How to prevent keyboard keys from fading

Keyboard keys can start to fade away after too much hands-on time. It’s especially noticeable with Apple keyboards, but I’ve seen it happen on other brands too especially laptops. Here’s how to keep them from disappearing. If you don’t mind the bulk a keyboard cover like this one is a great solution. Not only will it keep your keys from fading but it’ll also keep your granola bar crumbs from falling into the cracks. A minimal trick is to use packing tape to cover the keys. For this method, clean your keys and cover a few with a strip of tape. Then use a razor blade to cut out the area over the keys. When you’re done make sure the tape over the keys is secure and peel off the excess. And don’t worry about covering all the keys. Just work on the ones that are starting to fade or statistically most used keys which are E, T, A, O, I and N. A final trick especially for ladies is clear nail polish. Just clean the keys. Apply the polish and your keys should be protected for about a year. Not everyone needs to worry about fading keys, but if you want insurance against a half-naked keyboard give these tricks a try. For CNET, I’m Sharon Vaknin.