cheapest I can find them is $15 for those ugly loud clickety-clack ones.

Was allied Semiconductor in Richardson Texas. I would just ask for "El Cheapo" and they would supply it. I was off a little bit (Tax Season I went through my ivoices once more) it's $5 for usb optical mouse and $7.50 for keyboard.

They are about the equivalent to the keyboards you get with New Dell computers.

They went out of business though (not from under priced keyboards I assure you) back in November and the sales manager from there joined another business AllTech that I'm starting to use, haven't ordered keyboards from them yet so no idea on price.

 

[JosephLeo]

I assumed a ball mouse because I didn't see how dust could get inside an optical (he types as he examines his mouse closely). I guess I will have to disassemble my mouse and see what I find (buttons are starting to stick).

You see those left and right clickers? Yeah, well over the years little bits of skin get caught in the edges and fall into the cavity of the mouse and it builds up. I had a tiny ball of dead skin, oily residue and even hair

Was allied Semiconductor in Richardson Texas. I would just ask for "El Cheapo" and they would supply it. I was off a little bit (Tax Season I went through my ivoices once more) it's $5 for usb optical mouse and $7.50 for keyboard.

They are about the equivalent to the keyboards you get with New Dell computers.

They went out of business though (not from under priced keyboards I assure you) back in November and the sales manager from there joined another business AllTech that I'm starting to use, haven't ordered keyboards from them yet so no idea on price.

Ah, okay. I can't imagine a keyboard that cheap would be reliable- or even useable.

 

[madmark]

I just picked up two usb keyboards from office max for about $7 with tax.

 

[Graystar]

I made the switch to Logitech Trackballs about five years ago and have not looked back. I now have six of these devices (I have yet to have one fail either) I even carry one in my laptop bag.
Not only are they better for Carpal they have two distinct benefits.
1. They stay stationary so they don't need a square ft of desktop to be usable.
2. Extremely easy to clean. Lift out the ball and a quick wipe with a tissue and it is clean.

Everyone that I have gotten to buy one and try it has agreed that it is far easier to use than a mouse.

My two cents...

 

[vdub12]

From an environmental standpoint: Cleaning your keyboard and mouse make good sense.

From an economic standpoint: Throw them away and purchase a new pair, you just saved yourself 2 hours worth of time for 10 dollars.

I'm with you. I would rather just replace them. They don't cost that much and if I was talking about the billable hours I would loose by doing it its just not worth it.

 

[Avgsmoe]

Edit: photo courtesy break.com

 

[TopLevelComp]

That keyboard would've been better if it had gone through the dishwasher

 

[callthatgirl]

I actually have a 1997 IBM keyboard that I was use every single day. I clean it out about once a year. It's a clicky key model M I think. I believe that I can wash mine in the bathtub too (from what I have heard anyway).

I will post pics tomorrow, but this thing is a classic. I just googled it and they are going for $40-$110 on ebay. I'm glad I kept mine and it's awesome to use. It's very loud though, but I love hearing the "clicky" when I type and it's almost like a typewriter. I love it!

 

[TopLevelComp]

I don't clean and wash keyboard and mouse.
I replace both with new one after every 3 months.

Why? That's oddly expensive.

 

[Bobbing]

I actually have a 1997 IBM keyboard that I was use every single day. I clean it out about once a year. It's a clicky key model M I think. I believe that I can wash mine in the bathtub too (from what I have heard anyway).

I will post pics tomorrow, but this thing is a classic. I just googled it and they are going for $40-$110 on ebay. I'm glad I kept mine and it's awesome to use. It's very loud though, but I love hearing the "clicky" when I type and it's almost like a typewriter. I love it!

Those are awesome. Reminds me of the rotary phone. Can be used as a weapon if needed.