Many individuals spend a significant portion of their day in front of a computer. Whether we are working, gaming, or just surfing the web, we spend a considerable amount of time interacting with our computers via the usage of our mouse and keyboard. To compensate for this, wear and tear are frequent. It is your keyboard that will suffer the most out of all of your peripherals since it will be continuously handled by (often less than clean) human hands. When cleaning out your keyboard, make sure to remove any dirt that may have accumulated on the board beneath the keys. Whatever the particles are (dust, food scraps, hair, or any other kind of debris), eliminating them may help prolong your computer keyboard’s life. It is critical to understand how to remove keyboard keys to do this.
For the most part, removing these obstructions and returning your keyboard to like-new condition is a straightforward process. The most efficient technique is to remove the keycaps, which expose all of the dirt and filth underneath them, allowing for an easy clean-up. This article will I have cover a variety of keyboard cleaning techniques, as well as the tools that may be used to remove the keycaps for easier access to the keys on your keyboard.
Why Would You Want to Take Your Keyboard Keys Out of the Keyboard?
Cleaning the Keyboard
Being able to remove your keycaps, as previously said, is the most efficient way of cleaning out the circuit board and switches underneath the keyboards. Compressed air is often utilized to clear away debris, which is something you should be aware of. The problem is that this will only serve to remove a part of the dirt under the keyboard while pushing the remainder further into the keyboard and beneath the switches. In comparison to other methods, removing the caps and cleaning the board directly with a cotton swab or something similar is the most effective approach.
Cleaning the caps themselves may also help to prolong the life of your keyboard and improve its look. This is particularly important if you have white or light-colored keycaps since dirt and grime may quickly accumulate and discolor the appearance of the keys over time. When cleaning the caps, a mild soap-based cleaning solution combined with a cotton swab or Q-Tip may be used to expedite the cleaning process. Avoid using robust cleaning solutions on the keycaps since they may erase the outer printing off the surface of the keycaps. Harsh cleaning chemicals, depending on the kind of plastic or coating layer on the cap, may also fade the color, ultimately damaging the overall appearance.
Read More: Best Keyboard Cleaner – Review & Buying Guide
Keyboard Rebuilding and Collection is a hobby of mine.
There is a large and active community of keyboard lovers that construct and collect mechanical keyboards in various designs. It is common to practice for mechanical keyboard users to swap out the switches for a more “clicky” typing experience or even to switch to a linear switch for a more smooth typing experience. Obtaining access to the board underneath the keycaps will allow you to swap out the switches, which will need removing the keycaps without difficulty.
Another element of mechanical keyboard collecting is the replacement of keycaps, another component of mechanical keyboard collecting. With high-end boards, keycaps become a fashion statement, with various typefaces, colors, build quality, and even pictures printed on the top being used to express individuality. When it comes to rebuilding and changing your keyboard, removing the keycaps quickly and without causing harm is essential.
How to Remove Keyboard Keys/Keycaps from a Computer
There are a variety of ways that you may use to correctly remove your keyboard keys and keycaps from your computer. You may utilize everyday household objects and specialist equipment to achieve your goals, but the outcomes may differ. We’ll go through the advantages and disadvantages of using specialist keycap pullers compared to things you may already have around the home in the next section.
Items for the Home
The following are some everyday household objects that you may make use of if you want to remove keycaps from your keyboard: Most of the time and thin and flat item that can fit beneath the edge of the keycap will be able to apply enough force to pop the key out of its switch position, regardless of its shape. Items such as, but not limited to, the following are examples of everyday home items:
- Screwdriver with a flat head
- Knife for slicing butter
- Blade from a pair of scissors (optional).
- Key to the house or the car
You may then put the tip of these things beneath the corner of your keycap by using the flat side of these objects. Slowly apply pressure to the cap until it starts to lift off its switching mechanism. Even though these items may be utilized, there are a few disadvantages. The danger of cutting or scratching the keycap (or yourself) while using an instrument such as a knife is greater than the risk of using a screwdriver. While this may not be a major deal if you have an older keyboard, you recommend using a specialist tool when working with more costly keyboards.
Keycap Pullers
As the name suggests, keycap pullers are precisely what they sound like. They are available in a variety of forms and are particularly designed to remove keycaps without causing harm to the keyboard or the caps themselves. These are the most often used removal tools among keyboard enthusiasts since they are risk-free and simple to use.
Keycap pullers are generally classified into two categories. Wire pullers are the most popular keycap removers since they have the ability to extend and fit around virtually any kind of keycap. With the flexibility to lift from opposing corners of the cap, you just pull with minimal pressure until the cap is removed from its mounting bracket or base.
The second design is a plier that is more tailored to the cap’s contours, and it fits around the edges of the cap. To get around the edges, just squeeze the puller and raise it straight up out of the water. A major advantage of this design is that it can also be utilized to remove the located underneath switches. It is possible to speed up removing the switch and keycap by not changing tools throughout the procedure. We’ll go through a few instances of these tools and discuss which puller is the most appropriate for your keyboard in the section below.
Experience is what matters at the end!!
Hi! This is Jacob Jay – founder of Keyboardgear.com! From childhood to adulthood, I’ve always remained passionate about IT, and the revolution in this industry, especially gaming on the PC can’t go out of my way. Since I’m an enthusiastic gamer, and I love to experience various gaming accessories, particularly mechanical keyboards, that really boost my gaming adventure manifolds. So, my nerve cells hit me to transfer my experiences into word form and share with others to identify the ideal keyboards perfectly fit for their gaming modes.
I know very well how hard it is to find the high-quality items available on the internet that ought to be exactly the same as seen as on the screen. But the counterfeiters have ruined the user’s trust. As I have passed all such situations, I’m obliged to deliver the genuinity and express the same as what I am saying.
So, now, I’m working on the mission to provide very helpful and frankly but trustworthy reviews and guides about various mechanical keyboards, mouses, and other gaming accessories as per my personal experiences and sound knowledge.