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How to Lube Keyboard Switches: Tools, Lubricants, and Step-by-Step Process

Last updated: 2026-09-02 · By NicheHive Editorial

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Lube keyboard switches with Krytox 205g0 (linear) or Tribosys 3203 (tactile) using a switch opener, small brush, and switch puller. This guide covers what to lube, what to avoid, and how to do it efficiently.

Every unlubed switch has a scratchy, slightly inconsistent feel buried in the keystroke, even the good ones.

Lubing removes it.

It's the single highest-impact modification you can make to a keyboard: less friction, a lower-pitched bottom-out sound, and a keystroke that finally feels as smooth as the switch was designed to.

This guide covers the tools, the lubricants for linear versus tactile switches, and the step-by-step process from opening the switch to reassembling it.

What You Need

  • Switch opener: a plastic tool that opens the switch housing without breaking it
  • Small brush: a size 2 or 00 paint brush for applying lube
  • Lubricant: Krytox 205g0 (linear) or Tribosys 3203 (tactile)
  • Spring lube: Krytox 105 oil or TriboSys 3204 for bag-lubing springs
  • Small container or bag: for bag-lubing springs
  • Container for parts: to hold housing tops, bottoms, stems, and springs organized

What to Lube

Linear switches: lube the four walls of the bottom housing, the two rails of the stem legs, the outside of the stem, and the spring.

Tactile switches: lube the same areas as linear EXCEPT do not lube the bump legs of the stem (the small protrusions that create the tactile bump). Lubricating the bump legs coats them and significantly reduces or eliminates the tactile bump.

What NOT to lube: the leaf spring contact area (affects electrical consistency), the inside of the top housing (no contact surface), the LED slot.

The Process

  1. Open each switch with the switch opener — press in from two sides to release the clip
  2. Remove the spring and place in the spring container
  3. Place the stem upright on a flat surface
  4. Apply a thin layer of lube to the four stem sides with the brush
  5. Apply lube to the four housing walls and the two rails
  6. Reassemble: drop the stem back into the housing, add the spring, close the top
  7. Bag-lube all springs at the end with Krytox 105

A thin, even coat is better than a heavy application. Over-lubing a linear switch makes it feel mushy; over-lubing a tactile dampens the bump significantly.

Frequently Asked Questions

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