You've got a desktop keyboard. And it's stained, grimy and filled with crumbs - not to mention the odd short, curly hair that really can't have got there through natural means. What do you do? You put it in the Whirlpool, that's what.

At least, that's what Michele - the US' answer to our very own Hardware Widow by the sounds of it - from Chicago-based consultancy Coudal Partners did. You can see the results on the company's website here, but here are some tasters from the movie she made:

Step 1. Remove the keys

Step 2. Securely bag up the USB connector

Step 3. In it goes...

Step 4. Apres la deluge

Step 5. Recover the keys

Step 6. Refit the keys after thoroughly drying them

Step 7. Type away!

Says Michele: "Just like with socks in the laundry, somehow a couple of our matching keys disappeared in the process. Luckily they were F10 and F11. We never use those anyhow."

Want to try this yourself? Proceed at your own risk - don't blame us if it totals your keyboard and/or dishwasher/washing machine...

Related stories

• Top popped on can-tastic memory card reader (2 July 2007)
• Sony brings bold colours to latest laptops (11 June 2007)
• Alcatel debuts fashion mag friendly ladyphone (22 May 2007)
• Sony Ericsson waxes lyrical over 'nature-inspired' handset (8 May 2007)
• Moto gives thumbs-up to 'imperial purple' RAZR (2 May 2007)
• Motorola teases Hong Kong girls with gilt-y pleasures (24 April 2007)
• Russians ready Tsar-studded Nokia 8800 (9 March 2007)
• Motorola revamps StarTAC for Koreans... again (28 February 2007)
• Asus debuts lacquer'n'leather luxury laptop (9 February 2007)