Here’s how to keep your keyboards and mice clean to have them perform at their best

We all have a snack or three at our desks at some point in our lives, it’s just efficient and easier, especially for those who work at home.  Obviously, this isn’t good for your mice and keyboards, and they need to perform at their peak, so we take care of them — well, we should.

Logitech recently found in a 2026 survey that more than half of respondents across four countries (including Australia) had prepared a meal while preparing for a meeting.  These habits are not good for your peripherals – crumbs, sauces, greasy mess – but according to Logitech, the damage can be stopped with a few simple steps.

It sounds simple to avoid, push the laptop or keyboard away before unwrapping your lunch, wipe your desk clean once you’ve finished eating and bring back your keyboard/mouse/laptop.

If it’s too late for that and your keyboard and mice have already collected your lunch scraps, unplug any power to them, tip them upside down to dislodge as much as you can, then take to it with a can of compressed air (or one of those tiny air blowers from Amazon/AliExpress/eBay.  This should clear a lot of the debris located around the switches, making them smoother and easier to use.

Then, to top that off, wipe down the keycaps with a soft microfibre cloth dampened with water.  Of course, don’t use too much water, just enough to clean the grime off the keycaps.

If you have a mechanical keyboard, you can remove the keycaps to give a more thorough clean underneath.  Use a dedicated keycap puller to make it easier, then use a brush to lightly clear away any crumbs around the switches.

It is important we look after our peripherals; they are not cheap, and as Logitech said:

“Think of it like looking after a car – you don’t wait for it to break down before booking a service. Having lunch at the desk, while often unavoidable, will naturally take its toll on work peripherals. Giving them a quick, simple clean every now and again means you can eat over your desk guilt-free while powering through your inbox.”

Is it time to clean yours?  Now is always a good time.  For more details, you can see Logitech’s full keyboard cleaning guide here.