Member of the Month

KilaTsunami
October, 2024

Online

Welcome to the Newschoolers forums! You may read the forums as a guest, however you must be a registered member to post. Register to become a member today!

Sticky keyboard, wat do

profile picture
1337
Posts: 31049 - Karma: 29,195
Hey NS,

spilt a Rum&Coke on my wired apple keyboard a few weeks ago right before I left on a trip to canada. It wasnt much and I did a good job draining it out and cleaning it down.

Or so I thought....

I got back to it today and it turns out its kinda fucked. All my keys work, but they're definitely sticky and certain keystrokes are weird. I can't use shift + w to make a capital "w". and the play/pause music button doesn't work, but everytime I hit the "delete," or "enter," key it pauses my music. Pretty fucking annoying, right?

Anyone have any pointers on how to clean this bitch out?
Sep 24 2014 7:51PM
75 2
profile picture
Mr.Mitten
Posts: 1312 - Karma: 3,723
I mean good thing it wasn't milk, or you might have had a problem with faunt size as well...
Sep 24 2014 8:10PM
36 0
profile picture
Lé.Skiing
Posts: 10035 - Karma: 8,128
I haven't tried this so I can't say whether it's good or not, but seems like it might fix your issue. If it breaks your keyboard then you're no further behind.

http://youtu.be/mdOF9k5awSM

I would recommend trying to clean under the keys first with alcohol and a q-tip. if it doesn't fix it dishwasher that ma' fukka.
Sep 24 2014 8:11PM
5 0
profile picture
JAHpow
Posts: 7282 - Karma: 17,175
Alcohol or goo gone spray

Can you pull the keys off to get into the inside?

I guess idk but good luck
Sep 24 2014 8:26PM
0 0
profile picture
snowmosexual
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 10,020
did the faunt get bigger?
Sep 24 2014 8:27PM
5 0
profile picture
howlongcanausern
Posts: 4982 - Karma: 1,737
Walter.1337a Rum&Coke


uh-huh.
Sep 24 2014 8:28PM
6 0
profile picture
Kooky_Lukey
Posts: 1002 - Karma: 1,966
LE.SkiingI haven't tried this so I can't say whether it's good or not, but seems like it might fix your issue. If it breaks your keyboard then you're no further behind.

http://youtu.be/mdOF9k5awSM

I would recommend trying to clean under the keys first with alcohol and a q-tip. if it doesn't fix it dishwasher that ma' fukka.


Flawless.
Sep 24 2014 8:28PM
0 0
profile picture
Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,562
LE.SkiingI haven't tried this so I can't say whether it's good or not, but seems like it might fix your issue. If it breaks your keyboard then you're no further behind.

http://youtu.be/mdOF9k5awSM

I would recommend trying to clean under the keys first with alcohol and a q-tip. if it doesn't fix it dishwasher that ma' fukka.


There is actually more logic to this than you'd think.

Electronics are fine with water by nature... unless there is electricity running through them. That is why if your phone gets wet you're just supposed to leave it drying for a week and then turn it back on. (Bonus points for drying it with all kinds of those silica gel packets).

If there's no batteries, and no electricity in it... it just might survive this as long as its dried out completely before you plug it back in.

Def could be long term damage, and who knows maybe it'd just fuck it up outright (def dont' use soap). However as LE.Skiing said... fuck it you're no worse off if its already screwed.
Sep 25 2014 8:40AM
2 0
profile picture
TurquoiseGrizzly
Posts: 1819 - Karma: 13,149
I tried wiping my dirty keys off with a Clorox wipe. DON'T DO THIS!!! Completely jacked it up. I'd say go ahead and pay the $50 for a brand new one man. You can get them at Best Buy behind the Geek Squad counter.
Sep 25 2014 8:43AM
0 0
profile picture
spruitm
Posts: 2219 - Karma: 1,057
The dishwasher will work, just let it dry for a couple days after you take it out.

And if it doesn't work, a wired keyboard isn't that much
Sep 25 2014 9:18AM
0 0
profile picture
toastyteenagers
Posts: 1834 - Karma: 6,793
Try using apple wave
Sep 25 2014 10:34AM
2 1
profile picture
PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,940
Tao.did the faunt get bigger?


Came here to say this.
Sep 25 2014 10:42AM
0 0
profile picture
Filmore
Posts: 460 - Karma: 861
"rum and coke"
Sep 25 2014 10:47AM
2 0
profile picture
brobama
Posts: 58 - Karma: 356
Your keyboard is just drunk. Give it a couple days an it'll work fine
Sep 25 2014 1:46PM
7 0
profile picture
joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
Mr.BishopThere is actually more logic to this than you'd think.

Electronics are fine with water by nature... unless there is electricity running through them. That is why if your phone gets wet you're just supposed to leave it drying for a week and then turn it back on. (Bonus points for drying it with all kinds of those silica gel packets).

If there's no batteries, and no electricity in it... it just might survive this as long as its dried out completely before you plug it back in.

Def could be long term damage, and who knows maybe it'd just fuck it up outright (def dont' use soap). However as LE.Skiing said... fuck it you're no worse off if its already screwed.


The best think to do to dry it in a bowl of rice ;)
Sep 25 2014 2:39PM
0 0
profile picture
joris.blanc
Posts: 914 - Karma: 6,584
joris.blancThe best think to do to dry it in a bowl of rice ;)


Lets try that again : the best thing to do is to dry it in a bowl of rice !
Sep 25 2014 2:40PM
0 0
profile picture
562056961108
Posts: 0 - Karma: 575
Tao.did the faunt get bigger?


QUOTING FOR EMPHASIS

Old Skool NS'ers FTW
Sep 25 2014 4:29PM
1 1
profile picture
Malcolm
Posts: 15951 - Karma: 9,451
"spilt a Rum&Coke"
Sep 25 2014 10:18PM
2 0
profile picture
PacificRimJob
Posts: 24725 - Karma: 29,940
I think this needs to be said... Jamie should probably stop drinking because it's pretty obvious he can't actually hold his alcohol, as it apparently ends up all over his keyboard...
Sep 25 2014 10:28PM
2 0
profile picture
*DUMBCAN*
Posts: 2447 - Karma: 5,628
Mr.BishopThere is actually more logic to this than you'd think.

Electronics are fine with water by nature... unless there is electricity running through them. That is why if your phone gets wet you're just supposed to leave it drying for a week and then turn it back on. (Bonus points for drying it with all kinds of those silica gel packets).

If there's no batteries, and no electricity in it... it just might survive this as long as its dried out completely before you plug it back in.

Def could be long term damage, and who knows maybe it'd just fuck it up outright (def dont' use soap). However as LE.Skiing said... fuck it you're no worse off if its already screwed.


Bishop wins for solid science.

I'll add a couple of things.

Before washing it take it apart as much as possible. keys off, everything off. Keep the usb out the water. reassemble after drying.

You can get big silica gel packets on amazon, cheap and well worth it.

After dishwasher-ing it rinse it thoroughly with deionised water, you can buy it at pretty much any hardware store. It doesn't (shouldn't) conduct electricity, so won't short the electronics like the water from the dishwasher will. Also dishwasher water will leave residue, deionised won't.
Sep 25 2014 10:48PM
0 0
profile picture
caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
GrizzlyBurrI tried wiping my dirty keys off with a Clorox wipe. DON'T DO THIS!!! Completely jacked it up. I'd say go ahead and pay the $50 for a brand new one man. You can get them at Best Buy behind the Geek Squad counter.


Apple charges FIFTY FUCKING DOLLARS for a regular old keyboard? You'd have to be fucked in the head to pay that much.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=keyboard&sprefix=keyboa%2Caps

And there's no reason anyone ever needs an aluminum keyboard.
Sep 25 2014 11:55PM
0 0
profile picture
ThaLorax
Posts: 21079 - Karma: 8,445
Jaimie, I'll give you a real answer. Isopropyl alcohol and que-tips do the trick. I spilled an entire smoothy on my keyboard once and after I got most of the gunk out, the alcohol/que-tip mix fixed it.
Sep 26 2014 12:03AM
1 0
profile picture
iLLbiLLy
Posts: 2865 - Karma: 2,631
Mr.BishopThere is actually more logic to this than you'd think.

Electronics are fine with water by nature... unless there is electricity running through them. That is why if your phone gets wet you're just supposed to leave it drying for a week and then turn it back on. (Bonus points for drying it with all kinds of those silica gel packets).

If there's no batteries, and no electricity in it... it just might survive this as long as its dried out completely before you plug it back in.

Def could be long term damage, and who knows maybe it'd just fuck it up outright (def dont' use soap). However as LE.Skiing said... fuck it you're no worse off if its already screwed.


Fine is a strong word. Your phone dies in water typically because the water contains ions, which conduct electricity, which in turn cause circuits to short out. Even if your phone manages to survive, water has corrosive properties and the materials are likely to continue to degrade even after its been dry.

The latter is what I would be worried about with a keyboard. The switches are sensitive to capacitance changes and water could easily damage the components to the point they would no longer work.

My advice would be to buy a new keyboard. If you actually type a lot, I recommend a mechanical one. You'll never be able to go back to the shitty apple keyboard after getting used to a mechanical keyboard.
Sep 26 2014 12:12AM
0 0
profile picture
Sno.
Posts: 12155 - Karma: 6,152
take it apart and clean it with alcohol.
Sep 26 2014 12:13AM
0 0
All times are Eastern (-5)