Domakihub How to Clean a Keyboard Properly (And Keep It That Way)
A step-by-step deep-clean routine that works for home offices, holiday rentals, and hotel workstations.
Reviewed by Domakihub cleaning pros · 2026-06-23 · 4 min read
Whether it is a laptop in a holiday villa, a desktop in a serviced apartment, or your own home office, a dirty keyboard collects dust, crumbs, and bacteria faster than almost any other surface. The video above walks through the full deep-clean process visually; this article breaks it into clear, ordered steps you can follow without pausing and rewinding. The approach works for standard membrane keyboards and mechanical ones alike, and every supply on the list is available at any supermarket or hardware shop across Greece.
Why Keyboards Get So Dirty So Fast
Keys are pressed dozens of times per minute, and every press forces air — along with skin cells, food particles, and dust — down through the gaps around the keycaps. In warm climates like Greece, higher ambient humidity can also cause fine debris to clump and stick more stubbornly to surfaces inside the keyboard chassis.
For rental properties and shared workspaces the hygiene stakes are even higher. Studies on shared office equipment consistently find keyboards carry a surprisingly high microbial load, often higher than a toilet seat. A quarterly deep clean and a weekly wipe-down are the minimum sensible maintenance schedule.
What You Need Before You Start
You do not need specialist products. Gather a can of compressed air (or a small hand-pump bellows), isopropyl alcohol at 70–90 % concentration, a pack of cotton swabs, a few microfibre cloths, a soft-bristle brush (an old toothbrush is perfect), a keycap puller or two flat toothpicks, and a small bowl of warm water with a drop of dish soap for the keycaps themselves.
Unplug the keyboard from the computer or turn off the device before you begin. Never spray liquid directly onto the keyboard surface — always apply cleaning solution to the cloth or swab first.
How to Deep Clean a Keyboard: 5 Steps
- 1
Shake Out the Loose Debris
Turn the keyboard upside down over a rubbish bin and give it a firm shake. Tilt it at a 45-degree angle and shake again from side to side. You will be surprised how much falls out. This mechanical dislodging removes the bulk of crumbs, hair, and dust before you introduce any moisture or tools.
- 2
Blow Out What Shaking Could Not Reach
Use short, controlled bursts of compressed air between and beneath the keycaps, working in rows from one end of the keyboard to the other. Hold the can upright to avoid propelling liquid refrigerant onto the board. A bellows pump is safer for laptop keyboards where the gap between keycap and circuit board is very small.
- 3
Remove and Soak the Keycaps (Mechanical Keyboards)
If you have a mechanical keyboard, use a keycap puller — or two toothpicks slid under opposite corners of each key — to lift the caps off. Place them in a bowl of warm soapy water and leave them to soak for 30–60 minutes. While they soak, use the soft brush and compressed air to clean the exposed switches and the board surface. Rinse the keycaps thoroughly and lay them on a dry cloth for at least two hours before reattaching; moisture on the switches will cause damage.
- 4
Wipe Every Surface With Isopropyl Alcohol
Dampen a microfibre cloth with isopropyl alcohol — never dripping wet, just moist — and wipe the top face of each keycap firmly. Follow up with a cotton swab dipped in the same solution to clean the sides of individual keys, the gaps between them, and the palm-rest area. Alcohol evaporates quickly, leaves no residue, and kills bacteria without damaging plastic or printed legends.
- 5
Reassemble, Test, and Set a Cleaning Schedule
Reattach any keycaps you removed, pressing each one down firmly until you feel or hear it click onto the stem. Reconnect the keyboard and test every key to confirm nothing was missed or misaligned. Set a recurring reminder — monthly for heavy-use workstations and holiday-rental turnovers, quarterly for lighter personal use — so the job never becomes a full restoration project.
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FAQ
- Can I wash a keyboard with water?
- Membrane and laptop keyboards should never be submerged or rinsed — water will damage the circuit board. Keycaps from mechanical keyboards can be soaked in warm soapy water because they are plain plastic with no electronics, but the board itself must stay dry. Use isopropyl alcohol on a cloth for the board surface.
- How often should I clean a keyboard in a holiday rental?
- At minimum, wipe the keycaps with an alcohol wipe at every guest changeover, just as you would disinfect door handles and light switches. Do a full deep clean — including compressed air and cotton-swab work — every one to three months depending on how heavily the property is booked.
- Is isopropyl alcohol safe on all keyboards?
- Yes, 70–90 % isopropyl alcohol is safe on the ABS and PBT plastic used for virtually all keycaps, and on the painted or anodised surfaces of keyboard chassis. Avoid acetone-based cleaners (nail-polish remover) and bleach-based wipes, which can strip key legends and discolour or crack plastic.