Key cap cleaning.

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kol12

kol12

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Jan 26, 2015
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Hi,

just looking around for some safe ways to wipe down keycaps on my mechanical keyboard. I've read that damp paper towels and lens wipes are good but I always thought paper was abrasive? Maybe it's ok if it's damp? I was just wondering if a damp microfiber cloth would safe to use as well?

Can anyone tell me what the brown things are in the picture next to lens wipes at this page? Are they some special type of electronics paper wipes? https://www.keychatter.com/2014/08/01/how-to-clean-keycaps/

Thanks.

 
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ssddx
3 months sounds too short for high wear. i could see if you were using harsh cleaners or if you left grit on the mouse but in normal situations that shouldnt happen. keep in mind that i also dont sweat all over my mouse either and it stays dry.
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Everything is abrasive. Whether or not it'll scratch what you're wiping depends on which surface is harder. Lens wipes (usually cotton fibers) usually softer than glass and plastic, so don't scratch. Depending on the paper's formulation (how small the wood pulp fibers are), it might or might not scratch.

You want to wipe with both water and some type of alcohol. Water will get the water soluble stuff like dirt out. Alcohol will get the oils that won't dissolve in water. It's very important to get these oils off. I have very greasy fingers, and if I don't wipe my keyboard with alcohol wipes at least once a week, eventually the key caps get a shiny waxy layer on them. Once that happens, the only way I've been able to get it off is by scraping it with a knife (possibly damaging the plastic). The stuff is hard enough it resists dissolving with alcohol.

 
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I've heard sometimes alcohol can still be quite strong, does it work well for you? Is it possible it's slowly wearing the plastic coating off? Do lens wipes have any sort of cleaning agent in them?
 
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if the keycaps are removable, put them in a mesh bag in the dishwasher or use soap and water in the sink.

if they arent, use a damp not wet paper towel and gently clean the keys then dry. with they pc off or you will be pressing all sorts of keys.

i dont like using alcohol based cleaners as they can soften some plastics and pure alcohol is even worse.

to remove oils, that is why i suggested using soap.. things like a little dish soap mixed in will fix the oil removing problem without being too harsh on plastic.
 
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I would probably prefer to stick to a regular cleaning schedule rather than pulling all of my keycaps off. I'm simply interested in just wiping the keys down every few days. I've been using just a damp cloth with water but I think something stronger needs to be used from time to time as I'm getting an oily build up that the water isn't removing. It's probably the same build up you use the alcohol wipes for Solandri...

I've also been wanting to know what's safe to use on rubber coated mice as well. I regularly wipe my Corsair Sabre down with a damp cloth but no matter how much I wipe it with water there are these indented finger print marks where my fingers constantly rest. It's probably oils that the water isn't removing...

I like the sound of lens wipes, do they have any cleaning agents in them? Solandri, what sort of alcohol wipes do you use?
 
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do NOT use alcohol or solvent based cleaners on rubberized surfaces. it will soften them and make them sticky. i use soapy water for my deathadder 3.5g.

keyboards are a bit more durable, i have used windex but i prefer using soapy water which is why i suggest it over solvents. as i said before, dish soap or laundry detergent will remove oils easily without being harsh.

lens wipes are typically alcohol based.
 
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I use lens wipes I get in bulk at Costco (works out to about 5 cents each), as the huge quantity means they can start to dry out before I can use them on just glasses. They are alcohol based.

ssddx is correct that soapy water will work too instead of alcohol. You just need to wipe down with a damp (non-soapy) cloth after, and be careful not to let water drip into the keyboard. I prefer the wipes because of that last bit - most of my computers are laptops where replacing a keyboard that's been damaged by water intrusion would be a major hassle. However, he's right that you do need to be careful about alcohol. They started to take the color out of the black bezel between the keys on one of my laptops. I'm careful to wipe only the tops of the keys now, but if this were an external keyboard I could replace easily I'd be using soapy water instead.
 
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Well I really love my new Logitech G710+ which is why I want to try the most safest cleaning method. I think I'll try the soapy water.

This guy seems pretty sure lens wipes are gentle on plastic...https://www.keychatter.com/2014/08/01/how-to-clean-keycaps/
 
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I brought these Brateck cleaning wipes from the local computer store today. It says they're to be used to keep office equipment clean. It says the wipes are alcohol free and contain anti-static liquid which also disinfects surfaces.

What do you guy's think of these? The active ingredients are: Aqua 5%, Cocomide mea 15%, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum.
From what I've quickly gathered these are mostly cosmetic ingredients...

Brateck cleaning wipes: http://www.pbtech.co.nz/index.php?z=p&p=MOABRA9001


Can a damp cloth in water cause streaks? I got a couple of pics of my G710+ keycaps. Do they look good for G710+? On my back key you can see what is hopefully just a smear mark... I've got a pic of my mouse as well with the bizarre "indented" finger prints I can't get rid of.


Edit: The pics I'm putting up are huge. How can I upload them as thumbnails that can be expanded to full resolution?

Corsair_Sabre_finger_marks.jpg
[/url][/img]

20160701_174002.jpg
[/url][/img]
 
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Looks fine to me. I've got the same keyboard, and I really like it. I've matched it with a G402 Hyperion mouse to.

As for the ingredients the one the concerns me is the Xanthan Gum, it might leave a film. Though from you pictures, it seems to have done a good job.

That is wear on your mouse and not a finger print. My mouse has it too. Essentially your finger is polishing the mouse in that location.
 
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Well I can't work what's happening with my image uploads, I'm trying to make them expandable thumbnails but it's not happening...

Nice, the G710+ is my first mechanical keyboard and it's really starting to show in how nice mechanical's are, nice clicky keys and sometimes they really ping.

So apart from the Xanthan Gum the other ingredients seem pretty harmless? It does claim to be for office equipment cleaning so it should be safe...
I'll probably stick to using my damp cloth and occasionally use the wipes when the keys are bit more oily.

"wear on the mouse" I had a feeling that might of been what it was, does this eventually get a lot worse? Must be the downside of rubber mice...
 
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I would think that the wear on your mouse will reach a point where it will remain the same. Yours doesn't look as polished as mine, so I would expect yours to get worse over time. I never noticed it until you posted your pics and then I looked at mine. I don't look at my mouse that often.

I can feel it now if I rub my finger over the mouse button, it's smoother over that spot than it is elsewhere. I think anything that is subjected to having something rub it continuously would eventually polish.
 
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Yeah your probably right, do you think it's the rubber coating that wears away at that spot? If it got all sticky or something I wouldn't be very happy but it's like you say it's probably to be expected with something that get's a lot of hand use.
 
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the forum does not have an image upload function. you're hosting on imageshack which will work but you need to use the link with the IMG tags around it not the web html version.

mice and keyboards do develop wear marks from heavy use. as said above this is different than dirt or grease marks. if a little soap and scrubbing lightly doesnt take it off its probably worn. as far as how bad this can get it depends on the products.. on keyboards or mice that arent painted by are solid dyed a color its not so bad. on painted products (white plastic with just a black layer on them) you can wear through into the white over a few years. my old deathadder has a wear mark about the same as yours from 5+ years of use every day. my new one not so much. i use only the 3.5g rubberized model.
 
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The worn spot on my mouse is actually sticky rather than smooth and creates further rubber dust the more I rub/rest my finger on it. I think the rubber is actually wearing through... I wonder if this would be any grounds for an RMA? I've only had this 3 months...
 
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So really this rubber should not have worn like mine has so quickly? 3 months compared to your 5 years for the same thing makes no sense at all... I would imagine most companies are using the same type of rubber coating which would add to the confusion. Will have to see what Corsair have to say about it I suppose.
 
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3 months sounds too short for high wear. i could see if you were using harsh cleaners or if you left grit on the mouse but in normal situations that shouldnt happen. keep in mind that i also dont sweat all over my mouse either and it stays dry.
 
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