Unplggd: Crumbs on the Keyboard

Q: I know I’m not supposed to eat at the keyboard, but as Peter Cetera once crooned, it’s a hard habit to break. Without fail, my Macbook keyboard finds itself a catch-all receptacle for my breakfast, lunch and dinner morsels. Do you have a protective solution that protects both the keyboard and the good looks of my laptop?

I’m looking for a solution that won’t break the bank or make my laptop look like it’s covered by a dead jellyfish, like most of the clear rubbery covers look like. Help!

Sent by “Crumbs”

Editor - We have to admit we share the poor habit of eating while working on the computer (such is the life of someone who makes their living online), so your dilemma is one we can sympathize with. Traditional keyboard covers made of silicon offer protection from debris and liquids, but their tacky-sticky feel leaves us wanting for a better solution, especially since the silicone-style covers eventually warp and look sort of nasty after long term use and inbetween keyboard cleanings.

So if you want a cover with less tacky, smooth surface typing feel, you might want to check out these NewerTech NuGuard Keyboard Covers. They sell for $17.99 and come in red, pink, white and black, can be washed and reapplied over and over.

By Gregory Han

Unplggd: Clean that Keyboard

“My mom recently purchased an iMac — her first and only Apple product. She had a Dell laptop and was a little worried about a keyboard and mouse (they weren’t included in the purchase). She called to ask how much a keyboard and mouse would cost and I offered to send her our Apple white USB keyboard and mouse. There was only one problem..

We’ve had that white keyboard for over five years and it had been sitting in a box for quite some time (see my post about How Do You Discard Your Tech?). There was no way I was going to send my mother a dirty keyboard. Believe it or not, I’ve never cleaned a keyboard before so this was going to be my first time.

I turned to the internet and found some great suggestions. If I hadn’t promised to send it to her as soon as possible, I would have ordered the Cyber Clean Keyboard Cleaner. Instead, I turned to a video I found on YouTube and painstakingly removed each and every key, used a combination of Q-tips and mascara brushes to get that sucker back to its glory days.

If you’re in my position, instead of searching all over the internet — just reference these previous Unplggd posts:

• Cyber Clean Keyboard Cleaner
• How To: Clean Your Keyboard
• What Do You Do When Coffee Meets Computer Keyboard?
• Use a Mascara Brush to Clean Keyboards
• No More Crumbs with the Keyboard Napkin

Image from Leanda’s Flickr stream.

By Kristen Lubbe”