If you want your mechanical keyboard to sound smoother, feel more consistent, and eliminate unwanted scratchiness, lubing your switches is one of the most effective mods you can do to enhance the sound and feel of your keyboard.
Whether you’re building your first keyboard or refining your tenth keyboard build, this guide covers how to properly lube your switches for the best results from the start.
That said, many modern switches, especially from HMX, BSUN, and KeyGeek, already perform great out of the box. This guide is mainly for unlubed switches or for touching up switches that have become scratchy or inconsistent over time as lube wears or settles. Some switch designers leave switches unlubed from the factory so individuals can lube them based on their own preferences.
Why Lube Your Switches?
Out of the box, most unlubed mechanical keyboard switches can feel:
- Scratchy
- Inconsistent
- Slightly noisy
Lubing your keyboard switches helps:
- Smoother typing feel
- Improve sound (cleaner and more consistent sound)
- Reduce scratchiness
- Create a more consistent typing experience
What You’ll Need
Tools:
- Switch opener
- Lube brush
- Tweezers (or your fingers if you're okay with getting a little messy)
- Krytox™ 205g0 (for linear switches)
- TriboSys™ 3203 (for tactiles)
- Krytox™ 105g0 (for springs)
- Your mechanical switches
Having the right tools makes the process faster, cleaner, and much more enjoyable. Some people even consider the switch lubing process peaceful and therapeutic. I can vouch for that.
Before You Start
Lubing switches takes time, especially for a full board, but the results are worth it.
If you have questions or want feedback along the way, you can always join the Omnitype Discord to get advice from experienced builders and the Omnitype team.
Step 1: Open Your Switches
Use a switch opener to separate each switch into its components. The latches on the switch should be lined up with the teeth on the switch opener. You'll place the switch in the switch opener and press down evenly. The top housing should come loose. Lift off the top housing and separate the switch into the following components:
- Top housing
- Bottom housing
- Stem
- Spring
Tip: Work in small batches to stay organized and avoid losing parts. We recommend batches of 10.
Step 2: Lube the Bottom Housing
Using a lube brush, apply a thin layer of Krytox 205g0 to:
- The rails inside the housing
Tip: Avoid over-applying, too much lube can lead to a sluggish feel. You shouldn't see any large clumps of lube on the sliders. You want just enough to make the surface glisten. Also avoid getting lube on the stem pole well, it can make a squishy/wet sound that isn't great.
Step 3: Lube the Springs
Spring ping can affect both sound and feel. A pingy/crunchy sounding switch is the worst.
You can:
- Lightly brush springs with a Krytox™ 105g0 lube pen
or - Bag lube them (shake springs in a small bag with a few drops of Krytox™ 105g0 oil)
This step helps create a cleaner, more consistent sound.
Step 4: Lube the Stem
Choose the right lube for your switch type:
- Krytox™ 205g0 for linear switches
-
TriboSys™ 3203 for tactile switches
Focus on the areas that create friction, where the switch parts rub together:
Apply a thin coat to:
- The sides (rails) of the stem
- The front and back surfaces
- Stem legs (these hit the leaf in the bottom housing)
Important: Avoid the stem legs if you’re working with tactile switches, this preserves the tactility of the bump.
Tip: You can control the pitch of the switch depending on how much lube you apply. If you want a brighter sound do a thin and light coat. If you want a deeper sound go a touch heavier on the lubricant.
Step 5: Lube the Top Housing (Optional)
This step is often skipped by many but can help you achieve a deeper more reserved sound out of your switch if that is your thing.
Apply a very light coat of Krytox™ 205g0 to:
- Inner contact points of the top housing
Tip: Keep it super minimal so the switch return isn't sticky.
Step 6: Reassemble the Switch
Put your switch back together:
- Place the spring in the bottom housing on the stem well
- Insert the stem pole into the spring (legs facing leaf)
- Snap the top housing back on (name plate area facing leaf)
Press the switch a few times to make sure it feels smooth and consistent. If it is scratchy, pingy, or sluggish take back apart and reassess. If you need more lube add it now, if you need to remove some grab a tissue or cotton swab and wipe some away from the stem or overlubed areas.
Step 7: Test Before Installing
Before putting switches into your keyboard:
- Test a few by hand
- Listen for consistency
- Make sure none feel sluggish or over-lubed
Tip: Catching issues early saves a lot of time later.
Tips & Tricks: Tried and true
Don’t Over-Lube
This is the most common mistake. Less is more, especially for beginners. Too much lube can actually lead to a switch sounding wet or being really sluggish to return. Trust me, speaking from experience and a wet bag of lavenders sitting in a bin from 2 years ago. Can confirm, very gross.
Work in Batches
Lube 5-10 switches at a time to maintain consistency. I find when I used to try to open all of the switches at once it would leave me feeling overwhelmed at times, parts literally everywhere. Each 5-10 switches you complete by doing this with batch feels like a goal you achieved. So this route often feels more rewarding to me. Plus you can pause after each back to take a break and not need to worry about having a million parts all over your desk or kitchen table.
Match Lube Styles to Switch Type
- Linear switches: Lube bottom housing, stem, and spring
- Tactile switches: Avoid stem legs and switch leaf to preserve tactility
- Clicky switches: treat this similar to a tactile switch, usually recommended to avoid lubing the clicking mechanism
Prebuilt Keyboard Option
If you’re working with a prebuilt and need to adjust things:
- You can desolder and remove switches (if hot-swap just remove your switches)
- Then follow this full guide
Common Mistakes to Avoid: Trust us bro
- Over-lubing (mushy feel, muted, or wet sound)
- Inconsistent application (take your time and apply the same amount on every switch so your whole build will sound the same from switch to switch)
- Lubing tactile legs accidentally (turns your tactile into a linear (kinda))
- Skipping spring treatment (can leave ping/crunchy sounds. no. gross. ew.)
Final Thoughts
Lubing your switches is one of the most impactful upgrades you can make to your keyboard. While it takes time and patience, the payoff is a smoother, better-sounding, and more refined typing experience.
Need More Help?
If this guide helped, consider sharing it with a friend or fellow keyboard enthusiast.
Still have questions or want feedback on your build? Join the Omnitype Discord to connect with our team and community, we’re always happy to help.
Feeling scratchy? Don't forget to lube it up.
