The $10 Cleaning Kit That Changed Everything

A writer discovers an unexpectedly versatile multi-tool cleaning kit for electronics after her laptop succumbs to everyday grime.

The product's array of attachments proves surprisingly effective for tasks ranging from keyboard debris removal to polishing camera lenses and earrings.

As someone who works from coffee shops, airplanes, Pilates studios , and my 9-month-old's play mat, my laptop is often subject to the harshest conditions.

It was in such dire straits last month that I searched Amazon for keyboard cleaner, desperate for anything that wasn't a gimmick.

One kit caught my eye mostly because of its compact size, but also because of the sheer number of reviews and its high ratings.

From Keyboards to Camera Lenses

To my surprise, I keep finding delightful and different uses for the attachments.

After a quick and shockingly productive sweep of my MacBook Air keyboard with both the large and small brushes inside the kit, I was curious to try the metal pen tip between the keys, where some stubbron debris lurked beneath.

Then, I took the rubberized case off of my iPhone and used the pick around the tiny, beveled edges of the screen, speaker, charging port, and the volume and power buttons.

The amount of crud I unearthed with each tool was both unsettling and satisfying,kind of like a deep-cleansing facial where the aesthetician proudly shows you all of the gunk that's come out of your pores.

Polishing Success

The next attachment I became obsessed with was the fuzzy flocking sponge, which looks a lot like a long, miniature microphone.

This, I learned, was perfect for cleaning out the inside of my AirPods, as well as the inside of their case.

I've also used it to polish away oil and sunscreen from some of my gold-vermeil-coated earrings that have seen better days.

A Comprehensive Cleaning Kit

The cleaning kit includes large and small brushes, a pen-tip cleaner, picks, a polishing sponge,and a key puller, and even the case has a built-in cleaning cloth that can be used to de-grime screens.

After my polishing success story, I turned my attention to the cleaning-lens pen, a small stamplike tool that promised to restore my iPhone's camera to factory-setting clarity.

I gave the lens a brief spritz from the cleaning spray (my least favorite item in this kit, mainly because it's impossible to refill and less effective than whatever you can get at your local optical shop) and dabbed away.

In the weeks following, the photos I've taken in portrait mode have never looked crisper.

I haven't needed to swap out the lens-pen cleaning tip yet, but the kit comes with four replacement pads, so I'll definitely do so before a wedding I'm attending later this summer, when I want to be sure my shots come out looking extra sharp.

Even the case itself is useful, with its chalkboard-eraser-style cleaning-cloth attachment; I've used it on my laptop, Kindle, and iPad screen , both dry and wet.

Unanswered Questions

One caveat: I haven't yet used the plastic key puller, in part because the other attachments are so effective at getting unwanted debris out of my keyboard.

However, if you're looking for a truly heavy-duty cleanse and feel a little bolder than I am when it comes to taking apart pricey electronics, I'm confident that it'll do the trick .