# Washing/cleaning laptop keyboard



## noin4mation

So my keyboard got really dirty, no spills or anything and i decided to clean it. i read over some websites and they gave me the instructions to removed/unassemble my keyboard.

so i did and i drowned it in a bowl of water, without the keys. i washed the keys in the same manner and wipped them down. After the wash, i reinstalled my keyboard, but it doesn't work properly. For example, I'm on microsoft word and pushes down the A button, it'll ask me to save. Another example, I push down the S button and it'll come out as Se[. You get the point.

What am I doing wrong? Am i reinstalling it wrong? Has water damaged my keyboard? 

thanks in advance.

Oh yes, I've noticed that a lot of the dirt has been collected down onto the bottom of the keys (inside the hoe, maybe that might have to do with it?).


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## tremmor

i think your last sentence is the answer. water, soap or dust in the holes with the keys removed. I think at this point you will have to remove the keys that are the trouble source. blow out with canned static free air from an office supply.


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## Calibretto

Wait.....do you dunk your entire keyboard in water?


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## scooter

Calibretto said:


> Wait.....do you dunk your entire keyboard in water?



LOL...thats what I understood....sizzle....lol

Why on earth would you dunk a piece of electronics into a bowl of water...and then why would you expect it to work properly..


edit: Also, maybe I just have dry hands or something but I've had the same laptop for over 2 years now and I've never had to think about cleaning it.

Try washing your hands...this is like that guy that asked a similar thing a month or so ago..his keyboard was greasy and full of shit...it's like...wash your hands and dont eat at your keyboard.

NASTY!!...I'm sorry.///


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## smoothjk

Wait a minute...dunked a LAPTOP keyboard in a bowl of water...hmmm...

I'm officially confused.


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## HumanMage

I've heard of doing this with desktop keyboards (older ones) but not laptop keyboards. If this is indeed the case, give the keyboard some time to air, or blow canned air on it like previously stated. All the water needs to be evaporated before the keyboard will work.


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## vnsmith

smoothjk said:


> Wait a minute...dunked a LAPTOP keyboard in a bowl of water...hmmm...
> 
> I'm officially confused.



As I have understood, it is not a laptop keyboard.. but yeah, he dunked and let the keyboard swim on a bowl of water..

The advices are right, let your keyboard dry and if, only if worst comes to worst, I think you have to change your keyboard..


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## Nanobyte

I only buy cheap keyboards (you buy crap and it lasts forever to spite you).  My methods for cleaning (some with keyboard unplugged).

1.  Turn upside down and shake to get out those pesky crumbs, hairs and unidentifiable nodules - electric toaster style.  Apply compressed air or dustbuster then repeat until all rattles disappear.  Those with weak stomachs may wish to have garbage bin handy for gagging.

2.  Run corner of thin cardboard laced with a smidgen of isopropanol between the keys to remove smaller pesky occurrences of item 1.  Removing debris off card corner each traverse.

3.  Remove accumulated finger grease and guck from keys with cotton swabs and isopropanol.

4.  If I want to spend an hour or two reassembling the keyboard I disassemble and wipe the debris off with paper towels.

BTW for any keyboard or remote that has silicone rubber keys that stops working, it's almost always due to the silicone oil migrating from the rubber and blocking contact.  If you can disassemble, just wipe off the oil under the keys and on the circuit board until dry.  Reassemble.


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## FuryRosewood

egad another newb dug up a zombie  run fur it ((

also the OP in the original thread was talking about LAPTOP keyboards...not DESKTOP


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## tremmor

Never used rubbing alcohol. Just soap and water or glass cleaner.
I think the rubbing alcohol will take the letters off if rubbing. 
My grand kids will eat over the keyboard and make a mess. 
A soft toothbrush or medium comes in handy. 
Ive taken a large paper clip with needle nose and bent a 90deg 
on the end. very small. to pull the keys if needed.


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## Nanobyte

tremmor said:


> Never used rubbing alcohol. Just soap and water or glass cleaner.
> I think the rubbing alcohol will take the letters off if rubbing.


All my keyboards are intact (oldest in constant use for 6 years).  Letters are pristine. Isopropanol is not a paint thinner.

Glass cleaner contains a bunch of chemicals:

Here's the MSDS for Windex
Isopropanol (rubbing alcohol!!)
2-propanol
Dimethyl carbinol 
Ethylene glycol monobutyl ether (that's also the smell)
Butyl cellosolve
Butyl glycol
Glycol ether

I'll stick with the old rubbing alcohol!


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