Quick answer: Lubing involves removing your switches, opening each one with a switch opener, applying a thin layer of switch-friendly lubricant (Krytox 205g0 is the standard choice for linear switches) to the housing rails, stem, and spring, then reassembling and testing. Expect to spend 2–4 hours on your first 87-key keyboard. The single most important rule: use less lube than feels right — over-lubing is the most common beginner mistake, and it’s far easier to add more than to remove excess.

This guide walks through exactly what you need, the step-by-step process, and the mistakes that trip up nearly every first-timer.

Why Lube Your Switches?

Stock, unlubed mechanical switches have a plastic stem sliding through a plastic housing every time you press a key. Multiple friction points along that path create resistance, which produces the “scratchy” or “gritty” feeling many switches have out of the box, along with unwanted noise — spring ping, a metallic crunch, or general inconsistency between keystrokes. Lubrication reduces friction at those exact contact points, transforming the keypress into something fluid and effortless, commonly described as “buttery” or “silk-smooth” once it’s done correctly. Beyond feel, lubing also deepens and cleans up the sound profile and can extend switch lifespan by lowering mechanical wear over time.

It’s worth knowing that some modern switches (from manufacturers like HMX, BSUN, and KeyGeek) already perform well out of the box thanks to factory lubrication. This guide is most useful for unlubed switches, or for refreshing switches that have become scratchy or inconsistent as factory lube wears down or settles over time.

Which Switches Should You Lube (and Which You Shouldn’t)

Lube these: Linear switches see the single biggest improvement from lubing, since they have no tactile bump to worry about disrupting — just smooth, straight travel that benefits directly from reduced friction. Tactile switches can also be lubed successfully, with one important caveat below.

Never lube clicky switches. Their distinctive click depends on precise mechanical contact between specific internal parts, and adding lubricant disrupts that contact, ruining the click mechanism’s sound and feel — this isn’t a minor downside, it’s a fundamental incompatibility between clicky switch design and lubrication.

Be careful with tactile switches. If you lube the stem legs (the parts that create the tactile bump as they pass the leaf), you’ll dull or even erase that bump entirely. Most guides recommend avoiding the stem legs on tactile switches specifically to preserve the tactility you’re trying to keep.

Tools and Materials You’ll Need

• A switch opener (specifically designed for Cherry MX-style or Kailh-style switches — avoid flathead screwdrivers, which can crack housings or break tabs)
• Switch-friendly lubricant:
  • Krytox 205g0 — the industry-standard grease for linear switches; gives a smooth, deep feel without making the switch mushy
  • Krytox 105 — a thinner oil used exclusively for springs (either “bag lubing” or “donut dipping,” explained below)
  • Tribosys 3203 or 3204 — thinner greases preferred for tactile switches, since heavier lubes reduce the tactile bump too much
• A fine-tip brush, size 00 or smaller, for precise application
• A keycap puller and switch puller (if your switches are currently installed in a keyboard)
• Small containers or a sorting tray, to keep stems, springs, and housings organized and prevent mixing up parts from different switches
• Tweezers (optional but helpful for handling small parts)
• A switch tester or your hot-swap keyboard, for testing reassembled switches before reinstalling everything

A 5g jar of Krytox 205g0 covers roughly 200 switches if applied conservatively — plenty for a full keyboard with leftover for future projects, since none of these tools or lubricants expire quickly.

What NOT to Use

Never substitute petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) for proper switch lubricant — it will damage the plastic and degrade your switches over time. Stick to lubricants specifically formulated for keyboard switches.

Step-by-Step: How to Lube Your Switches

1. Remove the switches from your keyboard

If your keyboard is hot-swappable, use a switch puller to pull switches out directly — no soldering required. If your switches are soldered in, you’ll need to desolder each one first, which is a significantly bigger project requiring a soldering iron; most beginners should start with a hot-swap board if possible.

2. Open each switch

Use your switch opener to separate the top housing from the bottom housing. You’ll end up with four pieces per switch: top housing, bottom housing, stem, and spring. Keep these organized in small piles or containers — mixing up parts from different switches creates a genuine headache later, especially if you’re working with switches that have slightly different specs.

3. Lube the bottom housing

Dip your brush in lubricant and scrape off the excess on the rim of the container — you want only a thin film on the bristles, roughly 1–2mm worth of lube. Apply a thin layer to the east and west rails inside the bottom housing, where the switch stem makes contact as it travels up and down. You should see a slight sheen, not visible clumps or pooling.

4. Lube the stem

Using the same light touch, coat all four sides of the stem evenly. If you’re working with a tactile switch, skip the stem legs to preserve the tactile bump. For linear switches, you can lube the legs as well if desired.

5. Lube the top housing

Apply a thin layer where the stem rails make contact with the top housing — this is another key friction point during the keypress.

6. Lube the spring (optional but recommended for reducing ping)

You have two common methods: – Donut dipping: coat just the top and bottom coils of the spring individually with a small amount of lube using your brush. – Bag lubing: distribute a small amount of thin lubricant (like Krytox 105) inside a sealed plastic bag, add all your springs at once, and shake gently to coat them evenly — a faster method when lubing many switches at once.

7. Reassemble the switch

Place the spring into the bottom housing, then the stem on top (with the stem’s legs facing toward the metal leaf), then snap the top housing back into place until it clicks firmly shut. Be careful not to bend or damage the metal leaf during this step, since that’s the part responsible for actually registering your keypress electrically.

8. Test before continuing

This step is non-negotiable. Press the reassembled switch several times using a switch tester, a multimeter set to continuity mode, or by popping it directly into your hot-swap keyboard and testing in a text editor. Confirm it registers every keystroke without sticking, and pay attention to feel:

• Scratchy or gritty feel → you likely applied too little lube; reopen and add a bit more.
• Mushy, sluggish, or visibly globby → you applied too much; reopen, wipe excess away with a tissue or cotton swab from the stem and rails, and reassemble.

9. Reinstall and enjoy

Once you’re satisfied with the feel of your test batch, install the switches back into the keyboard, reattach keycaps, plug everything back in, and test the full board in a text editor to confirm every key registers correctly.

The Most Important Beginner Rule: Less Is More

This bears repeating because it’s the single most common mistake: using too much lube is the #1 way beginners ruin their first lubing attempt. Over-lubed switches feel sticky, gummy, or sluggish, and unlike under-lubing — which you can simply fix by reopening and adding a touch more — removing excess lube requires fully disassembling and cleaning the switch again. Start with an amount that feels like it’s almost not enough; it’s very likely just right. You should see a slight glisten on the parts you’ve coated, not visible pooling or clumps.

Work in Small Batches

Don’t try to disassemble your entire keyboard’s worth of switches at once, especially on your first attempt. Lube 4–10 switches at a time, test them, confirm you’re happy with the feel, and then continue. This keeps your workspace manageable, helps you catch mistakes early before they compound across dozens of switches, and turns what could feel like an overwhelming task into a series of small, achievable batches.

Realistic Time Expectations

Expect your first full 87-key keyboard to take roughly 2–4 hours, dropping to 1–2 hours once you’ve built some experience and rhythm. The total cost of lube and tools typically runs $15–30, and since the lubricant itself goes a long way and the tools are reusable, this is a one-time investment that covers multiple future keyboard projects.

Related Questions

Do I need to lube pre-lubed switches? Generally no — factory-lubed switches from reputable manufacturers usually perform well out of the box. Lubing becomes worthwhile mainly for unlubed switches or to refresh older switches that have become scratchy as their factory lube wears down over time.

Will lubing void my keyboard’s warranty? It’s worth checking your specific manufacturer’s policy, since disassembling switches counts as user modification for some brands. This is generally less of a concern for hot-swappable keyboards, where switches are designed to be removed and replaced without tools.

Key Takeaways

• Lube linear switches for the biggest improvement; never lube clicky switches, since lubrication fundamentally disrupts the click mechanism.
• Be careful with tactile switches — avoid the stem legs specifically to preserve the tactile bump.
• Krytox 205g0 is the standard choice for linear switches, with Tribosys 3203/3204 preferred for tactile switches to avoid over-dampening the bump.
• Less lube is always the safer choice — a thin, even coat with a slight sheen is correct; visible clumps or pooling mean you’ve used too much.
• Test in small batches of 4–10 switches before committing to a full keyboard, so you can adjust your technique without redoing dozens of switches at once.
• Never use petroleum jelly or generic household lubricants — they degrade switch plastic over time.

The first attempt takes patience, but most who try it describe the difference as genuinely transformative — and once you’ve heard a lubed switch side-by-side with an unlubed one, it’s hard to go back.