Keyboard ruined by coffee?

December 18, 2004 7:52 AM

I spilled coffee on my keyboard; at least 6 oz. The caps are locked. The only way to type in lowercase is to hold down the shift key. My cpu keeps beeping. Is all lost? Is there anything that I can do to fix it?
posted by Stylistique to computers & internet (16 comments total)

Nope. Time to buy a new keyboard.
posted by baphomet at 8:04 AM on December 18, 2004

You could try a thorough washing with distilled water.
posted by Zetetics at 8:26 AM on December 18, 2004

You could get a new keyboard, but you might also try running your messed-up one under cold water for 20 minutes or so and then letting it dry out thoroughly (for 2 or 3 days). It depends on how much you like the one you've got now and whether it's worth taking the time. I've cleaned many a sticky mess out of a keyboard using that method.
posted by Dipsomaniac at 8:27 AM on December 18, 2004

I've had some success with the Bathtub Method, and a couple of days out in the sun, but unless it was a rare or fancy keyboard -- a Model M or one of the old Dell QuietKeys before they made them all mooshy and crappy -- I'd probably chuck it. Most keyboards sold today aren't worth the effort it would take to clean them.

If it's a Model M, then, yeah, Bathtub Method it.
posted by majick at 8:34 AM on December 18, 2004

First, your CPU isn't beeping. It doesn't beep. Your computer is beeping.

According to Pricewatch, you can get a new keyboard for $4 with free shipping. So why bother?
posted by grouse at 8:37 AM on December 18, 2004

your computer is beeping because a key is stuck down. your computer is ok, just the keyboard is messed up. turn off your computer (via windows or whatever if you can, otherwise by pressing the power switch) and then unplug your keyboard. you can then try washing your keyboard - just make sure it's really dry before you plug it back in and turn your computer back on. otherwise, buy a new keyboard.
posted by andrew cooke at 8:40 AM on December 18, 2004

Unplug your keyboard. Never allow electronics to be in a powered state while wet. Water moisture is conductive, and shorts can easily damage components by redirecting voltage where it shouldn't be. The first step to saving anything electronic and wet is remove all power from it.

Your CPU is beeping because either A) The keyboard logic on the motherboard has been damaged, B) The keyboard logic on the keyboard itself has been damaged, or hopefully C) The motherboard BIOS is irritated because the keyboard isn't being recognized as a working device (usually only on boot), or D) Moisture is simulating keypresses. (Likely C and D, but A and B usually aren't too far behind.

Drain the keyboard. If feasible, pull most or all of the keycaps. If also feasible, you can remove the little rubber bits under the keys, unless you're some cranky BOFH with an old school clicky keyboard. (Taking all the keycaps off and all the rubber bits out is a serious piece of fiddling, be warned. Depending on how much your time and keyboard is worth, simply buying a new keyboard is certainly an option. Fine needlenosed pliers can aid putting the rubber bits back in. Or tweezers or the like. Keycaps will pop off with a gentle prying from a flathead screwdriver. They usually reseat easily by gently pressing down on them until they pop back on.)

You can bypass distilled water and use rubbing alcohol or denatured alcohol. If you're rich buy component cleaner from Radio Shack or an electronics supply store like Fry's or Marvac/Orvac or others.

In a well ventilated area or outside, saturate the keyboard and shake it out. If there's a lot of coffee or coffee-stained stuff still coming out, repeat. Allow to dry. Avoid heat and sparks and stuff, 'cause fire is bad and stuff.

You can also skip the whole cleaning process and just go for the fluid removal, wait for it to completely dry, and cross your fingers.

Do not plug it in until you're sure it's moisture free, and that can take 24-72 hours. A hairdryer on a low setting can speed this, but don't use it when you've used any flammables to clean it. Note that with alcohols or any other solvent based evaporative cleaners, they may mildly or severely damage certain plastics. (All keyboards I've had to clean like this seem to resist alcohol fine)

If the capslock errors continue after cleaning and drying, chances are really good the onboard logic has been damaged, which wouldn't be worth fixing unless you really enjoyed poking at cheap circuits with a logic probe.

On preview: grouse: Calling the system box a CPU is acceptable. It's actually a throwback in use at least to the beginning of personal/desktop computing. And nearly every IBM clone mainboard has had a default system beep until the last few years, and even now most do.
posted by loquacious at 8:53 AM on December 18, 2004

I heard someone say they took theirs apart and put it in the dishwasher. Put all the keys in the silverware basket. And it came out clean as a whistle. HOWEVER, this may not always work and there may be parts of it that could be damaged (LEDs, electronics) by the dishwasher. If you can take it apart enough, you can put the plastic pieces in there. I'd wash any electronics by hand.
posted by BradNelson at 8:54 AM on December 18, 2004

Don't bother trying to fix the keyboard unless you consider your time to have very little value. If that was Starbucks coffee, you probably suffered a greater financial loss by spilling the coffee than by destroying the keyboard.
posted by mcguirk at 8:59 AM on December 18, 2004

Dried coffee is impossible to soak off with distilled water. If you're going to try to clean it, pour more coffee on first to mix with and dissolve the dried bits. Then proceed with the distilled water soak, draining, and LONG drying time.

4 bux isn't much; what's your time worth?
posted by reflecked at 11:49 AM on December 18, 2004

It wasn't a laptop, was it?
posted by bingo at 12:47 PM on December 18, 2004

I tried salvaging a spilled-upon keyboard a couple years ago.
Disassembled, washed, dried thorougly(several days), then reassembled and it still didn't work. Never again. Just buy a new one.
posted by telstar at 2:22 PM on December 18, 2004

You can definitely put it in the dishwasher with no ill effects, that might be the easiest thing to try. I was wary of this method, but when I bought a new keyboard I figured what the hell and put my old grimy one in just to see if it worked. I gave it two days to dry off I think, but it worked perfectly afterwards.
posted by Who_Am_I at 4:21 PM on December 18, 2004

Ooh, I hope it wasn't a laptop. I've salvaged two laptops from serious keyboard spills (one a cup of coffee, one a glass of wine) and that's about 12 hours I'd like to have back.

If it was a laptop, be prepared to take the whole damn thing apart and clean spots of coffee off the motherboard with Q-tips and rubbing alcohol.
posted by chundo at 9:22 PM on December 18, 2004

...i picked up a like-new dell quietkey keyboard for 25 cents at university salvage. given my experience with used, i'd suggest you try a local parts or resale store. $4 is cheap for a keyboard but the shipping will make it more like $14, so try local first unless you have a specific fancy keyboard, in which case get out your screwdriver, take it apart, and have fun cleaning.

'course a used keyboard is sometimes gunky and gross to begin with, so...
posted by caution live frogs at 8:12 AM on December 19, 2004

If you put the keyboard in the dishwasher, it might be a good idea to make sure the dishwasher doesn't heat up the water. It might warp the plastic.
posted by shepd at 1:24 PM on December 19, 2004