Never Clean Your Mac Keyboard and Mouse? Here’s Why You’re Making a BIG Mistake and How to Get Them Sparkling Clean!
Your Mac keyboard and mouse are essential tools for staying productive and getting work done. But if you’re not cleaning them regularly, you could be putting yourself at risk of illness and reducing the lifespan of your equipment.
In this article, we’ll discuss why you should clean your Mac keyboard and mouse regularly and how to do it.
Why You Should Clean Your Mac Keyboard and Mouse
Over time, your keyboard and mouse can become a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. Studies have shown that keyboards can harbor more bacteria per square inch than a toilet seat. This is because we often eat at our desks and don’t wash our hands frequently enough.
If you’re sharing your keyboard and mouse with others, the risk of illness is even higher. The flu virus can survive for up to 24 hours on a surface like a keyboard, and the norovirus can live for days.
Additionally, dust, dirt, and grime can build up on your keyboard and mouse, causing them to become less responsive and perform poorly.
Regular cleaning can help reduce the risk of illness and improve the performance of your equipment.
How to Clean Your Mac Keyboard and Mouse
Cleaning your Mac keyboard and mouse is a simple process that doesn’t require any special tools or equipment.
- Turn off your computer and unplug your keyboard and mouse.
- Use a dry, lint-free cloth to wipe down the surface of your keyboard and mouse. You can also use a can of compressed air to blow out any dust or debris that has accumulated in between the keys.
- For stubborn grime or dirt, you can use a small amount of rubbing alcohol or soap and water to clean your keyboard and mouse. Apply the solution to a cloth and gently rub the affected area.
- For hard-to-reach areas like the crevices between your keys, use an old toothbrush to scrub away any dirt or grime.
- Once you’ve finished cleaning, let your keyboard and mouse dry completely before plugging them back in and turning on your computer.
It’s recommended that you clean your keyboard and mouse at least once a month to keep them in good condition.
Final Thoughts
Cleaning your Mac keyboard and mouse is an important task that shouldn’t be overlooked. By following these simple steps, you can reduce the risk of illness and keep your equipment functioning properly.
So next time you’re tempted to skip cleaning your keyboard and mouse, remember the potential risks and take a few minutes to get them sparkling clean!
This article explains how to clean your Mac’s mouse, trackpad, and keyboard.
What to Know
- Dip a microfiber cloth in clean water and rub the mouse gently. Don’t apply water directly to the mouse.Moisten a clean microfiber cloth with water and use it to clean the flat surface of the trackpad, then dry it with a dry microfiber cloth.Use pressurized air or wrap a toothpick with a single layer of the microfiber cloth to clean between the keyboard keys.
Clean Your Mac’s Mouse
No matter what type of mouse you use, the body is cleaned in a similar manner to remove any oils, such as fingerprints.
- Wipe the mouse body with the microfiber cloth.
- For stubborn spots, dip the cloth in clean water and rub the mouse gently.
- Apply pressure to scrub dirty spots on the mouse. Just don’t apply pressure near any scroll wheel, cover, or tracking system.
Cleaning Supplies
Start by turning off your Mac and unplugging the mouse, trackpad, and keyboard if they are wired peripherals. If your keyboard, mouse, or trackpad is battery powered, remove the batteries.
Wipe the mouse body with the microfiber cloth.
For stubborn spots, dip the cloth in clean water and rub the mouse gently.
Apply pressure to scrub dirty spots on the mouse. Just don’t apply pressure near any scroll wheel, cover, or tracking system.
Don’t apply water directly to the mouse because it may drip into the mouse’s inner workings where sensitive electronics reside.
Have the following items on hand:
- Microfiber clothCan of pressurized air with nozzle strawClean water. It doesn’t need to be purified or distilled.Cotton swabs or similar cleaning productsToothpicks or similar items
Special Considerations
Some mouse types require additional attention.
Mighty Mouse
If you use an Apple Mighty Mouse, the scroll ball also needs to be cleaned. Slightly dampen the microfiber cloth and roll the scroll ball against the cloth. You can also use a cotton swab to clean the scroll ball.
When the scroll ball is clean, use the can of pressurized air to blow out dust and dirt from inside the well where the scroll ball sits. The air also dries the scroll ball after you clean it.
Magic Mouse
If you have an Apple Magic Mouse, cleaning is vastly simplified. After you clean the touch surface with a wet or dry microfiber cloth, run the microfiber cloth along the two guide rails on the bottom of the Magic Mouse.
If your Magic Mouse seems to have tracking errors, that is, the mouse pointer stalls or jumps about, use the can of pressurized air to clean around the tracking sensor on the bottom of the Magic Mouse.
Other Mice
If you use a third-party mouse, follow the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning instructions and clean your mouse. In general, use a microfiber cloth to clean the exterior of the mouse. If the mouse has a scroll wheel, you may find that it routinely becomes clogged with gunk. Use cotton swabs to clean the scroll wheel and the can of pressurized air to clean around the scroll wheel.
In the worst cases, you may need to open the mouse to access the optical sensor in the scroll wheel system. Not all mice are opened up easily, and some are difficult to put back together once they are opened. Don’t perform mouse surgery unless you already have a replacement mouse available and don’t mind looking for that little spring that sailed across the room.
Apple Trackpad
If you use a trackpad rather than a mouse, you’ll find they are even easier to clean:
- Remove the batteries from a wireless trackpad. If you use a wired trackpad, unplug it. If the trackpad is built-in on your laptop, turn off the laptop and unplug it if it is plugged in.
- Moisten a clean microfiber cloth with water and use it to clean the flat surface of the trackpad.
- Dry the trackpad with a dry microfiber cloth.
Clean an Apple Wireless or USB Keyboard
To clean a Mac keyboard:
Remove the batteries from a wireless trackpad. If you use a wired trackpad, unplug it. If the trackpad is built-in on your laptop, turn off the laptop and unplug it if it is plugged in.
Moisten a clean microfiber cloth with water and use it to clean the flat surface of the trackpad.
Dry the trackpad with a dry microfiber cloth.
Don’t spray any liquid on the trackpad.
- Unplug the keyboard from your computer or remove the batteries from a wireless keyboard.
- Clean the keyboard surface using a microfiber cloth. Wrap a toothpick with a single layer of the microfiber cloth to clean between the keys.
- For stubborn surfaces, dampen the cloth with clean water, but take care not to get moisture in any openings. Never spray liquid on the keyboard.
- Use the can of pressurized air to blow out any additional debris from around the keys.
About Keyboard Spills
Keyboards and liquids don’t get along. If you spill water or liquid on a keyboard, turn it off or unplug it immediately. Wipe off any visible liquid and flip it upside down to drain on a soft cloth for at least 24 hours before attempting to use it. You may or may not need a new keyboard.
Unplug the keyboard from your computer or remove the batteries from a wireless keyboard.
Clean the keyboard surface using a microfiber cloth. Wrap a toothpick with a single layer of the microfiber cloth to clean between the keys.
For stubborn surfaces, dampen the cloth with clean water, but take care not to get moisture in any openings. Never spray liquid on the keyboard.
Use the can of pressurized air to blow out any additional debris from around the keys.
If the spill is on a laptop keyboard, turn off the laptop immediately and take the computer to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for repair. The entire computer is at risk.
Clean a Stuck Key on a Laptop
When your MacBook or MacBook Pro keyboard has an unresponsive key or one that sticks when you press it, bring out the compressed air with the straw attached to its nozzle for precision control.
- Hold the laptop at an angle so that the keyboard is close to vertical.
- Spray the keyboard (or a single stuck key) with the compressed air in a left-to-right and back zigzag pattern.
- Rotate the Mac laptop 90 degrees to its right side and spray the keyboard or key with compressed air while moving the air in a zigzag pattern.
- Rotate the laptop 180 degrees to its left side and repeat the spraying process.
This process works on any external keyboard as well.
Hold the laptop at an angle so that the keyboard is close to vertical.
Spray the keyboard (or a single stuck key) with the compressed air in a left-to-right and back zigzag pattern.
Rotate the Mac laptop 90 degrees to its right side and spray the keyboard or key with compressed air while moving the air in a zigzag pattern.
Rotate the laptop 180 degrees to its left side and repeat the spraying process.
Why Clean Your Mac Keyboard and Mouse?
The day you unpacked and started working with your new Mac marked the day your Mac’s keyboard and mouse or trackpad were working at their best. From that day forward, little bits of grime, dust, and dirt have been building up on these often-used peripherals. The buildup of gunk slowly causes your mouse to feel less responsive and may even cause your keyboard to miss a key click or two now and then.
Apple recommends you take your keyboard to an Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider for service if the compressed air doesn’t fix the stuck-key problem.
You could always buy a new Mac keyboard, of course, but frequently cleaning your current one can keep it useful for a good long while.
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