Spilled Drink

• Perhaps the fastest way to a sticky keyboard -- or a ruined laptop altogether -- is through accidentally spilling a drink, such as juice or soda. These types of beverages contain sugar, which at best forms a sticky residue once the liquid dries, and at worst kills your laptop entirely by short circuiting its internal electronics. Warm, soapy water on a barely damp cloth while the laptop is powered down and unplugged with the battery removed can clean this sticky mess from the top of the keyboard without the hazard of electrical shock. If the soda or juice seeped deeper into the laptop than just the keyboard's base, you'll need to do a more intensive disassembly and cleaning, or contact a professional repair technician to avoid the demise of your portable computer.
  
  

Wear from Normal Usage

• Most laptop keyboards leave the manufacturing facility with rubber seals and lubricant beneath the keys to aid with smooth and quick response. Over time, these seals can decay and the lubricant wears off, causing the keys to stick and become harder to use properly. Some laptops allow for the removal of the keys to replace these components and correct this problem, while others may require professional servicing.
  
  

Debris

• Laptops can collect debris from normal, everyday use. Hair, lint and dust in the air can settle between and beneath the keys, building up until it interferes with their movement. The oils from your skin can add to this collection, causing the formation of a grimy film. As this builds up, you may find your keys begin to stick, or even stop moving altogether.
  
  

Cleaning

• If your laptop has removable keys, carefully pry each key off its post to access the underside of the keyboard. Clean the area beneath with a Q-tip, soapy water and rubbing alcohol, taking care not to soak the keyboard or allow any liquids to seep into the laptop. Carefully wash all residue or dirt thoroughly from the keyboard base and the keys themselves, and allow everything to dry completely before reassembling. Use a digital camera to snap some close ups of the keyboard before removing the keys so you know how to reassemble it properly afterward.
  
  

Precautions

• Thorough, do-it-yourself cleaning of sticky laptop keys depends on whether or not the keys on your laptop can be removed. Some laptop keys simply pop off, while others cannot. For those laptops with non-removable keys, contact a professional repair technician for assistance. When working on or cleaning your laptop yourself, take care that the laptop is powered down, unplugged and the battery removed to prevent injury to yourself or the computer. Use only lightly damp cloths and materials to avoid water dripping inside your laptop and posing a threat to its electrical components.