Michael Carnell

Question: What should I do with a keyboard when some keys seem to need an extra push? Is this it wear and tear or a cleaning issue?

Answer: It could easily be either simple wear and tear, or it may be that there is something stuck underneath the keys. If you turn the keyboard upside down over a trashcan, shake it, and beat on it gently, you may be surprised at the amount of hair, food particles, and other gunk that comes out. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you can often carefully pry the keys up and clean underneath them with something like hydrogen peroxide. The main requirement of the cleanser is that it is non-corrosive and doesn’t leave a residue.

For wear and tear situations or if all your cleaning fails to return your keyboard to normal performance, a regular replacement keyboard should only cost you about $20. This is not a bad investment at all for the major interface point between you and your computer.

Note: This is part of a column that originally appeared in The Daniel Island News in the weekly issue for November 18, 2009.