Rob. The question is not dumb. If your keys are a little sticky you can remove the affected keys gently and wash them and the plastic assembly underneath them. This is not hard to do but you have to be careful not to brake them as you snap them out and in. If you want to fix the backlight in the centre of the keyboard issue you will need to open the MBP. Opening it is quite easy, all the instructions are on this website. Once you have removed the top cover from the MBP aluminium chassis it is easy to remove the keyboard. Then you have 2 options
1) dip the whole keyboard in warm water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent. shaking it gently for a few minutes. Now you have to rinse it in another container with warm running water. To dry it you should use COLD air from a compressor, directing the air from the external edges of the board so that all the layers inside are dried. Alternatively you can dip the keybpoard in a solution made up of 50% water and 50% ethanol or methylated spirit, shake it and now insert it in a solution made of 80% ethanol/spirit. Now it will dry easily with cold air from a hair dryer. Leave it in a warm place (say 40 degrees celsius) for a few hours and your keybopard will be clean and dry
2) pull it apart and wash each of the 3 individual sheets that make up the light system. If the keys are not sticky you will not need to remove the keys so the job will be quite easy.
You should do this only if you are ready to buy a new keyboard to replace the soiled one.It will give you the courage to attempt the dismantling/fixing option
Good luck