Karabiner-Elements Cleaning Mode for macOS — toggle a keyboard-disable lock with a 3-second hold so you can wipe down your Mac keyboard without typing anything

README.md

Karabiner-Elements Cleaning Mode (macOS)

A Karabiner-Elements complex modification that turns your Mac keyboard into a brick on demand — useful when wiping down keys without typing gibberish into whatever app has focus.

What it does

• Hold right_shift + right_command for 3 seconds → cleaning mode ON, all keyboard input is swallowed
• Hold the same combo again for 3 seconds → cleaning mode OFF
• macOS notification fires on each toggle so you know the state

While active, the following input is dropped:

• All standard key_code events (letters, numbers, modifiers, function keys, arrows, etc.)
• consumer_key_code (media keys, brightness, volume)
• apple_vendor_top_case_key_code / apple_vendor_keyboard_key_code (the fn key and other Apple-specific top-case keys)

What it does NOT block

Karabiner-Elements cannot intercept these on macOS, so they still work during cleaning mode:

• Trackpad / built-in Magic Trackpad clicks and movement — Apple's internal pointing devices bypass Karabiner's virtual HID driver. If you need pointer events blocked too, lock the screen (Ctrl + Cmd + Q) before wiping, or use Hammerspoon's eventtap API.
• Power button, Touch ID — handled by SMC / Secure Enclave below the OS layer.

Why a 3-second hold?

The toggle combo itself has to survive the catch-all blocker, so it needs to be something you won't fat-finger while cleaning. Two pinky keys held simultaneously for 3 seconds is hard to trigger by accident with a microfiber cloth.

Requirements

• macOS (tested on Darwin 24.x / Sequoia)
• Karabiner-Elements installed and granted Input Monitoring permission

Install

1. Open ~/.config/karabiner/karabiner.json
2. Paste the rule from cleaning-mode.json into your profile's complex_modifications.rules array
3. Save — Karabiner-Elements reloads automatically

Or import via the Karabiner-Elements UI: Settings → Complex Modifications → Add predefined rule → Import more rules from the Internet, then paste the JSON.

Tip: also lock the screen

If you want trackpad clicks neutralized too, add a shell_command to the ON-toggle manipulator:

{ "shell_command": "/System/Library/CoreServices/Menu\\ Extras/User.menu/Contents/Resources/CGSession -suspend" }

The login screen ignores keyboard and pointer input until you type your password, so the whole machine becomes safe to wipe.

cleaning-mode.json

{
    "description": "Cleaning Mode: hold right_shift+right_command for 3s to toggle. Blocks all keys while active.",
    "manipulators": [
        {
            "type": "basic",
            "from": {
                "simultaneous": [
                    { "key_code": "right_shift" },
                    { "key_code": "right_command" }
                ],
                "simultaneous_options": {
                    "key_down_order": "insensitive",
                    "key_up_order": "insensitive"
                },
                "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
            },
            "to_if_held_down": [
                { "set_variable": { "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 1 } },
                { "shell_command": "osascript -e 'display notification \"Cleaning mode ON — keys blocked\" with title \"Karabiner\" sound name \"Glass\"'" }
            ],
            "parameters": {
                "basic.to_if_held_down_threshold_milliseconds": 3000
            },
            "conditions": [
                { "type": "variable_if", "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 0 }
            ]
        },
        {
            "type": "basic",
            "from": {
                "simultaneous": [
                    { "key_code": "right_shift" },
                    { "key_code": "right_command" }
                ],
                "simultaneous_options": {
                    "key_down_order": "insensitive",
                    "key_up_order": "insensitive"
                },
                "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
            },
            "to_if_held_down": [
                { "set_variable": { "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 0 } },
                { "shell_command": "osascript -e 'display notification \"Cleaning mode OFF\" with title \"Karabiner\" sound name \"Glass\"'" }
            ],
            "parameters": {
                "basic.to_if_held_down_threshold_milliseconds": 3000
            },
            "conditions": [
                { "type": "variable_if", "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 1 }
            ]
        },
        {
            "type": "basic",
            "from": {
                "any": "key_code",
                "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
            },
            "to": [],
            "conditions": [
                { "type": "variable_if", "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 1 }
            ]
        },
        {
            "type": "basic",
            "from": {
                "any": "consumer_key_code",
                "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
            },
            "to": [],
            "conditions": [
                { "type": "variable_if", "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 1 }
            ]
        },
        {
            "type": "basic",
            "from": {
                "any": "apple_vendor_top_case_key_code",
                "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
            },
            "to": [],
            "conditions": [
                { "type": "variable_if", "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 1 }
            ]
        },
        {
            "type": "basic",
            "from": {
                "any": "apple_vendor_keyboard_key_code",
                "modifiers": { "optional": ["any"] }
            },
            "to": [],
            "conditions": [
                { "type": "variable_if", "name": "cleaning_mode", "value": 1 }
            ]
        }
    ]
}