Advice on cleaning MacBook's keyboard

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Hi, I'm T-mad and I have a problem with my keyboard. It's disgustingly filthy on the inside.

Now don't go and tell me to use one of those compressed air cans, because I've already tried that more than 3 times and it doesn't get rid of any of the crumbs, etc. that are in there.

I know some of you are gonna say that I shouldn't have gotten it dirty in the first place by either being ultra cautious or by buying a keyboard cover. The problems are 1. I'm a hungry (not fat) high school student and 2. I have no money to buy anything right now.

This is no easy job, since all the keys don't come off at once. I have to take each one off separately, and I've already broken two while trying to get them off.

Throw your Mum on to it and laugh!! !

Finally! something I can help out with. I've been through this before and it's actually easier then most people think. What you want to do is get a soft cloth, and dab it in some lighter fluid. Wipe this across the keys of your Mac and then set it alight. Now throw the flaming piece of crap in the garbage. Mac's suck.

Hope that helps.

With careful manipulation of a screwdriver you can often remove keys from keyboards. Remove a few and then hoover it out. Don't waste compressed air on it - you won't damage a keyboard with static.

Put it in the washing machine and then blow it up!

Turn it upside and give it the spanking it deserves.

You can also use a bit of thin but rigid cardboard or plastic and slide it between the keys to dislodge crumbs etc. Stand the keyboard on its front edge and shake it a bit and then turn it upside down and pat it firmly on the back to dislodge other gunk. You'll probably be surprised how much stuff will come out. If it's really bad, repeat the steps a few times. If still no improvement, you might need to consider buying a new keyboard.

Laptop keyboards suck. You have to take off all the key covers and the little scissor lift things underneath them without breaking any, then re-assemble the whole lot properly after cleaning. It doesn't help that the keys on Macs are so firmly stuck on.

If you can disassemble the MB to get just the keyboard (ifixit.com has instructions), and can get enough isopropyl alcohol (doesn't damage electronics) to give it a good soak and rinse, that's the next best thing. Try the chemistry department.

UberUberUber and KindaRetarded, please leave this topic. You're not helping and am only making me feel worse.

Anyway, to answer each one of you...

DingoDv: Remove a few? The problem with the MacBook keyboard is that each key is separated by the laptop's outer casing, and in order to get under any one key I have to remove that one key.

Inventor: Tried it. Doesn't work.

Pandora: Hmm, never heard of the plastic idea. I'll try that if I feel adventurous enough to pry a key off again. Also, there's no way to buy a new keyboard. It's individual keys, not one unit.

polarity: True, true. But the problem is, with the part about ifixit.com, I don't have a MacBook Pro and can't just take the entire keyboard off at once.

dunk it in a fish tank and hang it up to dry

*note, use rubber glovees whenever using keyboard from time of cleaning onwards

I like the new MacBooks because the keys don't pop off. (I had an iBook before, the keys kept popping off and I couldn't reattach them.)

The new MacBook is a lot more sturdy, but cleaning under the keys is a challenge. I still haven't figured out how...Good luck, LOL.

WhiteRaven, please leave this topic. You're not helping anything at all and actually making me feel worse.