The Cleaning of Keyboards

[Serpentine]

So. I kicked a over a bottle of beer onto The Boy's wireless keyboard :smallsigh: The keys are all screwy - for example, "delete" produces = signs. I'm thinking I'll try to clean and fix it before buying him a new one, but I thought I should check here with some dos and don'ts first. For example, I have some ethanol and thought that would be best, what with the quick drying and all. Would that work?

[Jack Squat]

First off, since it's wireless, remove the batteries.

Then, Pop off the keys and wipe down everything with 90%+ isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. use q-tips to get the hard to reach areas.

[Guru]

Jack Squat is right, that would be the way to go about cleaning a keyboard. Be careful when popping they keys out and putting them back in, but other then that it should be fine. Putting them back in the same place should be fun too :smallbiggrin:

[Thanatos 51-50]

I heartily agree with all other posters in this thread so far. Disconnect power, pop keys, flip keyboard upside down if feasable.

[GrlumpTheElder]

That's the method I've just used and it works (I just spilt some Orange Juice on mine :smallfrown:)

[Serpentine]

That was pretty much what I was intending. Is ethanol (nicked it from a uni lab. Well, they gave it to me...) as good as "rubbing alcohol"?

[Thanatos 51-50]

That's the method I've just used and it works (I just spilt some Orange Juice on mine :smallfrown:)

Indeed, I spilled Mountain Dew on one of the keyboards at work just last night (At about this time, too) liquid spillage was minimal and I didn't have the oppetunity to disconnect the power, but this is a ffeasable solution, the only tools I used for the job were a pair of scissors (To pop a single key), and a paper towel (Which was used to tackle to liquid and absorb it before reaching any critical components.

I have actually used the exact same technique on my current laptop, which involved turning the entire machine up-side down whilst I procured supplies (Which included leathermen instead of a knife).

[Jack Squat]

That was pretty much what I was intending. Is ethanol (nicked it from a uni lab. Well, they gave it to me...) as good as "rubbing alcohol"?

It'd probably work about as well, as plenty of screen wipes and disc cleaners use ethanol instead, and I'd personally find it funny if you were to clean up spilt beer by pouring more booze on the keyboard :smalltongue:

Most people use isopropyl because it's dirt cheap and can be found in any store's pharmacy section.

Worst case is you try the ethanol, it doesn't work, and you have to get some isopropyl.

[Mando Knight]

Obviously, the keyboard got drunk. I'd give it a bit of water to help with the hangover. :smalltongue:

...no, not really.

[Archonic Energy]

Putting them back in the same wrong place should be fun too :smallbiggrin:

also, as a quick note... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard)
:smallamused: