sappatoti
Posts: 14844
Joined: 10/30/2006
From: the edge of darkness...
Status: offline
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Depending upon how your laptop's keyboard is made, you probably can remove it and use long, thin cotton swabs to gently (and I cannot emphasize that word) push between the keycaps and mounting/circuit board to dislodge the gunk. You'll probably need to do this from all sides, if possible, to ensure you are able to get the gunk from all sides of the keycap posts.
But there could be dangers to such a brute force cleaning... if the keycaps are held on by springs only you run the risk of breaking the spring clips and thus possibly losing the use of the keycap forever.
Another poster's advice about using something slim between the keycaps is another way of getting at the gunk, though it might not reach completely under the keycaps (depending upon how flexible your tool is).
Some people with air compressors have tried to literally blast gunk from under their keycaps. I wouldn't recommend that as most keyboard construction isn't designed to withstand hurricane/tornado force winds at point blank range. Lots of keycap breakage is possible, if not outright destruction of key mechanisms.
If you happen to be the owner of one of these newer "uni-body" construction laptops (Apple and Dell), all bets are off. The openings for the keys are milled directly from a single aluminum block (which also happens to serve as the mainframe and structure for the entire laptop base) and they seem to be sandwiched between the keycaps and key mechanisms during manufacture. Perhaps the vendor site would have information regarding how to keep those types of keyboards clean (though, don't be surprised if they use the standard answer of "send it in for repair"). For these types of machines you did purchase that extended warranty plan that includes damage caused by such things as spills, right? ;-)
Here's a general Google search for other articles and sites that might have info (though, I make no claim or guarantee that any of it is any good):
* http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=cleaning+laptop+keyboard&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Purchasing a replacement keyboard is still always an option. USB keyboards are aplenty and should easily work on your laptop. Also, replacement keyboards for your specific machine are probably available on the various auction sites. Just search for the best deals with reputable vendors if this is your final recourse.
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does anyone know the best way to clean the keys... - 
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