I stupidly knocked a cup of tea over my keyboard earlier. I drained it all out and it seems to be dry now but many of the keys aren't working properly now (typing this on an old keyboard which is nowhere near as good!) - when I type an 'e' for example, it comes up 'de' all the time, and the same with other keys - like an 'a' comes up if I hit the tab key. Is there anything I can do or should I give up on it?
2006-10-16 11:48:16 · 32 answers · asked by becky21080 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
You can take it apart and clean out each piece one by one with rubbing alcohol.
Or you can buy a new keyboard for $10 - $20.
Good luck.
2006-10-16 11:49:59 · answer #1 · answered by Rj 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
keyboards are relatively cheap at used computer stores so id just go buy another one for 5 or 10 dollars but if you like yours you can try to fix it using a warm moist towel i have done it before to mine spilling a glass of tea on it like you.anyhow on the back of your keyboard there will be 10 or so screws to open it,take them out and separate the front from the back,there is a large rubber piece that goes behind all your keys(that's probably what you got wet and why it isn't working or sticking),wipe that whole rubber piece with a warm moist towel and let it dry and put it back together and it just may work again,don't worry when you take apart your keyboard a bunch of keys and stuff wont come flying out,its rather simple,if it doesn't fix it you probably hit a circuit or something and then you will have to buy a new one,but like i said i did the exact same thing and mine worked fine after i cleaned all the tea and sugar off the rubber piece.........good luck.
2006-10-16 12:00:14 · answer #2 · answered by suzsuz75 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Like most of the others I'd suggest splashing the cash on a new keyboard.. sorry, couldn't resist the pun :-)
You can get new ones for as little as 2 UK pounds.
If you're really tight or desperate, give the keyboard a wash in a bowl of warm water that has a little detergent in it.
Rinse thoroughly in clean warm water.
Take outside and give it a good shake to get as much of the water out of it as possible.
Put it keys facing down in a warm place ( airing cupboard or on top of hot water storage tank ) and leave it there for at least 24 hours.
Test after 1 day and if OK great, if not then put it back in the warmth for another day.
If it isn't OK after a week, bin it.
2006-10-16 12:07:58 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I did the same thing with soda... it gets into the mother board and it will do a couple of things: it will completely block the key from hitting the board and sending a signal or it will do what you're experiencing which is the equivalent of having it's wires crossed. In short I'd say there is almost nothing that can be done and if there is I wasted $25 on a new keyboard.
2006-10-16 11:53:08 · answer #4 · answered by smacked 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's probably still a bit damp inside and the connectors are being joined by water droplets. You can either wait and let it dry out for another few days, or you can unscrew it and dry it off with a cloth. Either way it should be fine, there's not enough current passing through a keyboard for tea to permenantly damage it!
2006-10-16 11:50:57 · answer #5 · answered by WizPip 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You may be able to save your keyboard. Generally, if you've spilled liquid on the keyboard, turn it upside down after you disconnect it to let the liquid drain out. If there's a lot of liquid, or if the liquid is sticky, wash out the spill with running water. (Do not immerse the keyboard.) Let the keyboard drain for 72 hours. This ehow article has more tips on how to clean it:
2006-10-16 11:54:28 · answer #6 · answered by Shibi 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You could remove the buttons on the keys & spray with an electronic cleaner.
But why spend 5-6 dollars for cleaner that may not work when
for another 10 of so yopu can get a new key board.
2006-10-16 11:52:30 · answer #7 · answered by Floyd B 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The same thing happened o me, although mine was coca cola. I unscrewed the back and removed the two ply rumber membrane that separtes the keys to the contacts and gave it a good clean with polish, three years later the keyboard is still going strong
2006-10-17 11:16:37 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chuck it and buy a new one. It's not worth the effort of trying to repair it. Tip for you. Don't take drinks anywhere near a computer! It could prove a lot more expensive than just a keyboard next time!
2006-10-20 00:02:43 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Where I come from you can get a keyboard for £3
2006-10-16 11:58:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋