(PEST CONTROL HATES HIM!!) Dealing with keyboard insects

[Alir]

I have this keyboard:

 

I have this problem:

Found 1 Mould Mite playing spiderman between my mehanical keys. Dunno how it was jumping between the keys - unless there was more than 1. yikes

 

I had to remove a key and then dose that sucker under water when it decided to take a breather. It won't be breathing anymore.

 

Under my keys there is quite a lot of dust and random crap - 1 white thingy looks like salt but I might be wrong - I'm extremely careful not to get food anywhere outside my plate when I eat (I do eat at my keyboard). I'll take the keys off and dust the keyboard.

 

But is it worth rinsing the keys under water to remove dust/crap fragments and kill off any mites that may be hiding? If I do, I'll have to spend a couple to a few hours drying the insides and the cross-hole (where the keys connect to the switches). I know because I've done that once. Had to use a lot of thin tissues, curl them up to make them pointy and dry the insides of every single key to make sure the dampness didn't attract more insects.

As for dealing with the mites themselves: as I understand they live off mould - hence their name. Would wiping the top of the keys with isopropyl alcohol handle that? Because I did that a couple weeks ago.

 

Or is this all overkill over just one mite? My inner OCD-alter-ego is telling me to clean the keys with soap but surely that's overkill just because an insect walked on the keys?

 

If it isn't clear, I am grossed out my insects. We humans at least have the decency to shower sometimes.

 

What would you do?

 

Edit:

Sorry for the title. lol I need people's perspective. Do you find mould mites a common problem on/near keyboards?

 

Example (I only found one. I have found these guys on my table before - in isolation to one another)

 

Edited October 25, 2017 by Alir
Clickbait title added

[Alir]

It might sound like a silly question because there is "only one". But I don't know what these things act like. Do they move in groups? Or do they send out scouts like ants? eg. If you find one lone ant, you need to clean its surroundings with something that will burn their fart footsteps like vinegar or bleach

[Teddy07]

1 hour ago, Alir said:

If it isn't clear, I am grossed out my insects. We humans at least have the decency to shower sometimes.

 

What would you do?

 

2

 My keyboard is 10 years old and I only shake from time to time my keyboard so that the stuff falls out. Quite a bit of stuff falls out actually. I also eat and use the keyboard. It doesnt bother me at all. 

I clean some keys from time to time when it is really dirty because my sister doesnt like it.

 

[Alir]

7 hours ago, Teddy07 said:

 My keyboard is 10 years old and I only shake from time to time my keyboard so that the stuff falls out. Quite a bit of stuff falls out actually. I also eat and use the keyboard. It doesnt bother me at all. 

I clean some keys from time to time when it is really dirty because my sister doesnt like it.

 

You eat the keyboard? That's intense.

 

Would 99% Isopropyl alcohol clean off mould?

 

Also what would you do if you did find 1 mould mite? I'm not sure if Mould Mites wander off randomly like ants so can't be sure if there is mite food on my keyboard.

[chilicheeseburger]

1. Remove all the keys
2. Immerse them in soap water
3. Clean the now naked keyboard with a cloth and some isopropyl alcohol. Should be quite easy in your case since the switches aren't recessed.
4. Take the keys out of the water, let them dry completely and put them back on the keyboard
5. Season to taste

[Alir]

2 minutes ago, chilicheeseburger said:

1. Remove all the keys
2. Immerse them in soap water
3. Clean the now naked keyboard with a cloth and some isopropyl alcohol. Should be quite easy in your case since the switches aren't recessed.
4. Take the keys out of the water, let them dry completely and put them back on the keyboard
5. Season to taste

 

But I noticed inside the keys where the switch cross goes through, that water remains in those and they don't dry without you individually poking a tissue inside every single one. Took hours to do that last time. Is that worth doing again? Or what's the best way to dry the inside of the mount point?

[chilicheeseburger]

4 minutes ago, Alir said:

 

But I noticed inside the keys where the switch cross goes through, that water remains in those and they don't dry without you individually poking a tissue inside every single one. Took hours to do that last time. Is that worth doing again? Or what's the best way to dry the inside of the mount point?

You're talking about the key stem right? I can't really think of a better way, you can try taking a hair dryer to it but be careful not to melt anything.

 

Edit: Another way to do this would be to just wipe the keys down and not put them in water, but that would be quite tedious as well.

[Alir]

16 minutes ago, chilicheeseburger said:

You're talking about the key stem right? I can't really think of a better way, you can try taking a hair dryer to it but be careful not to melt anything.

 

Edit: Another way to do this would be to just wipe the keys down and not put them in water, but that would be quite tedious as well.

yes the stem thingy.

 

I have a hairdryer but I suspect it won't dry it since the water droplets will be tucked inside. Unless, as you have pointed out, I was to risk melting the keys.

 

I'll wipe them with an isopropyl alcohol and water solution/mixture. Would this deal with any mould/ grease at the top of the keys?

 

The keys aren't dirty by any means. They're a bit dusty though from the sides because I have often cleaned the keyboard with tissues. Won't be doing that anymore