The truth is, everything comes to an end – including our keyboards. Sticky keys may be a sign of the end, or it might be a sign of other things. Over time our keyboards can collect dust or residue underneath the keys.
Sometimes we tend to form habits of eating our lunch and snacks at our desks, leaving a bigger mess to clean up later. Accidents happen!
No big deal, let’s talk more about some of the reasons why your keys might be sticking or hard to press. Most importantly, let’s talk about how to fix it!
What Makes Keys Start Getting Hard to Press?
Typically, your keys might be hard to press because the keyboard isn’t clean. For example, there could be dust, crumbs, or other builds-up underneath the keys, which would be why they are hard to press.
Hard-to-press keys could also occur after the keyboard has been damaged. Also, if you are frequently removing the keycaps from the keyboard – it could cause malfunctioning. This will pose a risk for the keys to be worn and harder to press.
Are Stiff Keys a Sign That I Need to Replace My Keyboard?
Stiff keys are not always a sign that the keyboard needs to be replaced. Sometimes the keyboard just needs a good deep clean.
However, if you are experiencing other problems with your keyboard, such as it being unresponsive or physically damaged, it might be time to replace it.
However, if you are looking for a reason to go buy that awesome new keyboard you’ve been looking at – I recommend that it would be best to replace it. Keys that are hard to press are rather distracting. If you want to fix the problem, find out below.
How Do I Get Rid of Stiff Keys?
While there are multiple reasons that keys get stiff, how can we get rid of them – how do we fix the problem? Listed below are troubleshooting methods to try before replacing the keyboard completely.
- Unplug, disconnect, or turn off the keyboard before turning it upside down. Following a light shake, you might find some debris falling from between and under the keys.
2. Wipe down the keyboard and between the keys as best as possible with disinfectant wipes to loosen any debris that might be stuck.
3. Gently remove the keycaps from the keyboard to ensure a deep clean along the keyboard and the keycaps themselves.
Final Thoughts on Hard Keyboard Keys
There are multiple reasons why the keys on your keyboard are harder to press. It could be because your keyboard needs to be cleaned, or maybe because it was somehow damaged.
Stiff keys are not always a sign that the keyboard needs to be replaced. It could mean that the keyboard just needs to be cleaned. However, if there is any visible physical damage to the keyboard, it might be time for that replacement.