If you can’t stop eating at your work, raise your hand. (That is a crime committed by more than half of the people in this room.) Dust builds up over time. Oils build up. Oreo crumbs, Doritos flakes, and Cheetos powder pile. You’ll have enough muck and slime beneath your keyboard keys to give birth to another Flubber before you realize it.

And since you don’t have the most delicate of motions, you don’t trust yourself to remove the keys for thorough cleaning without damaging anything. (We understand.) So we brought up a list of safer, less dangerous keyboard cleaning options, as well as a guide to help you decide which cleaner is best for you.

10 Best Keyboard Cleaners In Each Budget Range

Have you figured out what you’re searching for yet? Because it’s time to dive into 10 cleaners that we believe will do a good job of cleaning your keyboard.

This goo gathers up dust, hair, and crumbs and holds them in its gelatinous form for all eternity. The first component is ethanol, which is most likely there to kill bacteria.

If you use it daily, you may not need to use any additional cleaners. This will last for months of weekly usage, and when it’s time to change it, the body will become green.

The slime can’t be used with stains or anything caked on, according to reviewers. However, some individuals have used a toothpick to dig around and loosen things up before spreading the goo.

However, the majority of reviews claimed it worked well! It’s simple and flexible, and some people have even used it to clean tablets and polish automobiles.

If you have other costly electronic equipment to clean or if you just like your keyboard, this is a good option to consider. It blows computer mice, laptops, and lampstands straight off your desk, and it’s much more powerful than a can of compressed air. This is just one of the reasons you’d want to use it outside.

The second reason is that it will blast a tonne of dust out of places you had no idea existed. You must have it plugged in at all times, even when the cable is nearly 10 feet long. It also has a series of nozzles that allow you to create large, forceful blasts as well as more focused streams for hard-to-reach areas.

Reviewers believe that this is a better alternative to compressed air cans for keeping their keyboards clean. They weren’t happy with the length of the cable or how loud it is, but they appreciate how strong it is.

Because it’s shaped like a pencil, this double-ended brush gives you a lot of control. On one end, there’s a silicone wiper you may use to scrape away dirt without harming your gadgets. The tip is carved like a highlighter to make digging around keys simpler.

The brush end contains gentle bristles that won’t scratch your skin, and it’s all retractable so you can carry it with you wherever you go. Users of both PCs and MacBooks praised how simple it made cleaning their devices. Some users wished the silicone end was a little tougher, but most agreed that it did the job.

This blower produces strong enough gusts to remove most particulates, but it’s so forceful that you may not want to use it at work! You may have to peel the keys of your keyboard first since it has two-speed settings and three large nozzles. 

It also comes in three different colors!

The huge size of the nozzles and the fact that the motor warms up quickly are the most common concerns from reviewers. Short bursts of dedusting would be preferable to a lengthy de-dusting session. The power that this little machine can provide pleased the majority of customers.

This portable kit is ideal for cleaning on the move. When traveling, the bristles prevent dirt from building up between your keys, and the microfiber cloth may be used to wipe away dust and fingerprints from your display, around the keys, and on the touchpad.

Reviewers claim the cloth may get in the way if you’re using the brush on the storage ring, and they wouldn’t suggest it for heavy-duty cleaning. Buyers, on the other hand, agree that it is excellent for cleaning up loose dirt and for working outside.

This is a tiny, inexpensive vacuum that you may keep at your office. It has a USB charger as well as two nozzles: a flat one for digging into corners and sweeping horizontally along your keys, and a bristle brush for flicking out and inhaling dust and hair.

Even with regular usage, a charge may last for at least a week, but suction strength will deteriorate as battery levels decrease. Critics claim that it isn’t very strong, to begin with; it won’t take up anything particularly big or sticky. As long as the goo doesn’t become caked on your keyboard, you may use it for larger debris.

If you truly want to treat your keyboard, get this. It has a pinpoint nozzle that may be used to blast air and debris trapped between your keys. Then, on the vacuum setting, use the bristle brush and the narrow hose nozzle to pick up the fragments.

While this isn’t a leaf blower, it’s powerful enough to clear the dust off laptops and keyboards, so take it outdoors. Similarly, the vacuum isn’t very powerful, which makes it ideal for electronics with delicate components. Reviewers laud its mobility and the fact that it eliminates the need to purchase air blower cans.

Because their bristles are firm, they brush away muck and caked-on dust. They’re particularly useful for scratching the sides of long keys. However, these brushes aren’t particularly effective on shallow or closely spaced keys, and you may end up with scratches.

The hardness of the bristles was cited as a major flaw in the brush set, although many purchasers felt that it was enough for mild cleaning. Some people even use it for other household gadgets!

If you want to clean your keyboard more thoroughly than simply shaking it off and vacuuming around the keys, you’ll want to get this multipurpose set. With the key puller tool, you may securely remove keys from the keyboard, and then gently brush away any dust, grime, or crumbs.

The dampeners that come with the keyboard may assist to minimise the clacking noise that comes with bigger mechanical keyboards. Even though some reviews didn’t like the brush, purchasers agreed that the key puller is what makes this package so valuable.

Consider these handy goo packets if you don’t like the thought of having a big container of cleaning gel on your desk or just want a more portable version of it. Each pack may be used many times and is said to have a lavender scent. However, as the gel becomes black, it must be changed.

After a little fiddling, reviewers were pleasantly pleased with how nicely this performed. It may take up crumbs, dust, and other debris. They appreciated the fact that they could have one in their vehicle, at home, and work. Keep in mind that some gel pieces may be left behind.

While you’re reading this, your keyboard isn’t getting any cleaner. It’s most likely becoming dirtier. So let’s get started and figure out which cleaner is ideal for you.

The kind of cleaner you use is determined by how unclean your keys are.

You’ll need to use one of four kinds of cleaners, depending on how severe the dirt is beneath your keys: goo, brushes, blowers, and hand-held vacuums. You may even combine any two or three of them, such as blowing dirt off your keyboard using blowers first, then using slime to clear off any leftovers.

To Pick Up Moderate Amounts of Gunk, Use Brushes, Wipes, and Goo.

If you want to clean your keys before they turn into a hot, sticky mess, you may use a goo or brush cleaner. Both are fast and simple to use, but neither can remove anything lodged deep or securely under your keys.

Brushes are useful for cleaning your keys regularly and removing any dust or particles that have gotten into them before they have a chance to build up. When it comes to brushes, though, make sure the bristles aren’t too harsh or stiff, otherwise, you risk damaging your keys.

Goo is excellent since it keeps all the trash within itself, eliminating the need to flick things out of your keyboard just to push them off your desk. Just keep in mind that once the slime becomes saturated with muck, you’ll have to discard it and purchase a new pack.

Wipes are excellent for removing light surface dirt, such as when you spill food on your keyboard or write after eating something sticky. These are often in the shape of the disinfectant-soaked cloth. However, if you have keyboard stickers, the cleaning may cause them to peel off.

Dislodge Deep-Set Stuff using Handheld Vacuums and Blowers

You may remove muck from deep inside the labyrinth of your keys with a strong blast of air. Blowers with electric motors are used for this.

They’re strong enough that you may want to use them outdoors with a set of safety goggles and a mask to protect your face from the dust and chip pieces that will be flying about.

Electric blowers are preferable to compressed air cans, despite being more costly, particularly if you care about the environment. The majority of these cans contain hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a powerful greenhouse gas. The global warming potential (GWP) of tetrafluoroethane, a typical HFC, is above 1,400, while CO2 has a GWP of 1.

Vacuums are useful because they collect dust rather than spreading it into the air. However, make sure your keyboard doesn’t have any keys that readily pop off before using it. Vacuums are also avoided because they produce electrostatic discharge (ESD), which may destroy your electronics.

Nevertheless, since most keyboards don’t contain many sensitive components, this isn’t a major problem.

Customizable Parts Can Get into Nooks and Crannies

Many brushes are available in sets or with many tips at least. Big, soft, spherical brushes for fast dusting and fine points for more accurate work are among them. For particularly stubborn muck, some may even include silicone or rubber scrapers.

Different nozzles may be included with vacuums and air blowers, allowing you to send both large, strong blasts and smaller, more focused gusts between keys.

The apparent gunk may have been blown away. The greatest risk, as with most things, is what you can’t see–the viruses and bacteria still hiding between some of the keys.

Usually, we’d simply suggest using Lysol or Clorox wipes to complete the job. If you want to save time and effort, though, search for cleansers that include sterilizing agents. Ethanol, for example, is a popular and efficient disinfectant.

Summary

The majority of us spend our days at our workstations, hooked to our keyboards. As a result, we owe it to ourselves to maintain the keys in good working order. While you may still need to take apart and soak your keyboard for a full cleaning, if you utilize the tools above to maintain your workstation regularly, you should be OK.

We trust that now you are on the move and are ready to get rid of all the accumulated dirt, so our work here is done. Thank you so much for reading, please do share with your loved ones!