Washing keycaps in the washing machine

[Half-Saint]

Just to let everyone know, I found out this method works surprisingly well on Cherry double-shots and dye subs!

I put all the keys inside a small mesh zippered laundry bag and put them in the washing machine with the clothes. Wash at 40C with reduced spinning and you get wonderfully clean caps. Just cleaned a set of german Cherry DS caps this way. They were dirty as hell but turned out like new.

[ripster]

Did you try the dryer? Just curious since 7bit recommends his high tech oven.

[rknize]

Nice idea. Warm, soapy water did the trick for mine, but they weren't that bad.

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

I used a sink of hot water and a handful of denture-cleaning tablets with great success today. The keys went in filthy and came out completely clean an hour later with no further work required.

[didja]

The only downside is you have someone else's pubes in your washer now.

[TexasFlood]

The only downside is you have someone else's pubes in your washer now.

Better than on your fingers. After a good bleach run, all traces removed, completely gone, like StevieWonder2 or SonOfRipster...

[ripster]

But not Ripster. Damn wikis.

[Half-Saint]

Did you try the dryer? Just curious since 7bit recommends his high tech oven.

Nah, just hang them out to dry in the laundry bag for a day.

[mintberryminuscrunch]

Don't they get scratches in the wm?

[Charlie_Brown_MX]

Don't they get scratches in the wm?

I presume the linen bag protects them from that, mostly, but they could get scratched by rubbing up against one another during the spin cycle. The denture-cleaning tabs don’t cause the caps to move very much, so reduce the likelihood of them being scratched.

[CeeSA]

i always use the washing machine for keycap cleaning. 60C is also fine for me.

[Icarium]

Have you washed ABS caps at 60 degrees, too?

[kint]

i always use the washing machine for keycap cleaning. 60C is also fine for me.

+1. I usually soak them for 1 day in dishwashing water before, then divide them at ~50 keys per sock for the mashine.
Since I don't care about scratchy keys, i never bothered, but ymmv.

[ripster]

The only downside is you have someone else's pubes in your washer now.

This is a goal I strive for.

I use my DataVac to dry keys if in a hurry. Like a low low heat hair dryer since only heat is from the motor as it gets hot. Put them in a laundry bag or prepare to have keys flying everywhere.

http://geekhack.org/showthread.php?3119 ... w-Job-Time!

[andrewjoy]

I have never used my datavac to dry keycaps for some reason.

I have used it to dry myself

[ripster]

I believe that is called autoeroticaerofapping.

Just don't get anything caught in the intake port.

[Half-Saint]

FYI, keys do not get scratched.

[maxrunner]

need to try this

[Half-Saint]

How did it go?

[maxrunner]

Sorry i've yet do it, i need to get some of that type of bags for small clothes like the small mesh zippered laundry bag you seemed to have used. ill try 40c too, i'll keep posted.

[kint]

just skip the fancy stuff any large sock will do !

[maxrunner]

really i haven't though about that, but how do you avoid the sock to open

[kint]

make a knot ? on the open end you have to ofc.

[maxrunner]

well im always afraid that because of the water that the knot will open lol

[maxrunner]

Gonna try this today, found a bag to put the keys in.

[maxrunner]

Seems this has worked nicely. Just washed the ibm keycaps, and now there's a new session going on with both alps and acer caps

[maxrunner]

Seems the acer caps are of low quality, the printing seems it has been afected.

[Half-Saint]

Pad printed? Not surprised...

Was everything but the pad printed caps! also, 40C is max I'd expose my caps to..

[andrewjoy]

I still prefer dishwashing powder and a good rinse in cold water afterwards, i sometimes even used anti bacterial spray first if they are extra nasty caps

[agor]

Because CeeSA gave me this tip, I also wash all my keys in the washing machine. Works out pretty well imo