Cleaning cat pee from inside monitor
March 4, 2021 8:56 AM Subscribe
My cat peed into my expensive, 32-inch 4K monitor. What do I do now?
I have a Viewsonic 4K monitor. It has ventilation slots on the back side of it. My cat went around to the back of the monitor and let loose with a big, heavy stream of pee. By the time I noticed what he was doing, the monitor went blank and started leaking pee out the bottom of it. The screen itself (the front part) wasn't affected directly, but I assume that the electronics inside were all soaked. I didn't see any sparks or smoke or anything, and the circuit-breaker didn't trip, but the monitor stopped working.
I quickly unplugged it, and it's been dripping urine slowly out the bottom. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any easy way to disassemble the monitor. There aren't any obvious screws that I can see. I think it's all sealed-up.
Not sure what to do now. I've read on-line that you can use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) to clean-up urine on electronics. I'm tempted to go to the drugstore, buy a bottle of alcohol, and pour it into the ventilation slots on the back. Then let the monitor dry for a week before using it.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan? I'm open to suggestions. I'd hate to spend another $400 on a new monitor.
(Incidentally: For the purposes of this thread, I'd prefer not to discuss the cat's peeing behavior. There's a vet visit coming up, and I'm taking other sorts of measures to address this problem.)
I have a Viewsonic 4K monitor. It has ventilation slots on the back side of it. My cat went around to the back of the monitor and let loose with a big, heavy stream of pee. By the time I noticed what he was doing, the monitor went blank and started leaking pee out the bottom of it. The screen itself (the front part) wasn't affected directly, but I assume that the electronics inside were all soaked. I didn't see any sparks or smoke or anything, and the circuit-breaker didn't trip, but the monitor stopped working.
I quickly unplugged it, and it's been dripping urine slowly out the bottom. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any easy way to disassemble the monitor. There aren't any obvious screws that I can see. I think it's all sealed-up.
Not sure what to do now. I've read on-line that you can use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) to clean-up urine on electronics. I'm tempted to go to the drugstore, buy a bottle of alcohol, and pour it into the ventilation slots on the back. Then let the monitor dry for a week before using it.
Does this sound like a reasonable plan? I'm open to suggestions. I'd hate to spend another $400 on a new monitor.
(Incidentally: For the purposes of this thread, I'd prefer not to discuss the cat's peeing behavior. There's a vet visit coming up, and I'm taking other sorts of measures to address this problem.)
If the monitor is new and you paid for it with a credit card, I would look into whether your credit card issuer provides accidental damage coverage.
posted by vitout at 9:33 AM on March 4, 2021 [9 favorites]
posted by vitout at 9:33 AM on March 4, 2021 [9 favorites]
hmm! I'd say to try to get it dry first, but cat pee is very... mineral-y? salty?, (evidenced by the crystallized spots my old friend leaves on my laundry room floor occasionally) that I would be worried about it shorting out electronics dry, too.
I suppose I'd try to spray out as much moisture as I can with compressed air first, then buy a bottle of IPA with a mister top and attempt to spray it in lightly while drying the monitor at the same time using canned air? try to break down some of the salts without adding any more "Wet" as the fact that the monitor went blank already worries me!
Good luck! Cats, I tell ya!
posted by euphoria066 at 10:09 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I suppose I'd try to spray out as much moisture as I can with compressed air first, then buy a bottle of IPA with a mister top and attempt to spray it in lightly while drying the monitor at the same time using canned air? try to break down some of the salts without adding any more "Wet" as the fact that the monitor went blank already worries me!
Good luck! Cats, I tell ya!
posted by euphoria066 at 10:09 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I would pursue either the credit card company as noted above or my renters/home owners insurance.
posted by AugustWest at 10:23 AM on March 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by AugustWest at 10:23 AM on March 4, 2021 [3 favorites]
If it was me and I could manage without the monitor for a few days, as soon as possible I'd spray a lot of isopropyl alcohol in the back followed immediately with a gallon or two of distilled water, in the hope of washing out all the urine. Then dry it thoroughly in a sunny window. But I wouldn't count on it being salvagable, and an insurance claim would be best.
posted by anadem at 11:23 AM on March 4, 2021
posted by anadem at 11:23 AM on March 4, 2021
Homeowners's or renter's insurance might cover it. I would be surprised if it came back to life, but it's probably worth disassembling and trying.
posted by theora55 at 11:31 AM on March 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 11:31 AM on March 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Update: I couldn't find any instructions on-line about how to disassemble that model of monitor. My credit card company will cover accidental damage only during the first 120 days (I bought the monitor nine months ago). My homeowner's deductible is $500, which is more than the monitor cost.
The drugstore was out of isopropyl alcohol, so I bought a bottle of 70% ethyl alcohol. I poured the whole bottle into the vents. I'll let it dry for a week and then plug it in. I'll post an update at that point.
Thank you for all the tips.
posted by JD Sockinger at 11:46 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
The drugstore was out of isopropyl alcohol, so I bought a bottle of 70% ethyl alcohol. I poured the whole bottle into the vents. I'll let it dry for a week and then plug it in. I'll post an update at that point.
Thank you for all the tips.
posted by JD Sockinger at 11:46 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
Good luck.
posted by AugustWest at 11:51 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by AugustWest at 11:51 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]
I am sorry this happened. Please let us know the eventual outcome. You might ask about this in the forums at Ifixit, which sells the tools needed to open up electronics, or gives you enough to go on so you can order them for less on other sites.
You could also try selling the monitor with a full disclaimer where someone who knows how to fix this might purchase it for repair and flipping, offsetting the replacement cost. Videos such as this one might offer some clues for opening your device. In my experience the most difficult part of a job like this is mustering the confidence and energy to try something different and risky. Gumption traps.
posted by mecran01 at 1:12 PM on March 4, 2021
You could also try selling the monitor with a full disclaimer where someone who knows how to fix this might purchase it for repair and flipping, offsetting the replacement cost. Videos such as this one might offer some clues for opening your device. In my experience the most difficult part of a job like this is mustering the confidence and energy to try something different and risky. Gumption traps.
posted by mecran01 at 1:12 PM on March 4, 2021
From a picture in the manual I get the impression there are five screws in the bottom edge of the back cover; they are probably recessed and the recesses covered with stickers or shallow plugs in the same colour as the cover. I see those covering stickers on a lot of the devices I deal with: laptops, screens, other electronic gear.
If so, just lever them off (or out), and undo the screws under them. You can then lift the bottom edge away from the chassis after which you should be able to unhook the cover at the top, if it's not attached with screws covered the same way.
posted by Stoneshop at 2:47 PM on March 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
If so, just lever them off (or out), and undo the screws under them. You can then lift the bottom edge away from the chassis after which you should be able to unhook the cover at the top, if it's not attached with screws covered the same way.
posted by Stoneshop at 2:47 PM on March 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
I would be worried about corrosion from the the salt and acid in the urine. IPA is good for cleaning but you can get a much larger quantity of distilled or deionized water and exchange it. Of course, you will want to make very, very sure that it is dry.
posted by wnissen at 3:51 PM on March 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by wnissen at 3:51 PM on March 4, 2021 [1 favorite]
You might buy some rice and set it into a bed of dry rice inside a large plastic bag like a recycling bag to help draw out the moisture over the next week. Just be careful you don't get rice in the vents!
posted by limeonaire at 3:58 PM on March 4, 2021
posted by limeonaire at 3:58 PM on March 4, 2021
Response by poster: I waited eight days and plugged-in the monitor. It basically works, but it has big splotches on it. It looks like there is liquid trapped between layers behind the screen. I can still use the monitor for doing things like editing documents or viewing websites, but it's pretty much shot for doing anything related to graphics. I might have to buy a new monitor, though shelling-out another $400 is going to hurt. I suppose I'll wait a few weeks to see if the splotches fade. Maybe the liquid will slowly evaporate over time.
posted by JD Sockinger at 7:10 AM on March 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by JD Sockinger at 7:10 AM on March 13, 2021 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: Here's another update: The splotches are gradually getting smaller, probably because the ethanol/water mixture is slowly evaporating from between the layers. At this rate, it'll probably take a couple of more months before all the liquid disappears. There are also a few areas that look like they are permanently damaged, though the discoloration is not horrible. I will probably not buy another monitor, because $400 is a lot of money to spend. I'll just live with the current monitor.
Also, in case anyone is wondering: The cat is fine. I didn't banish him or anything. He has a long-standing tendency to pee outside the litter box on occasion. I've protected the back of the monitor, so he can't do this again.
posted by JD Sockinger at 9:12 AM on April 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
Also, in case anyone is wondering: The cat is fine. I didn't banish him or anything. He has a long-standing tendency to pee outside the litter box on occasion. I've protected the back of the monitor, so he can't do this again.
posted by JD Sockinger at 9:12 AM on April 3, 2021 [2 favorites]
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IPA (rubbing alcohol) is pretty good for cleaning up electronics. If you're able to remove some of the components from the case, they'll be a lot easier to clean. A shallow tray and a toothbrush are what I use for cleaning electronics, although I do buy IPA by the litre bottle; the small bottles you get from a drugstore won't necessarily be enough to do a thorough job.
Pouring the stuff into the vents probably isn't a great idea. There may be things inside (e.g. stuff that's glued in place) that you really don't want to expose to the IPA. Also I'm pretty sure you're not going to remove all of the pee that way. While you might clean out enough to get the monitor working, the pee that's still in there may cause longer term damage to the monitor's components (e.g by corroding contacts).
posted by pipeski at 9:29 AM on March 4, 2021 [2 favorites]