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Cleaning Saitek Eclipse Keyboard?

D

deadman_uk

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jun 30, 2003
Messages
2,036
I have a Saitek Eclipse keyboard and love it however many keys are starting to stick and the keys dont "bounce" like they use to. The keyboard is only about 5 months old and it needs a clean. I am sure there is lots of crap inside but I am not sure how to clean this keyboard.

I turn the keyboard upside down and shake it... a few bits fall out but it hasnt really made a difference. How would I clean this? I remember I tried cleaning an old keyboard last year by removing the screws at the back and cleaning each key individually but when I put the keyboard back together, most of the keys were really stiff and the keyboard was ruined.

Any advice would be appreicated.
 
I think holding it upside-down and spraying it with compressed air may be the best you can do without taking it apart. As for the keys sticking and not feeling as they used to, it may just be time for a new keyboard. I recently got the new Eclipse and I really like it. I like it much better than the original, which I now use with my spare PC.
 
I too have the Eclipse but it's only 2 months old. However, prior to this keyboard I had a Compaq keyboard that came with my presario and every 6-8 months I would pry the keys off the keyboard and throw them in the sink with very hot water with dishwashing liquid and let it soak for a few. I've heard some even throw the keys in a basket and into the dishwater but I'm not THAT anal.
Meanwhile, I would take some antibacterial wipes that you can find at Walmart and wipe the keyboard to remove any nicotine tar, soda, love stains etc. Rinse the keys and let it dry for a few hours and pop them back in. Feels like a new keyboard all over again. Hint.....I had to take a digital picture of my keyboard because there were a few keys I don't use very often and was not sure what order they belong (home, end , delete ) :)

I'd would sit back and wait for other responses because since our keys are laser etched and has the tendency to flake/rub off I'm not sure if that is the best route to go. I would think when it's my time to do it on this keyboard I would take the keys off and wipe it down with the wipes individually top and bottom instead of soaking them. Your call boss
 
OK, I will take a picture of my keyboard so I know where the keys go, I'll then take the keyboard apart and clean each key with a baby/hand wipe and then peice it back together... unless someone has a better idea?
 
The original Saitek keyboard (the one with the command pad) has screws on the bottom. It isn't too hard to open up and clean.
 
Hey i know this thread is really old, but today I cleaned my Saitek Eclipse keyboard and it was super easy.

Here is what I did:

1) Remove all of the keys and put them into hot water with a squirt of dish soap. (So you remember where to put the keys, open up an image of a keyboard on your monitor)

2) Get a vacuum and suck as much as you can out. I know my keyboard was surprisingly nasty... 2 years of use with 2 years of crumbs, hair, dust,.... pretty gross.

3) If you ever spilled anything on it like I did, get a flathead screwdriver and scrap anything you can up.

4) After you scrape down, vacuum it again.

5) Get a rag with hot water a tiny bit of dishsoap. Get it damp BUT NOT REALLY wet. You do not want to drown your keyboard... that would be bad. Wipe it down inside really good. If a little soap or water is left behind, use the dry end to wipe it up.

6) Get a bunch of Qtips and some alcohol..... go crazy wiping the whole inside of the keyboard down. Every nook and cranny. You'll be surprised how much dirt comes up.

7) Drain out your bowl with hot water and the keys that have been soaking. Shake them around really good to get the water out. Let them dry on a towel for a bit. You could speed it up with a hairdryer i guess.

8) Reassemble the keyboard.

9) Enjoy! My keyboard is practically brand new again after doing this. I wipe the whole thing down with some alcohol after i assembled it again aswell.

Honestly, this thing is designed really well so it can be cleaned easily if the keys are removed. If I would have known this, i would have done it a year ago.

Takes a bit of time, but its worth it!
 
jfuze said:
Hey i know this thread is really old, but today I cleaned my Saitek Eclipse keyboard and it was super easy.

Here is what I did:

1) Remove all of the keys and put them into hot water with a squirt of dish soap. (So you remember where to put the keys, open up an image of a keyboard on your monitor)

2) Get a vacuum and suck as much as you can out. I know my keyboard was surprisingly nasty... 2 years of use with 2 years of crumbs, hair, dust,.... pretty gross.

3) If you ever spilled anything on it like I did, get a flathead screwdriver and scrap anything you can up.

4) After you scrape down, vacuum it again.

5) Get a rag with hot water a tiny bit of dishsoap. Get it damp BUT NOT REALLY wet. You do not want to drown your keyboard... that would be bad. Wipe it down inside really good. If a little soap or water is left behind, use the dry end to wipe it up.

6) Get a bunch of Qtips and some alcohol..... go crazy wiping the whole inside of the keyboard down. Every nook and cranny. You'll be surprised how much dirt comes up.

7) Drain out your bowl with hot water and the keys that have been soaking. Shake them around really good to get the water out. Let them dry on a towel for a bit. You could speed it up with a hairdryer i guess.

8) Reassemble the keyboard.

9) Enjoy! My keyboard is practically brand new again after doing this. I wipe the whole thing down with some alcohol after i assembled it again aswell.

Honestly, this thing is designed really well so it can be cleaned easily if the keys are removed. If I would have known this, i would have done it a year ago.

Takes a bit of time, but its worth it!
Click to expand...

Is there a special way to remove the keys or would you have to unscrew the keyboard from the back?
 
i just popped them out with my fingers and a screwdriver. they come off and on really easy.

Didnt have to unscrew anything... just took the keys off, vacuumed, cleaned with water and a bit of soap, cleaned with some rubbing alcohol, put the keys back on and it was as good as new. :D
 
You have to pop the support pads from the four corners to expose the screws there. They're adhesive, so once you get under one corner, its easy to peel them off.
 
I found this thread while looking for any advice on me taking apart my old Saitek Eclipse. I know the thread is basically dead but didn't want to start a new one just to say this. So hopefully if anyone finds this in their searches it'll help them.

The Eclipse version I have had four large hex screw bolts on the top side, one in each corner. They are directly on the other side of the rubber feet on the keyboard in plain sight (perhaps a newer model than the one mentioned above that had its screws under the pads). There were also 8 philips screws on the bottom of the board that help keep it together.

I also want to mention that when prying off the keys to not only use a flat head driver (obviously) but to also try to hold the key on the opposite side you've got the flat head on in a way that keeps the key as close to a 90 degree vertical as possible. It helps them come off easier and more importantly helps prevent damage.

Here's the trick though. the top and bottom pieces of the keyboard are still joined after removing all of those screws. This is done through small flange clips. One is above the function keys around the F5 button. there is one on each side, directly in the middle, and the fourth and final one is right in front of the space bar on that little rounded out edge. I found a fine tipped flat head screw driver could easily be wiggled in next to them and then lifted to pull the flanges apart. The one by the space bar was the easiest to move so I started there. Once you get them apart be careful, the cable connects by a standard single USB header that is easily wiggled off with one's nail, but it also has a ground wire that is screwed in to the PCB. be careful not to let the halves fall from each other before disconnecting this all or you'll risk snapping the wires.

I'll also mention I went the extra mile and removed the hard plastic from the upper half that shields the membrane and if you don't mind doing so makes a thorough cleaning a hell of a lot easier. and by then its just a bunch of philips screws :D

sorry for the long post, hope it helps a few people out there.
 
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