How to Clean and Maintain Your August Smart Lock Keypad
By August Home | Smart Locks for Convenient, Keyless Entry | Published: 2026-10-16
Category: Tips & Care
A simple routine to clean your August keypad, keep codes responsive, and avoid the mistakes that cause sticky buttons and false presses.
Quick answer
Wipe your August keypad with a dry microfiber cloth once a week, use a barely damp cloth with mild soap only when needed, and never spray liquid directly onto the keypad. If the keypad stops responding, clean it first, then replace the batteries before assuming the lock has failed.
Why keypad cleaning is different from cleaning a phone screen
A smart lock keypad lives outside, so it collects sunscreen, bug spray, pollen, road dust, and winter salt. Those residues can bridge the gaps between keys and cause false presses or a key that feels sticky. Unlike a phone, you cannot pop the case off or run it under a tap. Treat the keypad as a sealed electronic surface: clean it often, but keep moisture away from the seams and battery compartment.
What you should and should not use
A dry microfiber cloth handles most daily dust. For sticky residue, mix a drop of mild dish soap in a cup of water, wring the cloth until it is barely damp, and wipe. Avoid glass cleaner with ammonia, bleach sprays, abrasive pads, and disinfecting wipes that leave a wet film. These can cloud the keypad finish or seep into the housing. If you use a disinfectant, apply it to the cloth, not the lock, and dry the surface immediately.
How often to clean and what to check at the same time
Weekly is enough for a covered entry; twice a week makes sense for a coastal or dusty environment. While you wipe, press each key once to confirm it registers. A key that needs a harder press is your early warning that grime or a failing battery is building up. Also check that the keypad is firmly seated and that no screws have worked loose.
Step-by-step keypad cleaning routine
- Lock the door and remove the battery cover: Open the August app and confirm the door is locked. Slide off the interior battery cover so you can see whether any moisture or corrosion has reached the contacts. If you see white crust or rust on the contacts, stop and clean them with a dry cotton swab before continuing.
- Dry-wipe the keypad with a microfiber cloth: Wipe the entire keypad face and the seam around it using light pressure. Fold the cloth to a clean side for each pass so you are not smearing dirt back on. A dry wipe removes most dust and pollen without pushing liquid into the housing.
- Spot-clean sticky keys with a barely damp cloth: Dampen a corner of the cloth with mild soapy water, wring it out until it stops dripping, and wipe only the affected keys. Follow immediately with a dry cloth. Never spray cleaner directly on the keypad; liquid running into the seams is the most common cause of a dead key.
- Press every key to test responsiveness: Enter a test code you can delete afterward, or press each number and watch for the backlight or confirmation beep. Note any key that needs extra force. Two or more weak keys usually mean residue or a low battery, not a broken keypad.
- Replace batteries if response is still sluggish: After cleaning, if the keypad still misses presses, install fresh batteries of the type specified for your model. Do not mix old and new batteries. If a fresh battery set and a clean keypad still fail, contact August support rather than prying the keypad open.
August products that work with this routine
- August Smart Lock: August Smart Lock provides secure, keyless entry and lets you lock, unlock, and track access from your phone, with an optional Connect Wi-Fi bridge for remote access. If you rely on phone entry most of the time, the keypad gets less wear, but it still needs the same wipe-down because outdoor residue causes most unresponsive-key complaints.
- August Smarter Hosting Bundle - Standard: The August Smarter Hosting Bundle - Standard includes an August Smart Lock, August Connect Wi-Fi Bridge, and a free August Smart Keypad for granting temporary access. Hosts who issue temporary codes should clean and test the keypad between guests, since a sticky key can lock out a guest even when the code is correct.
