This Is The Safest Way To Clean Under Your MacBook Keyboard

Whether you're using the Apple MacBook Pro M2 Max or another model, your MacBook is an investment, and you want to keep it in tip-top condition for as long as possible. When it comes to the maintenance to-do list for your MacBook, though, cleaning under its keyboard may not be the first thing that comes to mind. 

If you have a brand-new MacBook Air M3, you'll probably be able to get away without giving its keyboard a thorough cleaning for at least a few months, maybe more. However, if you've been tapping away at your MacBook keyboard for more than a year or so, you should consider cleaning it. If you're like most people, crumbs and dust will find their way over time into the many small crevices and hard-to-reach spots on your MacBook keyboard, making cleaning it a must. 

While giving your MacBook keyboard a good cleaning may seem easy enough, you want to make sure you're doing it the right way. That's because using the wrong products or techniques could do more harm than good. The same is true if you're cleaning the ports on your Mac or other components. The good news is, you won't have to invest in a lot of materials to clean under your MacBook keyboard. In fact, all you need is a can of compressed air with an attached straw. Once you've finished, your keyboard will be free of grime, and if you're dealing with unresponsive keys, they should be unstuck, too.

Before you get started, you'll want to buy that can of compressed air, which you can easily find on Amazon or a store like Best Buy. As you go through the steps to clean under your keyboard, keep the compressed-air can upright and use the included straw to control airflow. The straw should be kept about half an inch away from the keyboard while cleaning the keyboard.

Follow these steps to safely clean under your MacBook keyboard: 

1. Hold your MacBook at a 75-degree angle to avoid trapping debris inside.
2. Spray the keyboard from left to right using compressed air.
3. Rotate the MacBook to the left side and repeat the process of spraying the keyboard from left to right.
4. Rotate the Macbook to the right side and once again spray the keyboard from left to right.

When you rotate your MacBook to the right and left, focus on cleaning only that half of the keyboard (that is, the left side of the keyboard when you rotate it left, the right side when you rotate it right). Use the compressed air in a consistent zig-zag (left-to-right) motion to make sure you reach all angles and thoroughly clean the hard-to-reach spots under the keys.