The Apple Laptop Keyboard of your laptop can get quiet dirty over the years. Many times when keys begin to stick or don't want to push down all the way, it is because of the dirt that has accumulated underneath the keys. The only way to fix the problem when this begins to happen is to take the time to properly clean your keyboard. On an Apple laptop, especially the older models that don't have space between the keys, you may find it tricky to clean the keyboard. Here's a guide on how you can clean your Apple Laptop Keyboard to prolong the life of the computer and keep it looking nice. Removing the Keys * 1
Take a picture of the keyboard so that you will know where each of the keys go before you begin to remove them. * 2
Lift each key from the middle of the bottom with a metal nail file or another object with a sturdy thin tip until the bottom part of the key "pops" off of the Apple Laptop Keyboard. You will need to slide the object forward as you lift the key to remove the key from the keyboard. What you are trying to do is slide the tip of the nail file between the bottom of the key itself and the little plastic piece that is holding it in place. You can also use a thin pair of tweezers to remove the keys on my keyboard. The first key maybe tricky because you can't really see what you are working with, but once you figure out how the keys are attached to the keyboard, the rest of the keys will be easy. Remember to be gentle as you don't want to break anything. * 3
Tilt the key upward and back until the top portion of the key "pops" loose; the key should now be completely free from the Apple Laptop Keyboard. Do this slowly and gently so that you don't break any of the fragile plastic pieces. * 4
Set the keys in a bowl of warm soapy water. Mild dish soap should work just fine. * 5
Wash each key individual with a sponge once all the keys are removed. Make sure that you wash both the tops and the bottoms of the keys. If you find that the sponge is too big then you can use a cotton swab to scrub the keys individually. * 6
Set the keys out on a towel to dry once they have been washed. This will allow them time to dry while you clean the part of the keyboard underneath the keys. Cleaning the Area Under the Keys * 1
Start by using a vacuum with a hose or a special computer vacuum to remove the large pieces of debris from the keyboard. If you don't have a vacuum with a hose, then you can use canned air that can be purchased at an office supply store. If you use canned air, just make sure that you are blowing the debris away from the Apple Laptop Keyboard rather than down in little crevices. * 2
Use cotton swabs to clean the space between where each key will go once you have gotten rid of the larger pieces of debris. Cotton swabs are great for scrubbing the gunk off your the keyboard once all the keys are removed. If there is a considerable amount of gunk then you may want to start with the edge of a folded piece of paper towel before you start using swabs, otherwise you will go through quite a few. * 3
Remove the plastic pieces that hold the keys in place if you feel that you need to and soak those in warm soapy water as well. For an average clean, it's usually not necessary to remove the little plastic pieces because you can sufficiently clean the keyboard without this step. However, if you need to, you can remove those pieces and wash them in soapy water just as you did the keys. If you do this, just make sure that they are completely dry before you put them back on the keyboard. * 4
Pick up the laptop with the screen open and gently shake loose any debris that may have fallen in the crevices below the keys. Replacing the Keys on the Keyboard * 1
Refer to the picture that you took of your laptop before you removed the keys, if you can't remember what keys go where. * 2
Slide the key down onto the plastic piece that holds it and then push down on all four corners, starting with the top corners, until the key is snapped back in place. Make sure that if you removed the plastic part that holds the key that you put this part back on before you try to replace the keys. * 3
Slide the little metal pieces into place before snapping on the bigger keys. Certain keys like the space bar, enter, tab and delete have little metal pieces that need to be slid into a little loop before you snap them back in place. * 4
Look over the Apple Laptop Keyboard once all the keys have been replaced to see if any corners are sticking up. If there are corners sticking up gently push them down to snap them into place. * 5
Open a word processing document and test each key to make sure that it is attached correctly and working properly.
Tips & Warnings
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Keep the warm soapy water away from the laptop to prevent any accidents from permanently damaging the computer.