How do I clean my keyboard?

[Ginny]

There's congealed iced tea inside it! :eek: (I'm using a borrowed computer)

[Amy in Vermont]

Keyboards these days are pretty much considered disposable. If the liquid got down between the keys ands its already congealed, it may start failing. You can use a q-tip and some rubbing alcohol to try and clean it up, but a quick trip to Staples or Comp-USA can get you a replacement for far less effort.

If its a laptop, pray the stuff didn't get into the system.....

[John L]

If it's a desktop, put it in the dishwasher with the drying heat off.

It won't work afterwards, but it doesn't work now, and you get a great story to tell at parties.

If it's a laptop, same process. You just get a more expensive story to tell.

Seriously, Amy is right. A Ghetto keyboard is all of $10.00 at CompUSA.

If it IS a laptop, you have a whole different problem. Depending on the model, it MAY be serviceable....but I would never trust it again. Those sugary drinks have a neat way of reminding you of stuff like this long after the event.

[paularoid]

If it's one of the more modern keyboards (within the last 5 years) there are excellent chances that it could indeed go through a dishwasher with the drying heat off and a very mild soap or no soap at all. The newer types of membrane keyboards can usually withstand it quite well actually. I wouldn't even think of trying this with any of the older click-type keyboards like the older IBM keyboards but the newer membrane systems should withstand it quite nicely.

Take the keyboard apart and remove the membrane and shove the thing into the dishwasher and let 'er rip. Just make sure you dry it THOROUGHLY before you reassemble it and start things up again. Let all the pieces air out overnight at least. A full day or maybe even two might even be better.

It should be stated that this is not a guaranteed success but the thing's not working now anyway so what do you have to lose,.. especially when you consider the relatively low cost of a new "cheapie"?

There are numerous reports of people doing this very thing all over the geekier corners of the net.

[gisli]

I missed some coffee over my laptop....well actually I dont drink coffee i put a little bit of coffee in my sugar...and I dosed off, just a little bit and spilled a whole lot of the sugar-coffee over the keyboard.

I took a wet cloth and cleaned all of it away....or that I thought....but the morning after all the keys where stuck...sugarstuck. Still use the same computer but I have muscle fingers now.

And once I dosed off with the same laptop computer in my lap, and it fell on the floor from one meter height.

And once I took the same computer with me to bed once and dosed off for the whole night with my head on the computer keyboard....there must have been drule involved..... but I´ve been called keyboard man ever since...must be because of the little square markings on my face.

So how to clean the keyboard.....follow Amy´s advice.

[JudyR]

The first time I visited a recording studio with Pat (and Janis recording, of course!), I made the mistake of putting a Coke near the soundboard. (Mix board?) Janis very slowly picked it up and moved it to a coffee table, far away from any electronic equipment. Then she explained that water was ok, diet drinks next ok, but nothing with sugar should be around anything electronic!!!

[Roady]

I took the time once to clean my work keyboard (the one I used at home). Removed all the keys, cleaned with Q-tips. Got the keys back on-that space bar wasn't easy. AND the damn thing didn't work. Time is money-dump it!

However now I have a cordless keyboard. The design doesn't let in as many crumbs and because it's not connected to a cord, I can easily put it aside if I'm eating something messy. Haven't spilled a cup of coffee (black) or diet soda on it yet.

[aabram]

I took the time once to clean my work keyboard (the one I used at home). Removed all the keys, cleaned with Q-tips. Got the keys back on-that space bar wasn't easy. AND the damn thing didn't work. Time is money-dump it!

However now I have a cordless keyboard. The design doesn't let in as many crumbs and because it's not connected to a cord, I can easily put it aside if I'm eating something messy. Haven't spilled a cup of coffee (black) or diet soda on it yet.

There's always a first time for everything, Barb :) http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t305/AnnabelAbram51/pressanykey.gif Just thought you would find this smiley fun :D

Annabel

[david uk]

If it IS a laptop, you have a whole different problem. Depending on the model, it MAY be serviceable....but I would never trust it again. Those sugary drinks have a neat way of reminding you of stuff like this long after the event.

oh yes, John

I spilled a cup of sugary coffee over my laptop once... it worked ok most of teh time after that but every now and then it would play up. I posted about my woes on here and someone told me that sooner or later, even if it was working now, it would pack up and die.

and it did. slowly but surely.

[Amy in Vermont]

Since I work at a college and deal with this at least once a week, I have some experience with this!

If you should break the rule and spill liquid: (or start a fire in your room that kicks off the sprinkler system)

Immediately invert the keyboard or Laptop (leave it open, turn it over). This will allow the liquid to drain out away from the electronics.

With laptops, once you invert it, disconnect the power and pull the battery. If the hard drive, Cd drive, memory and wireless card are easily removed while inverted ( most Dells), remove them. Leave it this way for 24 hours.

Oh.. and... when you get on the plane to come back to school from break......Do NOT pack you shampoo in your laptop case.

Do NOT use a hair dryer. This just bakes the sugar from your drink onto it!

[Ginny]

Thank you all for your input. :D My keyboard does not work AT ALL since I attempted to clean it with alcohol and Q-tips. On a side note, I have found creative ways to surf the Internet using only my cursor... :rolleyes:

I'll make one last-ditch atempt to fix the keyboard by giving it a soaking in water. Then it's probably time for me to buy a new one... And in the future I plan to have nothing but the beverage water within ten feet of my computer!

[paularoid]

Thank you all for your input. :D My keyboard does not work AT ALL since I attempted to clean it with alcohol and Q-tips. On a side note, I have found creative ways to surf the Internet using only my cursor... :rolleyes:

I'll make one last-ditch atempt to fix the keyboard by giving it a soaking in water. Then it's probably time for me to buy a new one... And in the future I plan to have nothing but the beverage water within ten feet of my computer!
If it's any consolation, my last keyboard underwent 3 thorough dousings of a LARGE mug of coffee before I retired it. It might still be good too but I just never bothered to clean it out this last time. I just grabbed an extra one from the stack that I've got hanging around all the time, plugged it in and haven't bothered (yet) to clean it out again for the fourth time. I guess it should also be noted that I use WinME that has an onscreen keyboard that can be used when in a dire emergency like that.

[lucille]

there must have been drule involved..... but I´ve been called keyboard man ever since...must be because of the little square markings on my face.


LOL, You sexy thing you. :D Do you think there will be resulting brain damage?

Maybe you should be called QWERTY.

[MadMusician]

Duh!
I thought this post was about cleaning a piano "keyboard". :D

[DaveM]

Do geeks own pianos? I would think anything without a MIDI interface would be off-limits.