How to Clean Your Keyboard

True or False: Your computer’s keyboard has more bacteria than a toilet seat. According to research, that statement is true. And it’s not even close. In fact, your keyboard has more than 20,000 times the bacteria of a toilet seat—talk about gross. So how do you clean that germ-infested piece of technology to remove bacteria and keep it functioning at a high level?

Turn off the power to your keyboard, whether that means shutting down your laptop, switching the keyboard’s power switch off, or unplugging its USB. (We’re shutting it down so you don’t inadvertently press any keys or key combinations that instruct your computer to change settings or do something you don’t want it to do.)

Pull out the compressed air. Much more effective than flipping your keyboard over and shaking it to remove particles (been there), spraying it with compressed air will help you target the space between the keys. Point the tip of the bottle between the keys and blow air across it to free any debris. Alternatively, you can use a vacuum on your keyboard if it doesn’t have loose “pop off” keys that could get sucked into the vacuum. (Because that would be a bad moment.)

Spray water or rubbing alcohol onto a cotton cloth (not directly onto the keyboard, which could damage it) and wipe off the keys.

Take a deep breath. Your keyboard is now cleaner than your toilet.

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