I’ve been preparing my old PowerBook G4 to give to my in-laws since I have a MacBook Pro and bought the wife a new MacBook. One of the things that happens with a lot of use of the aluminum keyboards is a build up of grime and oils. There is a lot of information out there about what to do with liquid spills, but not a lot about basic cleaning.

Apple does not recommend using any solvents, and I found a lightly damp towel wasn’t doing the trick. Nail polish remover was out, too strong of a solvent (I assume solvents will take the letters off the keys), and I couldn’t find any rubbing alcohol, but we did have some nice Russian vodka. With a few Q-tips, a shallow dish of vodka and a dry towel, the keyboard was almost like new in 15 minutes of swabbing and wiping. One of the good things about vodka is the purity and high alcohol content – any little over drips evaporate before getting to any circuitry.

I would recommend using only pure vodka – flavored vodkas might smell nice, but I image probably leave a bit of residue. The best part – you can have a shot for yourself