Tested: How to Get Tar Out of Keyboard Easily (2026)

By Amara Johnson · December 17, 2025

Immediate Action (first 5 minutes)

I learned this the hard way after helping my brother re-shingle his garage roof last summer. We tracked fresh asphalt tar right onto his $160 Corsair K70 mechanical keyboard. If you just smeared tar on your keys, stop typing immediately. Pressing the keys pushes the sticky black mess down into the switches or membrane layers, permanently ruining the tactile feel of your favorite board.

First, unplug the keyboard. If it is a wireless model like the Logitech MX Keys, flip the power switch off right away. Next, turn the board completely upside down. Gravity is your best friend right now. Grab a ziplock bag filled with crushed ice. Hold it directly over the tar spot for exactly 4 to 5 minutes. You want the tar to drop below 60°F so it hardens into a brittle solid. Don't use liquid water. Condensation will fry your PCB board and cause a short circuit.

Act fast. Tar stays pliable at room temperature and will seep into the keycap stems if you ignore it. If you work in a garage or have kids who track driveway sealant everywhere, keeping an ice pack in the mini-fridge near your desk is a smart move.

What You'll Need (tools/products)

I've tested dozens of solvents on ABS and PBT plastics over the last eight years of repairing electronics. Some melt the keycaps instantly. Here is the exact kit I use to save ruined peripherals without stripping the printed legends off the plastic.

Swan 99% Isopropyl Alcohol ($4 for a 16 oz bottle at Walmart): You need 99%, not the standard 70% rubbing alcohol. The lower water content evaporates in seconds and won't rust your switch contacts.
iFixit Mako Driver Kit ($40): This isn't the cheapest option, but the included plastic spudger and nylon tweezers are mandatory. Metal tools will gouge your keycaps.
Keychron Wire Keycap Puller ($6): The wire design slips under the caps without scratching the sides, unlike the cheap plastic ring pullers.
Zeiss Pre-Moistened Lens Wipes ($12 for a box of 200): These are lint-free and pre-dosed with a safe amount of cleaning solution for final polishing.
Dawn Ultra Dish Soap ($3): Just a single drop is needed for degreasing removed keycaps.

Solvent Type	Safety for ABS Plastic	Evaporation Time	Effectiveness on Tar
99% Isopropyl Alcohol	100% Safe	15-30 seconds	High (with mechanical agitation)
Citrus Degreaser (d-limonene)	Safe (requires wipe down)	3-5 minutes	Very High
Acetone / Nail Polish Remover	DANGER: Melts Plastic	10 seconds	High (but destroys keyboard)
WD-40 (Standard)	Safe but leaves oily residue	Does not evaporate	Medium

Step-by-Step Removal (4-7 steps)

Removing petroleum-based stains from electronics requires patience. I'll be honest, this takes elbow grease, especially if the tar has been sitting there for more than an hour. Follow these steps exactly to avoid pushing the gunk deeper into your switches.

Step 1: Power Down and Isolate

Unplug the USB-C or detachable cable. If you are dealing with a laptop keyboard, shut the machine down completely and unplug the AC adapter. Place the keyboard on a flat workbench covered with a paper towel. You need a clean surface to catch the falling debris.

Step 2: Freeze the Tar Solid

Wrap a frozen gel pack or a bag of frozen peas in a thin, dry microfiber cloth. Press it firmly against the tar stain for exactly 8 minutes. Tar becomes incredibly brittle at around 55°F. You are looking for the black blob to turn from a sticky gum into a hard, crackly shell. Don't skip this step. Scraping warm tar just smears it into a wider, thinner layer that is ten times harder to clean.

Step 3: Scrape the Bulk Residue

Take your plastic spudger from the iFixit kit. Hold it at a strict 45-degree angle to the keycap. Gently push under the edge of the frozen tar. It should pop off in hard little flakes. If it smears, stop immediately and re-apply the ice pack for another 3 minutes. Sweep the flakes off the keyboard with a soft brush or a can of compressed air.

Step 4: Dissolve the Micro-Residue

Now you have a faint black smudge left behind. Dampen a cotton swab (Q-tip) with 99% isopropyl alcohol. It should be wet, but not dripping. Roll the swab over the stain in one direction. Don't scrub in circles, as this just pushes the dissolved tar into the microscopic texture of the plastic. Use a fresh swab for every single pass. You will likely go through 5 or 6 swabs per key.

Step 5: Remove and Wash Keycaps (Mechanical Keyboards Only)

If the tar seeped down the sides of the keycap, you must pull it off. Slide your wire keycap puller under the affected keys and pull straight up. Drop the dirty keycaps into a bowl of warm water (around 90°F) mixed with two drops of Dawn dish soap. Let them soak for 15 minutes. Scrub them gently with an old toothbrush, rinse them with distilled water, and let them air dry on a towel for at least 4 hours.

Step 6: Clean the Switch Housing

With the keycap removed, inspect the mechanical switch (like a Cherry MX Brown or Gateron Red). If tar touched the plastic housing, dip a wooden toothpick in alcohol and carefully trace the perimeter of the switch. Keep liquid away from the center stem where the spring lives. Wipe it dry immediately with a lint-free cloth.

Step 7: Reassemble and Test

Once everything is bone dry, snap the keycaps back onto the stems. Plug the keyboard back in. Open a browser and navigate to a site like keyboardtester.com. Press the cleaned keys repeatedly to ensure the tactile bump feels normal and the keystroke registers without sticking.

Alternative Methods (2-3 backup methods)

Sometimes 99% alcohol just won't cut through thick, industrial-grade driveway tar. If the standard method fails, I rely on these two backup chemical reactions.

Method 1: Citrus-Based Degreasers (Goo Gone)

Citrus solvents contain d-limonene, which breaks down petroleum bonds incredibly fast. Apply a single drop of Goo Gone to a microfiber cloth, never directly onto the keyboard. Rub the stain for about 45 seconds. I'll be honest, Goo Gone leaves a greasy film that takes an extra 10 minutes to clean off with dish soap, but it will melt stubborn tar when alcohol fails. This is highly effective when you need to return a rented workstation setup next week and panic is setting in.

Method 2: WD-40 Specialist Citrus Degreaser

Do not use standard WD-40. The standard formula leaves a lubricating oil that will attract dust and ruin your switch feel. The Specialist Citrus line comes in an aerosol can. Spray it into a small glass cup, dip a cotton swab into the liquid, and apply it to the tar. It works in about 30 seconds and evaporates much cleaner than traditional Goo Gone.

Method 3: Cooking Oil (For Removed Keycaps Only)

If you have already removed the keycaps and they are coated in thick tar, submerge them in a bowl of cheap vegetable or peanut oil for 20 minutes. The oil binds to the tar and lifts it off the plastic. You must wash the keycaps thoroughly with hot water and heavy dish soap afterward to remove the cooking oil. Never use this method on the keyboard chassis itself.

Prevention Tips

Tar is a nightmare to clean because it is designed to be weatherproof and permanently adhesive. Keeping it off your gear in the first place is much easier than spending 30 minutes scraping it off with a spudger.

Use a Silicone Keyboard Cover: Brands like CaseBuy or MUBUY sell custom-fit silicone skins for $12 to $15. They feel a bit mushy to type on, but if you work in an auto shop or construction office, they are a lifesaver. You can just peel the skin off and wash it in the sink.
Implement a 'Clean Hands' Rule: If you are doing DIY roofing, landscaping, or bike chain maintenance, wash your hands with a pumice-based soap like Fast Orange before touching your peripherals. Standard hand soap won't break down the petroleum.
Relocate Your Desk: Don't put your computer desk directly next to the door leading to the garage or driveway. Dust and microscopic tar particles track in on shoes and settle onto sticky keyboard surfaces over time.
Store Gear in Drawers: If you use a wireless keyboard in a workshop environment, slide it into a desk drawer or cover it with a microfiber cloth when you walk away to sand or cut materials.

FAQ

Can I use acetone or nail polish remover on my keycaps?

Absolutely not. Acetone chemically melts ABS plastic on contact, which will permanently warp and ruin your keycaps. I watched a friend destroy a $50 set of custom keycaps in about three seconds using standard nail polish remover. Stick to 99% isopropyl alcohol or citrus-based cleaners to keep the plastic intact.

Will tar ruin the internal membrane of a cheap office keyboard?

It definitely can if the tar is pushed down into the rubber dome layer. Once petroleum-based tar seeps into the silicone membrane, it breaks down the rubber and causes the keys to stick permanently. If you have a cheap $15 Dell membrane board that gets heavily saturated, it is usually more cost-effective to just throw it in the trash and buy a replacement.

How long does the entire cleaning process take?

You should block out about 25 to 30 minutes from start to finish for a standard mechanical keyboard. The actual scraping and wiping only takes 10 minutes, but you need to let the alcohol fully evaporate before plugging it back in. Rushing the drying phase is a great way to short-circuit your PCB board.

Is it safe to wash my keycaps in the dishwasher?

I strongly advise against putting any keyboard parts in a dishwasher. The high water temperatures (often exceeding 140°F) and harsh detergent pods will warp the plastic and fade the printed legends. Hand washing them in a bowl of warm water with a few drops of Dawn dish soap is much safer and takes only 15 minutes.