Want tips on cleaning up keyboard keys/mouse rollers

[FS]

My last keyboard is covered in a disgusting brown layer of accumulated hand filth and body grease... at least I HOPE that's what it is. Point is, I've read that keyboards are among the most filth-infested objects we interact with in daily life save for maybe money, and my new keyboard is starting to show the earliest signs of crud growing on the keys.

Does anyone know of an effective way of cleaning your keyboard? I'd prefer not to have to take it apart, by the way.

And while we're at it, any handy tips on cleaning the rollers in your mouse? The best way I've managed to keep them clean is just taking out the ball and scratching off the dust caking the rollers with my fingernails.

[AChimp]

Q-Tips and rubbing alcohol work good for cleaning the gunk and preventing it's return for a little while.

Shake your keyboard upside down to clean out crumbs. Taking it apart also helps. Not entirely apart, mind you. Just the plastic casing. I didn't take my old keyboard apart for 12 years, and there were hairballs inside it.

Best way to fix the mouse lint is to get an optical mouse. :(

[ArrowX]

someone told me to use milk on a cotton swab but don't do that. Teh alcohol think is probably the best way to go

[liquidstatik]

teh alcohol think

[Alive]

Windex, paper towels/rag and q-tips is what i use to clean about everything external with my comps. that compressed gas/air in a can for internal. optical mice are the way to go since you dont have to mess with rollers and the ball all the time, more accurate too. using milk? if anything that will excellerate a very nasty and odorous build of crud and discoloration that will only lead to people thinking you wank all the time...(ironicly half of his clean-up problem more than likely is wank lol)

[Anonymous]

lol! let's be serious, though!!! :lol

For ball-mice, I generally use a pencil eraser to get the caked-on crap off the rollers, then maybe go over it with q-tips and alcohol if you're really picky (this is what most professional clean-up jobs will do, too). AChimp's right about removing the plastic case from the keyboard (it splits into two halves) and getting the crap out that way.

I do highly recommend you get an optical mouse, though.

[FS]

Thanks.