Computer help forum: Help! I spilt soda on my laptop's keyboard!

Hey SchaX,

I know this problem well.
I hate to say it but you are most likely looking at buying a new keyboard. No matter what you do, your keyboard will most likely never be right again. Keyboards are fragile.
The good news is you get a new keyboard for Christmas!

Best,

Is not a good idea. It buries your new request and makes it difficult to find your new post.

But in short, TRY ANOTHER USB KEYBOARD.

And yes, we could replace the laptop keyboard but without make, model, age I strongly advise against this given no details. It also appears that do it yourself repairs are out of the question as you appear to not be able to stand the loss of the machine and if you did have the means to have it fixed, you would not be posting here.

Which brings me back to "try another usb keyboard."
Bob

Try another keyboard. You may not be tech savvy but know how to do this. Any trip to the shop runs over 120 bucks here and I've seen keyboard replacements run close to 500 with labor.

As to the driver, I know of no driver that will fix soda spills. Let's write "don't do that."

Also the keyboard driver that Windows comes with is fine. It's more than fine. DO NOT DO THAT!
Bob

But I wasn't drinking soda, it was beer (had nothing to do with the spilling, ossifer )

I just shut of the computer immediately. I waited a day and turned it back on and found, like you did, some of the keys were either hard to press, or sloooow to pop back up, etc.

So, again, I shut off the computer, and unplugged the keyboard. I took it up to the kitchen and flushed out the board several times with very clean, filtered, water. I then took it outside and shook the heck out it in lots of different directions. Then I left it outside for the next few hours, out in the sun.

Works fine now. In fact, I'm using it to type this.

Bottom line, if the keyboard is a cheapo - consider replacing it with another cheapo keyboard. If it is an expensive one, as mine is, at least try to clean it. Just use clean water (water will dissolve the sugars fro soda and beer) and don't use it until you know it is thoroughly dry!

I've done similar recoveries with electronic watches and calculators. They will come back, as long as you don't leave residue.

You take your chances on any direct cleaning using water. While there are plastics and resistant componets, water is a corrosive agent, don't always expect good results, only time will tell. Also, the action of cleaning *may* migrate the pentration of foreign liquid/objects even further into the works, so there's a 50/50 chance of success but complete failure too. Oh yeah, better be dry before attempting re-use, one reason to use "electroincs cleaners" they pretty much are "clean, then use" option.

good luck -----Willy

I don't believe alcohol dissolves sugar deposits. That is why I used water.

But, as has been suggested, there are other cleaners that would work too, without the problems with water doused circuits. However, for the several times I have used water, and the immediate drying using heat from the sun, I haven't experienced any sort of long time failures.

HOWEVER, this most recent episode with the beer on my MS Wireless Elite Keyboard has only been less than two weeks now. So, perhaps, in a year or two, if I am still using this keyboard (I upgrade keyboards about once a year) maybe I will get some problem.

And if you are wondering why I change keyboards so often, I like to get new toys, and when MS comes out with a new keyboard I generally get it. I've had three MS keyboards so far, and I still have then all. I just relegate those older keyboards to my other older computers. (sigh - life is tough )