Just tapped a bunch of dust, grit, and I-don't-know-what from my keyboard

[RAMd®d]

it's a regular CSI bonanza !

I justs threw up in my mouth, a little.

Silicone keyboard covers for safe computing, here.

[hal]

Todd's keyboard has it's own keyboard?

[OWC Jamie]

Take all the keys off. Put in dishwasher basket, the kind with a lid that can snap on it so they don't get blown out. Run the cycle and then tear the entire keyboard apart, air compressor out, paintbrush, etc.....

Once every couple years is fine for me on that routine. But I keep my keyboards for a LONG time. And have a LOT of experience rebuilding Apple Extended Keyboard IIs for OWC Larry.

[Don C]

"Take all the keys off."

I'm thinking that a spare keyboard or at least a photo before doing this would be a really good idea. I can type on QWERTY just fine, but reinstalling the keys correctly is a test I don't want to take!

[M>B>]

I would take it outside, turn it upside down and blow it out with a air compressor. Always amazed how much ¢rap comes out. Then scrub the keyboard with a damp wipe to get the finger grunge off.

If you remove the keys get a key puller!

[eustacetilley]

I am the "Peanuts" Pigpen of keyboards. Dust and grime follows me in a happy cloud, and they happily transfer themselves to my keyboards.
Some keyboards have hairs trapped beneath, mine have hairballs.
Once, during a short and violent inverted percussive maintenance event, a very small ball bearing popped out. There were no ball bearings in the original design.

Once, at work, I was given a Microsoft keyboard, and it was a very good keyboard. But after a while, it needed some care. So I inverted, and tapped mightily, and I then went after the keys with Q-tips and ethanol. They ended up very clean, and totally devoid of any lettering.
Don't blame the ethanol; body chemistry, and a cloud of grime, had already done the crime.

This has been fun, folks. Keep the stories coming.