Ultra Dirty Keyboard - Keys to Cleansing Yourself

Cleansing Oneself Regularly

(this really does give instructions on cleaning a Mac Keyboard!)

CLICKING THE TITLE LINK GIVES REAL INSTRUCTIONS TO CLEANING KEYBOARDS!

today i am on vacation. i sat at my desk looking down at my mac keyboard wondering why the bottom row of keys were sticking. in fact many keys were giving my taps trouble. upon close examination, i noticed grime, grit and dirty keys. the left shift key was smudged and barely legible, as were the esc, tab and right enter key. The number pad was dusty, and the space bar looked like it had waves of dirt going in two thumb directions. ok, so this is my mac. no one else uses it. all this grime came from me. i have owned this for 3 years and didn't notice the poor condition of my keyboard even though i use it everyday. i am no tidy freak but i do like things clean. CLEARLY this blaringly dirty tool was telling me it needed attention.

LEARNING THE PROCESSS

i turned it upside down and shook it several times. with all the crumbs, i could have baked a cupcake.. I know it was bakery goods, cause i like to eat cookies while working. that took care of the crumbs between the keys. i looked, there weren't screws on the back to take it apart. hmmmm. what to do to clean this board? GOOGLE it: how to clean mac keyboard. Amazing, there are dozens of references to clean the clear keyboard that shows all dirt and spills. YES! Step by step instrux on how to get this filthy board clean again. FIRST UNPLUG the keyboard. it's a given.

I carefully removed each and every key placing them in a pattern to keep the order. what that revealed was even more hidden dirt, grime, hair (both doggie hair, my own ---Yuck! ) With a slight gag i realized my day would be spent cleaning up this very used thought artistic, utilitarian tool of mine that had been so neglected. i soaked the keys in a mild soapy water in groups of three: 1. number keypad 2. arrows, and function keys and 3. the main QWERTY keys. i scrubbed each one with a toothbrush and laid them out to dry on the paper towel. 

At first it was a daunting task to see all the grime underneath, then having to clean all the small spaces, wipe it down and wait till things are dry. Lights came on and I knew I needed to write about this. Knowing it would take awhile to dry, i took my MacBook Pro to the coffee shop while the G5 Mac keys dried.

WHY CLEAN IS NICE

You may wonder why I write about a dirty keyboard on an addiction blog. this entire process made me think about how in life we work and work, days upon end, without a thought to the maintenance, cleansing and rebuilds of our own personhood. why i am not sure. i guess we all believe that things will take care of themselves. perhaps somethings do just that. other times it piles up. our personal grit, grime and smudge are the things we do wrong that never find resolve can build up like the dirt on the keys. infractions, broken rules, sins against others all cloud and clog ones mind. some just buy new keyboards, other throw them in the dishwasher. some take it apart piece by piece cleaning it all methodically as a reminder not to let things get so bad.

KEYBOARD AS MINDSET

i sort of thought about the keyboard as our mindset, thought life and even our words. without observing what we think and say as well as what we appear like to others it could get to looking as filthy as neglected keyboards. Thank goodness no one saw mine the way I did today. More grateful than no one seeing it is the fact that I SAW IT. I saw, then took action to make it clean and functional again. this is truth for all to realize. unfortunately most ignore the pain, the dirt, the grime, the wounds putting Band-Aids over gaping wounds... is this the root of addiction? i don't know. certainly denial that my keyboard is in need of attention wouldn't have given me a totally fresh and new board without the need to buy a new one. i learned a lot today. 

FRESH & NEW

I imagine all my clean keys replaced back in their seats, ready to type and express the thoughts, art, words as well as functioning as a vehicle, a connection to the world. Perhaps, CLEANSING is something to practice all the time in my thought patterns, word-scape and attitudes. It's certainly worth practicing on a regular basis. 

Clean is good thing. Now before I even work on my mac, hands will be washed and food kept at bay, at least for while. Until i fall into the laziness of forgetting the ritual of cleansing...it's a lifelong process. there are reminders everywhere. Or maybe I'll re-read this post and save myself the trouble!

Meanwhile, the keys are all in place. It's worth all the work to have sparkling, clean keys that work again.

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