Your keyboard, earbuds and phone are some of the most-touched things you own, and they collect dust, crumbs and skin oil fast. A dirty charging port can stop your phone from charging properly, clogged earbud mesh makes music sound quieter, and a grimy keyboard just isn't nice to use.
The good news: cleaning them takes about 15 minutes with the right tools. Here's how to clean a keyboard, earbuds, charging ports and screens without damaging anything.
Before you start
- Power off and unplug everything you're about to clean. Take earbuds out of their case.
- Never spray liquid directly onto a device. Spray the cloth instead.
- Skip the household cleaners. Bleach, ammonia and glass cleaner can damage screen coatings and plastic. Isopropyl alcohol (70% or higher) on a cloth or swab is the go-to for electronics.
- Keep sharp metal away from ports and mesh. Pins, needles and paper clips scratch contacts and push dirt in further.
What you need
You can piece it together from things at home, but a dedicated electronics cleaning kit puts the right tool for each job in one place:
- A soft brush and a stiffer brush for keyboards
- A keycap puller (and a switch puller if your keyboard is hot-swappable)
- Small soft brushes and a sponge or pen tip for earbuds and their case
- Port cleaners for USB-C and Lightning
- A microfiber cloth and screen spray
Our 32-in-1 Cleaning Kit packs all of this into a pop-up storage tower, and the Keyboard Wrist Rest with 22-in-1 Cleaning Kit hides the tools inside a keyboard wrist rest, so they stay on your desk where you need them.
How to clean a keyboard
- Unplug it and turn it upside down. Tap it gently over a trash can to shake out crumbs.
- Brush between the keys. Work row by row with a stiff brush to loosen dust, then sweep it out.
- Pull the keycaps for a deep clean. Take a photo of the layout first, then use a keycap puller to lift them straight up. On a mechanical keyboard this exposes all the dust underneath.
- Wash the keycaps. Soak them in warm water with a drop of dish soap, rinse, and let them dry completely, ideally overnight, before putting them back.
- Clean the plate. Brush the area under the keycaps and wipe it with a cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol.
- Wipe the surfaces. Finish with a damp microfiber cloth on the case and keycaps.
Only remove switches on hot-swap keyboards. A switch puller is for keyboards whose switches are designed to be pulled out. On a soldered keyboard, pulling a switch breaks it.
Laptop keyboards are different: don't try to pull the keys. Brush between them, then wipe the tops with a barely damp cloth.
This works for macro pads too. If you're new to them, here's what a macro keypad is and how to use one.
How to clean earbuds and the charging case
- Brush the speaker mesh with a small, dry, soft brush. Hold the earbud with the mesh facing down so the dirt falls out instead of in.
- Lift out stubborn wax carefully with a soft pen tip or a dry cotton swab. Don't push hard and don't use anything sharp.
- Clean the ear tips. Silicone tips can come off and be rinsed in water. Let them dry completely before putting them back.
- Clean the case. Use a soft brush or a dry sponge tip on the charging contacts and in the corners where dust collects. A slightly damp cloth with alcohol works for the outside.
Don't run earbuds under the tap and don't use liquid in the mesh, even if they're water-resistant.
How to clean a phone charging port
If your cable feels loose or your phone only charges at a certain angle, there's a good chance lint is packed into the bottom of the port.
- Turn off the phone and shine a light into the port to see what's in there.
- Loosen the lint gently with a port cleaner made for USB-C or Lightning, a soft brush or a wooden toothpick. Scrape lightly along the bottom and pull the dirt out, don't push it in.
- Brush out the rest and check again with the light.
- Clean the cable plug too. A dirty connector brings lint straight back.
Speaker grilles and microphone holes get the same treatment: a dry, soft brush, gently.
How to clean screens and camera lenses
- Screens: spray screen cleaner onto a microfiber cloth, not the screen, and wipe in straight lines. Use a dry part of the cloth to finish.
- Camera lenses: blow or brush off grit first so it doesn't scratch, then wipe gently with a lens wipe or clean microfiber.
- Monitors and laptop screens: same as phones, with extra care. Matte coatings scratch easily, so no paper towels.
How often should you clean?
| What | Quick clean | Deep clean |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard | Weekly brush and wipe | Every 1–3 months, keycaps off |
| Earbuds and case | Weekly dry brush | Monthly |
| Phone ports | When charging gets unreliable | Every few months |
| Screens | Whenever they're smudged | Weekly |
The easiest way to stick to it is to keep your tools where you work. That's exactly why we like the wrist rest with a built-in cleaning kit: it's on the desk anyway, and the tools are one magnetic lid away.
Quick answers
Can I use compressed air on a keyboard?
Yes, short bursts with the can held upright work well for keyboards. Avoid blowing compressed air into earbud mesh or phone ports, where it can push dirt deeper.
Is isopropyl alcohol safe for electronics?
On a cloth or swab, yes. 70% or higher evaporates quickly. Never pour it onto a device or soak anything that has electronics inside.
What's the difference between a 32-in-1 and a 22-in-1 cleaning kit?
Our 32-in-1 kit comes in a compact pop-up storage tower with slots for SD, SIM and game cards. The 22-in-1 kit is built into a keyboard wrist rest, so it doubles as a comfortable spot for your hands.
