How To Safely Remove Keyboard Keys For Cleaning

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At some bespeak in the life of your PC or laptop keyboard, you may find that you need to remove a primal to make clean underneath it or replace information technology. Whether you lot spilled something on your keyboard, or a cardinal stopped working and you need to take a look underneath to encounter what'south going on, information technology's of import to remove keys properly and then as not to damage the keyboard. This can be accomplished with a special tool called a keycap puller, or you lot tin use household tools that you already have at home.

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Larn a keycap puller tool from an electronics repair store or online. These minor accessories are designed to wrap effectually keys to remove them without causing whatever damage to them or the switches they sit on elevation of. Call around to local electronics repair shops to see if they sell these tools.^[1]
- Keycap pullers come in plastic and wire types. The wire multifariousness is considered better than the plastic kind considering they are more than durable and less probable to scratch the keys. Both varieties will work just fine to remove keys. However, if you are concerned about scratches y'all should use the wire kind.
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Slide the prongs of your keycap puller underneath the edges of a cardinal. If you are using a plastic keycap puller, yous should hear a click when it has snapped onto the key. With a wire keycap puller, you lot will demand to twist the handle once the prongs are underneath the fundamental to hook the wire loops underneath two corners of the key.^[2]

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Pull upward on the keycap puller to remove the key. The key will slide right off of the switch beneath that it is fastened to. If you lot need to remove multiple keys, take the key you lot just took off out of the keycap puller and repeat the process.
- With wire keycap pullers, y'all can remove three or 4 keys in succession earlier yous need to have them out of the puller.^[three]
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Use a flathead screwdriver or butter pocketknife equally an alternative to a keycap puller. Make sure that the screwdriver or knife bract will fit underneath the keys on your keyboard. Remember to be careful if you are using a pocketknife so you don't cutting yourself!^[iv]
- A screwdriver or knife can easily scratch your keys and keyboard, and then keep this in listen if y'all are worried most some small superficial damage your keyboard.
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Improvise a bootleg keycap puller with a paperclip. As an alternative to a pocketknife or flathead screwdriver, you can shape a paperclip to work merely like a keycap puller. Unbend the paperclip completely, and then reshape it into a "U", and then bend the ends inwards so that they tin can hook nether a key in the same way a keycap puller works.^[five]
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Slide your chosen keycap puller alternative underneath a key and pry it off. Gently apply upward pressure with your chosen tool until the fundamental starts to lift off. In some cases the key may non come up off entirely with the tool, and so finish pulling it off with your fingers.^{[half dozen]}
- Piece of work slowly as you pry up the keys so that you don't stop upward launching them into the air, never to be constitute again!
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Clean underneath the keys y'all removed. Moisten a cotton swab with h2o or rubbing booze to clean underneath the key. Wipe abroad any dirt or viscous spots in those hard-to-reach places nether the fundamental.^[7]
- If it looks similar annihilation is damaged underneath the central, you should have your keyboard to a estimator repair store for inspection.
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Clean the keys y'all removed with soap and water. Utilize a mild dish detergent and warm h2o to thoroughly make clean any keys that yous removed and are planning on putting back on the keyboard. If y'all are washing keys, brand sure to dry them off completely before attaching them back onto the keyboard.
- If yous are replacing the keys with new ones, you lot can but throw away the old keys.
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Snap cleaned keys or replacement keys back onto the keyboard. Orient the central you lot want to attach to the keyboard past adjustment any holes in the bottom of the primal with the plastic pieces that hold them in place on the keyboard. Press down evenly on all sides of the central to snap it back into place.
- You lot will hear a click and experience the fundamental pressing down ordinarily when information technology is fastened properly.^[viii]
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Finished.

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Consult your PC or laptop possessor's manual for instructions on key removal. Some keys are not designed to be removed individually. In this case you lot may need to have your keyboard or laptop to a computer repair shop.
Plough off your PC or laptop before working on it. You don't desire to type whatever accidental commands on your computer while you remove keys! It is also generally a good idea to turn off and unplug electronics while working on them.

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