Add a removable bottom to keyboards so that crumbs, skin flakes, and associated detritus can be removed easily without having to disassemble anything. The actual keys would be supported on a lattice gridwork that lets the icky stuff right through to the bottom.
-- egnor, Apr 21 2001

I find that people always knock the tray, and so the crumbs go every where, and besides it is difficult to master the flat tray anyway, so you'll just get in worse a mess. Why don't you just use the soft nosel on your hoover, or a dustbuster.
-- [ sctld ], Apr 21 2001


The tray would be sealed into the keyboard until the latch was opened for cleaning.

I find vacuum cleaners don't do a very good job cleaning keyboards, though perhaps mileage varies with different keyboards and vacuum cleaners. Those little specialized keyboard vacuum cleaners are particularly worthless.
-- egnor, Apr 21 2001


I'd go for this, egnor. In a way it's too bad keyboards are so sturdy--the switch-and-circuit part of their technology (as compared to novel shapes and layouts) seems stagnant. At this point standard keyboards should be using sealed membrane contacts and a moisture-protected circuit board so you could spill a cup of coffee in the keys and then rinse it out without ruining anything.

But yes, fer Gawd's sake let me empty the crumbs and dog hair.
-- Dog Ed, Apr 21 2001


That seems implausible. How can doing anything to your keyboard (other than typing rm -rf or format or something) affect files stored on the hard disk?
-- jutta, May 09 2001


Many electronic devices, including some keyboards, can be run through a dishwasher (without detergent!) without harm. Let it dry thoroughly before plugging it back in. Of course, some keyboards would probably be ruined by this treatment.

As for keyboard technology, there have been Hall-effect keyboards --- each key has a magnet and a spring; the electronics (containing a hall-effect sensor for each key) is completely sealed away. I hear that they were in fact very reliable and easy to clean. Probably more expensive than mechanical-switch-based keyboards.
-- wiml, May 09 2001


I spilled apple juice on my keyboard once, about a year ago, its the same keyboard I'm using right now, I took the keys off though and boy it was not a pretty sight, what would really be half-baked is a little tube coming from the keyboard that went into a gar for that drink that you spilled
-- Half-Life, Sep 03 2002


...for that apple juice & dust & bread crumbs drink we all love so well?
-- Cedar Park, Jan 05 2003


Ethan Hawke's character in "Gattaca" could have used one of these.
-- krelnik, Oct 07 2003


Shop air. A little spray-n-wipe and a brush does the trick. Then blast the whole thing with a high-pressure air nozzle. Outdoors.
-- Amos Kito, Oct 07 2003


+
-- Zimmy, Sep 26 2006


//Shop air. A little spray-n-wipe and a brush does the trick.// A keyboard with a container of pressurized air pre-installed. For express cleaning. Tiny nozzles at intersections of three or more keys, blowing outwards. And once every several cleanings you take the keyboard to the store (or the nearest gas station) for a refill of compressed air. Outdoor use only. And the air trigger would have to be placed somewhere noone would accidentally press. (On the other hand, having a key combination for that would also be fun. I'm thinking Ctrl+Alt+Insert. Sooo easy to accidentally press in a fit of rage while trying for Ctrl+Alt+Del. Hilarity ensues.)
-- Veho, Sep 26 2006



random, halfbakery