How to Clean Your Mac’s Keyboard
I’ll admit it: my MacBook’s keyboard has seen better days. I’ve been meaning to clean it for a long time, but I’ve always put it off because of how difficult it is for Apple to disable the keyboard altogether: whenever I turn off my MacBook, pressing literally any key turns it back on, not just the power button. This makes it difficult to clear, as accidentally pressing a key could cause unwanted behavior on my Mac. Luckily, there is a way to disable your MacBook’s keyboard so you can properly clean your laptop: it’s just not obvious.
Disabling MacBook Keyboard for Cleaning
Applerecommends turning off your MacBook before attempting to clean it. To keep it turned off, you need to use a few software tricks. Your MacBook comes with a hidden key combination to temporarily disable the keyboard, which I discovered thanks to Zsolt Behnke’s blog Decoded . Follow these steps to prevent your MacBook from turning on when you press any key:
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Press and hold the left Command key , left Control key , and right Shift key for seven seconds. Do not release them after this time.
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While pressing the other three keys, hold down the power button on your MacBook for another seven seconds until your MacBook turns off.
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Now try pressing any key except the Power button and you will notice that your MacBook won’t turn on. You can now safely clean your keyboard.
You should know that this method only works for one restart. If you turn off your MacBook again normally, it will boot using any key unless you use the method described above. In his blog, Behnke notes that they were unable to get this method to work on the MacBook Air M3, so you may not be able to use this trick on all MacBooks. However, it works fine on my MacBook Air M1.
There is also an alternative way to disable your MacBook’s keyboard. You can install an excellent (and free) utility called KeyboardCleanTool . The app does require access permissions to disable the keyboard, which can be a security concern, but the app is safe to use: it’s been around for over a decade and was created by the developer of the popular BetterTouchTool app that we’ve featured before .
\KeyboardCleanTool has one button that allows you to turn your MacBook keyboard on or off. If the keys no longer respond, you can use your MacBook’s trackpad or mouse to press the tool’s on/off button as needed.
How to Clean Your Mac’s Keyboard
Ideally, you should turn off your MacBook before cleaning its keyboard, or at least disable the keyboard using the app mentioned above. Either way, make sure your MacBook is not connected to a power source when you clean the keyboard. If you clean Apple wireless keyboards, be sure to turn off the device before cleaning. (If it has removable batteries, remove them before cleaning as well.) As for tools, you can use a lint-free cloth and compressed air to clean your keyboard.Apple recommends using a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75% ethyl alcohol wipe, or a disinfectant wipe for cleaning.
While you can lightly dampen the cloth to clean your Mac keyboard, you should use as little water as possible . If your cleaning tool is too wet, you risk damaging your keyboard and paying a significant amount for repair or replacement. Never use rough or metal tools for cleaning to avoid accidentally scratching the keyboard. When using disinfectant wipes, make sure the wipe is slightly damp, even if the chemical is Apple-approved for cleaning. Finally, be gentle. If you use abrasive materials or use excessive force when cleaning your keyboard, you can erase letters from the keys, dislodge keycaps, and have other unintended consequences. It’s easy to remove the keycaps on a MacBook, but you’ll have a hard time reattaching them properly, so it’s best to use less force when cleaning the keyboard.
When cleaning your keyboard, start by using a cloth to clean the keycaps and spaces between the keys. After the initial cleaning, you can move on to a can of compressed air to remove any debris that may be stuck. Lift the laptop and tilt it at a 75-degree angle, then apply compressed air directly to the affected area, moving from left to right,as Apple itself recommends . After this, you can use the cloth for another cleaning and then gently wipe it down with disinfectant wipes.
Once finished, wait for the sanitizer to evaporate. Make sure your keyboard is completely dry before using it again.