Can I bleach my keyboard keys

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Doombot1

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May 25, 2016
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I was recently given an old apple keyboard by a friend of mine. It is white, just for reference, with light grey writing on the keys (as in, the letters are written in light grey). It is very dirty, and I am trying to clean it. I have already removed and cleaned the keys to the best of my ability, but some stuff just won't come off. Would it be safe to soak the keys in bleach for a bit (just like one could do with dirty children's toys)? I just dont want to ruin it on accident. Also - it is a membrane keyboard, not that it maters, but just for reference.

Thanks!

-Doombot1
 
Solution
Robert Cook
I would not soak them in bleach, mix up some diluted bleach ( like 5 teaspoons water to one teaspoon bleach or more dilute) and then use a paper towel to wipe each key. that did the trick for me on and old IBM model M and also on my piano.
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Robert Cook

Robert Cook

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I would not soak them in bleach, mix up some diluted bleach ( like 5 teaspoons water to one teaspoon bleach or more dilute) and then use a paper towel to wipe each key. that did the trick for me on and old IBM model M and also on my piano.
 
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Doombot1

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May 25, 2016
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Awesome - thanks! I was talking about using diluted bleach, just forgot to mention it... *Duh* Thanks again!
 
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Doombot1

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May 25, 2016
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Dirt, hair, gust, spills (spaghetti sauce maybe...?), crumbs, etc - i had to take off the keys anyway so im actually using cloros wipes to clean them one by one as I type this. Heres a link to two pics I just took of the board without keys before cleaning it (I have yet to do that as well). http://imgur.com/a/6QRFq
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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Sep 27, 2012
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Soaking the keys themselves, which is what I believe you were talking about, should be just fine.

As for in between the keys themselves, I would use a cup of diluted bleach and a whole bunch of Q-tips, and then go back with q-tips and isopropyl alcohol.
 
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Robert Cook

Robert Cook

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bleach is potent(and nasty) stuff, wiping the keys should be fine, but soaking them could be a bit much, it might take off the letters after a while.
 
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DarkSable

DarkSable

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That's a fair point. Just depends on how diluted it is and how much the OP cares. I personally would rather have clean keys than perfectly legible marks... but then, I'm used to a blank keyboard anyways.
 
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Robert Cook

Robert Cook

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I member seeing some old 1980's hacker movie ( super cheesy where they show the "inside of the network" as glowing stacks of random numbers...) and the bad guy had a laser projected keyboard with no letters on it and yet still out hacked almost everyone...

I suppose one you are used to one you really do not need the letters...
 
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