There are several ways to clean a keyboard. If it is simply clogged with dust, hair and other various particles, you can use a screwdriver to remove a few keys from each side of the keyboard and then use the can of compressed air to blow all of the stray particles out of the keyboard.

Just be forewarned - it is difficult to pry out large keys such as the shift keys and the spacebar without breaking them, so you should probably stick to the smaller keys. To remove a key easily, pry upward gently until the keys pops loose.

If 'sticky stuff' has been spilled into the keyboard or some of the keys are still somehow obstructed or sticking after you have tried using the above keyboard cleaning method, your next option is to remove the screws from the back of the keyboard and fully disassemble the keyboard.

After you have removed the plastic molding from around the keyboard, simply remove all of the keys from the front of the keyboard (much easier now) and take a damp cloth and wipe down the plastic covered PCB inside the keyboard as well as the key mounts.

A keyboard that is used by multiple people such as students or different employees may need to be disinfected to help prohibit the spread of germs.

To achieve this, first turn off the computer. Spray a disinfectant onto a cloth or dampen a cloth with alcohol and rub each of the keys on the keyboard.

Of course, never spray any type of liquid onto the keyboard.

But, keyboards are cheap. If you are a PCdoctor, always have one or two available for sale.

Jay Stikeleather is one of the founding partners of http://www.pcdoctorsgroup.com/ PCdoctors are computer and pc technicians specializing in personal and business computer maintenance, installation, upgrades, and training. Visit us today, you too can become a PCdoctor.

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