5 must have tools to maintain your mechanical keyboards

A mechanical keyboard significantly increases your experience while working or playing games on your PC. You must have researched a lot before settling on one that suits your needs and tastes the best.

Irrespective of which model you choose, it is almost impossible to keep it fresh and clean all the time. All the sweat that accumulates as you spend hours gaming or typing away, the crumbs of food that fall into the nooks, and the biggest villain when it comes to cleanliness, dust, may reduce your keyboard's performance in the long run.

It is, therefore, a good idea to clean your keyboard from time to time. How often you do it is up to you, but a simple bi-weekly cleaning routine is recommended, with a deep cleaning session once every couple of months.

As you are about to clean, you will realize that it is not easy to clean mechanical keyboards without the right set of tools. Here is a list of tools you must have before starting your cleaning routine.

Rubbing Alcohol and 4 other tools to keep ready when cleaning your mechanical keyboards

1) Air Blower

Using an air blower is an excellent way to maintain the cleanliness of your mechanical keyboard without removing the keys, as it will get superficial dust and other particles that accumulate between the keys over time.

Using something that blows out hot air, like a hair dryer, is not recommended, as it might damage the plastic bits by melting them. A manual air blower is the best way to get the superficial dust particles off your keyboard.

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2) Keycap Puller

A keycap puller will be of the utmost importance, as the first step to cleaning your keyboard is removing all the keys and washing them to expose all the dirt underneath.

Removing the keycaps will also allow you to clean them separately with water and soap to remove the grime. Having a keycap puller makes the job easier than pulling them out by hand and ensures you don't damage them in any way. Take extra care while pulling out the bigger keys like Enter and Space Bar, which have added stabilizers.

It is a good idea to take a photo of the keyboard before you take all the keys off, as it will make putting the keys back in place much more accessible.

Buy keycap pullers on Amazon (for the US and Globally).

3) Brush Set

Keyboard cleaning brush (Image via Amazon)

A set of soft paint brushes or dedicated mechanical keyboard cleaning brushes with soft bristles will get all loose dust particles, pet fur, or food crumbs trapped between your keys.

Once you have removed the keys, you must carefully run the brush over the gaps to ensure that the loose particles come off. Since mechanical keyboards are pretty sturdily built, you do not need to be too delicate with your movement. Getting some of the particles off might require some vigorous strokes.

Buy keyboard cleaning brushes on Amazon (for the US and Globally).

4) Rubbing Alcohol

While water might get the stubborn grime off just as well, rubbing Alcohol, scientifically known as isopropyl alcohol, with over 70% alcohol, will disinfect your keyboard and prevent any fungal infestation at any stage.

Water also poses a danger of getting into the circuits and damaging them if you are not careful. As Alcohol evaporates quickly, this is much less likely.

Do not apply either water or rubbing alcohol onto the keyboard directly. Always use a cotton swab or microfibre cloth dipped in the liquid to clean the keyboard.

Buy rubbing Alcohol on Amazon (for the US and Globally).

5) Microfibre Cloth

A good microfibre cloth will come in handy in maintaining your mechanical keyboard and in the upkeeping of other peripherals of your setup.

You will need a microfibre cloth to dry your keys after cleaning them with warm water and soap. Using this fabric will ensure you don't end up scratching any keys. You must also ensure that the cloth you use is water-absorbent and not repellant.

Buy microfibre cloth on Amazon (for the US and Globally).

These tools will help you keep your mechanical keyboard clean and maintain its performance for the longest time.