Does anyone else use cling film/saran wrap on their keyboard?

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I started wrapping cling film round my keyboard after I read about someone accidently squirting orange juice on theirs and ruining the keyboard. Other people have had problems after crumbs have got lodged in the keys, and the letters can eventually fade after constant use. There was also an article about the amount of bacteria found on keyboards, so if you share one it might be a good idea to wrap it and regularly renew it. 

[Post-Crisis D]

If your keyboard is part of a laptop, I wouldn't do it.  I would think that would help seal in the heat and pose a problem for the longevity of the keyboard.

As for regular keyboards, I think an actual keyboard cover would probably be best.

If you do spill something on your keyboard, assuming it's a modern USB device that can be unplugged without shutting the computer down first, unplug the keyboard right away.  If it is wireless, remove the batteries.  Turn it upside-down over paper towels and let the liquid come out.  For best results, disassemble the keyboard and wash the parts.  For the actual board, wash with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol.  If you spilled soda, coffee, juice or anything that might be sticky, give it a good rinse.  Check the keys to make sure any residue is gone.  Let dry thoroughly before attempting to use it again.

My father has a habit of spilling coffee on his keyboards.  I've saved a number of them.  But, also, some have been cheap and haven't recovered.  Fortunately, he's not ruined the temporary keyboards I've given him during drying periods.

[Cobbah]

I'm lucky, I sell enough books to allow me the opportunity to buy a new one, they're only $5-$10. 

[TimothyEllis]

I'm lucky, I sell enough books to allow me the opportunity to buy a new one, they're only $5-$10. 

I spend more than that on mine, being Logitech bluetooth with a mouse. And not those generic mac things either.

I tend to replace mine about every year or so.

Mainly because some of the keys have the letter worn off them.

Over time, I think I only once replaced one for spilling coke all over it. Cleaning it didn't work. But that was back in the 80's sometime. I learned the hard way not to spill drinks on keyboards.

I have taken some apart at times to clean dust and cat fur out of them though.

I did a purge of old keyboards earlier this year. I found eight of them stored away just in case I needed an emergency replacement.

And having recently just replaced 2 of them, those 2 are now the emergency replacements.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

If your keyboard is part of a laptop, I wouldn't do it.  I would think that would help seal in the heat and pose a problem for the longevity of the keyboard.

As for regular keyboards, I think an actual keyboard cover would probably be best.

If you do spill something on your keyboard, assuming it's a modern USB device that can be unplugged without shutting the computer down first, unplug the keyboard right away.  If it is wireless, remove the batteries.  Turn it upside-down over paper towels and let the liquid come out.  For best results, disassemble the keyboard and wash the parts.  For the actual board, wash with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol.  If you spilled soda, coffee, juice or anything that might be sticky, give it a good rinse.  Check the keys to make sure any residue is gone.  Let dry thoroughly before attempting to use it again.

My father has a habit of spilling coffee on his keyboards.  I've saved a number of them.  But, also, some have been cheap and haven't recovered.  Fortunately, he's not ruined the temporary keyboards I've given him during drying periods.

Thanks for the info.
My keyboard is a desktop and I just wrap the cling film over the top, not round the entire keyboard. I've been doing it for about 15 years. But I still place any liquid on a separate table - just in case. The letters had faded so I made new ones with that tape I've forgotten the name of  The letters have a yellow background with black type and are bigger than the usual ones, so are very easy to see. 
I also wrap cling film round my TV and other remotes. It keeps them looking like new, and the dreaded bacteria and viruses at bay. 

[LilyBLily]

I discovered I could buy stick-on key replacements online. Interesting that the "n" and "m" gave out long before the "a" and "o." I'll have to hunt up the package and do more replacing. 

[TimothyEllis]

Interesting that the "n" and "m" gave out long before the "a" and "o."

For me it's a and e.

Never worn out an n or m. Or an o.

I notice my current keyboard is already missing part of the a.

[alhawke]

I just got a new laptop after 5 years use. The "d", "j" and "shift" key stopped working well. It still worked, but I had to hammer it down with a finger while typing, which is really annoying. The impressive thing is it was a Mac that withstood like two to three hours a day of writing for five years.

I wash the keys down daily with a moist towel. I'm out a lot, constantly eating, while writing. And, yeah, nasties get stuck in the keys even still.

[Post-Crisis D]

The keyboard on my original PowerBook is almost thirty years old.  It still works.  The computer doesn't, but if it did, the keyboard is fine.  That was in daily use for maybe ten years and then occasionally after that.

The next had probably thirteen years of daily use.  The computer and keyboard still work and they're about twenty-seven years old now.

After that is a MacBook Pro.  Fifteen years of daily use.  It's on its second display and logic board, but the keyboard still works fine.  The letters "a" and "n" are worn off but still work.

If you want to go way back, I've got an Apple IIe that's about thirty-seven years old and the keyboard still works.

[TimothyEllis]

If you want to go way back, I've got an Apple IIe that's about thirty-seven years old and the keyboard still works.

My II original never survived my transition to 286. I just never looked back after my first custom built PC. I still have a working XP computer though.

But I recently threw out all the floppy disks from previous versions I'd been dragging around for years.

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

I've also had my keyboard for about 20 years. When I bought a new computer the keyboard that came with it was useless compared to this one as it has all sorts of useful features (some that I've never even used  ) My favourite is the calculator key 

[Matthew]

Using a keyboard cover (or cling film) will certainly keep things cleaner, but in my opinion it's not pretty to look at and affects the feeling of the keys to where there's no way I would do it.

My solution for avoid spills / crumbs in the keyboard is to not eat or drink near the keyboard   

I really don't need the lettering on the keys. In fact, my current keyboard has no letters on it at all (by choice!). That said, cheap keyboards use printed-on lettering that wears out over time. It's inevitable.

One solution to avoid fading keys is to buy a keyboard with so-called double shot keys. The lettering itself will be made of plastic inserted into the keys, so that as you wear down the keys with use, there's still more and more plastic. Unfortunately, these are mostly found on mechanical keyboards and premium models, so they will cost a bit more. (This is also typically done to allow LED lighting beneath the keys to shine through). You can find a longer explanation and some photos on this website, for example: https://keebnews.com/what-are-doubleshot-keycaps/

[Cobbah]

My solution for avoid spills / crumbs in the keyboard is to not eat or drink near the keyboard   

 

[Jan Hurst-Nicholson]

Using a keyboard cover (or cling film) will certainly keep things cleaner, but in my opinion it's not pretty to look at and affects the feeling of the keys to where there's no way I would do it.

If you stretch the cling film over the keyboard you can't really see it, and I don't find it affects the feel of the keys at all. It also keeps out the dust (and cat hairs if you have a cat that enjoys lazing in front of the computer monitor  ) 

[LilyBLily]

My solution for avoid spills / crumbs in the keyboard is to not eat or drink near the keyboard   

 

Mine, too. After a disastrous event involving cherry pie and just-shampooed wall-to-wall carpet, I issued an edict (or was it a fiat?): no food, no drink, no exceptions, anywhere but the designated eating areas of kitchen, dining room, and porch or deck. The coffee table in the living room is also a no-food area except when there's a party. This has saved me untold angst over several decades.

Do I occasionally break the rule and bring a water bottle to my home office? Yes, but I don't put it on the computer desk. The bottle sits on a windowsill that is lower than the computer desk or on the floor. If there is an opportunity to spill something, I will spill it.