If you've recently found that your MacBook keys are hard to press and don't work smoothly when typing, you may have sticky keys.

A spilled drink, food crumbs, or just plain dust might be the cause, but don't worry: there are three things you can do to fix it today.

What Are Sticky Keys?

If you've ever eaten food at your desk, or drunk coffee next to your laptop, then chances are you've spilled something on your keyboard. Even if you wipe it off straight away, it might leave a sticky residue on your keys. You will know if this has happened if your keys feel crunchy or spongy when you press down on them, making it incredibly frustrating to type smoothly.

There is also a Windows sticky key function that you might know about, but that's not what we are talking about here.

Related Link: How to Clean Your Mac's Screen

Additionally, you might have heard about Apple's replacement keyboard program. This deals with a separate hardware issue that causes keyboard letters to repeat or not appear at all. If you suspect that's your problem, you can head to the Apple website to see if you qualify.

However, if you know that your keyboard has a build-up of dirt, crumbs, or grime, and you want to know how to clean sticky keyboard keys, you're in the right place.

How to Fix Sticky Keys

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If you want to know how to clean a sticky keyboard with the least amount of effort, start by cleaning around each affected key with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol. You might find that removing any surface-level crumbs or dirt will quickly solve your sticky keyboard problem with the least amount of effort.

1. Completely turn off your MacBook.

2. Use a toothpick to remove any large pieces of dirt from around the keycap.

3. Dip a cotton swab into the rubbing alcohol.

4. Use the cotton swab to wipe around the affected key.

5. Test your keys.

Another relatively easy method is to clean your keyboard's sticky keys using compressed air to blow out any debris, dust, or crumbs.

1. Completely turn off your MacBook.

2. Position your MacBook vertically.

3. Spray the keys with compressed air.

4. Rotate the MacBook to the right and repeat step 3.

5. Rotate the MacBook to the left and repeat step 3.

6. Test your keys.

If cleaning around the surface of the keys doesn't fix the sticky keys, you might need to clean under the keycaps themselves. However, proceed with caution: it's extremely easy to break the key mechanism when trying to remove keys on a MacBook.

Later MacBook Pros with butterfly key switches are especially notorious for being fragile and easy to damage. Earlier MacBook models use a scissor-switch mechanism, which is a little more sturdy but still requires a careful approach.

Either way, consider your skill level before charging ahead. Read through all the steps first and if you don't feel confident following these instructions, you could try asking a friend to help you instead.

1. Completely turn off your MacBook.

2. Find out what type of keyboard you have.

3. Use the spudger tool to lift one key corner.

4. Slowly move the spudger sideways till you hear a second click.

5. Carefully unhook the keycap.

6. Place the keycaps in a bowl with soapy water.

7. Clean underneath the keycap.

8. Clean the keycaps soaking in water.

9. Replace the keycap.

10. Test your keys.

No More Sticky MacBook Keys

By the end of this guide, you should know exactly how to clean sticky keyboard keys on your MacBook. With a little care, these methods can be done at home with cheap and easy-to-get tools.

In the future, we should all aim to do some regular light cleaning to keep our keyboards from building up dirt. But if not, don't worry: you can always refer back here if you need to get under your keycaps for a deep clean.

How to Clean Your Dirty MacBook Read NextShareTweetShareEmail Related TopicsAbout The AuthorGarling Wu(39 Articles Published)

Garling loves exploring creative uses for technology. With a background in music, she spent many years hacking computers to make weird and wonderful sounds. When not making music, she writes about the best DIY electronic projects.

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