It’s Official: Dishwashers Are Great For Cleaning Keyboards

lkahney

http://www.cultofmac.com/1625/its-official-keyboard-in-dishwasher-works-great/

jabancroft

Hmm. I wonder if I dare try this with my filthy Apple Wireless Keyboard (not the shiny new metal one, but the one that looks like yours)...

Dare me? ;-)

David

Look like you need to put the dishwasher's knob in the dishwasher.

Arne Midtlund

If I could put my MacBook in the dishwasher I'd be really happy :P

whardier

Surprisingly this also works well on MacBooks. Shiiiiney new looking.

Zaraden

Do you now even read what you wright before posting it? A few mistakes is ok, were all human, but there are always seriously misspelled words, and messed up code in every one of the posts on here. Check your damn writing, because it makes you look really unprofessional. Thanks.

Drdul

Next I want to see you test it with a bluetooth keyboard. :-)

Faust

Wow, hmm, would it work with the newer Apple keyboards too?

E. B. White

Corrections for Zaraden, above... a) "wright" should be "write", b) "few mistakes is" should be "few mistakes are", c) "were" should be "we're", and finally d), no comma after "words". Otherwise, comment away!

joshwood

Thank you, "Zaraden," you made my day.

Pmoes

Zaraden!?! I hope you were being ironic(al)
We're all human...

Calvin

Seems like a much better method than my old one. I would take out all the keys, clean the inside with a toothbrush and put the keys in a bag with soap and water and shake the bag around for twenty minutes or so. It worked well but was very time consuming. And then of corse I had to put all the keys back in the right place, and my god got ahold of one so the 'help' key was all torn up. But now I have a shiny aluminum wireless keyboard, so there's no way you're getting me to put that in the dishwasher, no matter how dirty it is.

fornya

Yeah dude… your dishwasher is disgusting. Get to scrubbing.

Simon

Don't put an aluminium keyboard in your dishwasher. The temperature + residual chemicals from previous washes will cause a heap of discolouring, surface piting, and general nastyness on the aluminium parts...

Bram

I'm actually pretty surprised, I have 2 of those apple keyboards that I tried to clean them by taking the keys off and scrubbing the bottom, then putting the keys in a plastic bag with some cleaning solution. After I had finished I let the keyboards dry for a few days, then I tried them and only about half of the keys worked.

Alan Christensen

Ah, but can I use my dishwasher's heated dry cycle? Hmmmm, where did I put that old keyboard?

beeDevil

I too have washed multiple keyboards in the dishwasher. Take note of the article, use NO dishwashing detergent. And copious drying (3-5 days) will be necessary. Even so, be warned, about every fifth or sixth keyboard came out DOA.

diamondprojects

Every fifth or sixth keyboard!? Are you a man or an octopus?

Bill Coleman

Washing electronic equipment in a dishwasher is nothing new. Restorers of vintage electronic equipment have been doing this for years and years. For gear that has spent years in a smoke-filled environment -- it may be the only way to remove the thin patina of tobacco the clings to every surface.

Of course, certain electronic components may be hydroscopic, so drying the equipment after washing is important. Restorers often bake washed equipment in an oven set to a low temperature (below 200 degrees) to ensure it is thoroughly dry. Thorough drying is also important to avoid later corrosion of contacts.

You don't need to run through a full cycle to get this effect. Even a short rinse cycle may be sufficient to clean a piece of equipment.

Joe

I can't get past that nasty dishwasher...dude....really.....

Eleventeen

You need to run your dishwasher thru a dishwasher....

This is an old trick that I've heard used (but never been brave enough to try) since the mid 90's, at one point I was told that when the keyboards leave the factory, they're given a quick rinse thru what is essentially a large commercial dishwasher to get any of the plastic processing residue off.