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dadder · Nov 10, 2002, 03:14 PM

Can someone please tell me if this is safe? My son spilled juice in my G3 B/W keyboard and I've heard many years ago you can submerge your keyboard in pure alchohol (unplugged of course) to dissolve the liquid and then take out to dry before plugging back in. I'm simply nervous about doing it and don't know if this is safe with the newer computers. Any suggestions? My keys are super sticky. Thanks.

buffalolee · Nov 10, 2002, 03:15 PM

No, it will make your keyboard stop working. Just use water.

qwertyuiop · Nov 10, 2002, 03:44 PM

Though I have not tried it I have seen it suggested elswhere to use an automatic dishwasher without soap to clean a goopy keyboard.

Keyboards are just fancy switching devices and any water safe enough to drink is basically non-conductive of electricity so it should not damage any electrical components.

If you do try this method just be sure the keyboard is thoroughly dry before connecting it. Good luck

CIA · Nov 10, 2002, 06:30 PM

Keyboards are under $10 on ebay.....

Ebay "USB Keyboard Apple" Search

COmie JOe · Nov 12, 2002, 09:57 PM

Originally posted by qwertyuiop:
\
Keyboards are just fancy switching devices and any water safe enough to drink is basically non-conductive of electricity so it should not damage any electrical components.\

Fancy switching device, with a USB controler in it. Water that is conductive (containing electalites) is safe for drinking, not healthy overtime is some cases. I would recemend purifyed water, incase your tap water contains a lot of electalites.

Avon · Nov 14, 2002, 01:33 AM

The best way to clean keyboards is to use a brush. One of thoes big guys for cleaning floors or clothing that can get between the keys. Hose the keyboard down with Windex, brush it well and then blow it off with compressed air. Not to many people have an air compressor, so I guess you can just let it drip dry upside down. The air comressor is the way to go though, they come out spotless.... I have cleaned many a keyboard this way, and my friend with a computer refurb house has cleaned literaly thousands with this method.

Keyboards take alot of abuse, you can be fairly liberal with the Windex. Submerging it in anythign will send it to that big keyboard graveyard in the sky.

Dishwasher? You must be kidding me.

dadder · Nov 15, 2002, 09:59 PM

Originally posted by Avon:
The best way to clean keyboards is to use a brush. One of thoes big guys for cleaning floors or clothing that can get between the keys. Hose the keyboard down with Windex, brush it well and then blow it off with compressed air. Not to many people have an air compressor, so I guess you can just let it drip dry upside down. The air comressor is the way to go though, they come out spotless.... I have cleaned many a keyboard this way, and my friend with a computer refurb house has cleaned literaly thousands with this method.

Keyboards take alot of abuse, you can be fairly liberal with the Windex. Submerging it in anythign will send it to that big keyboard graveyard in the sky.

Dishwasher? You must be kidding me.

Yeah, that technique sounds do-able. If windex doesn't get the outcome that I am hoping for, I can always take CIA's advice and get the $10 ebay keyboard. Gotta love ebay. Seems submerging it may be a bad idea. THANKS!

zac4mac · Nov 21, 2002, 03:49 PM

...as long as you leave no residue.
1)Use pure distilled water to clean out the sugars and other water soluble junk
2)blow it out well with compressed air(not your mouth, saliva is bad for 'trons)
3)Douche it liberally with alcohol, isopropyl(rubbing alcohol) or ethanol(Everclear)
4)Blow it out again, let sit for a day or two, depending on your local humidity, before plugging in.

Zack

ken310 · Nov 23, 2002, 06:48 PM

While I hate to dispute any of the methods mentioned here for cleaning a keyboard I would like to point out that water especially tap water (some more than others) and soaps are extremely bad for electronics. I don't know if you've ever been inside a keyboard (I'm guessing not) but it is filled with places that will trap water and may eventually cause problems. I've thought about the distilled water idea but there are still corrosives (minerals) even in distilled water. We could debate water quality but also being a fish breeder I'm fairly educated in water purification's and even RO (reverse osmosis) water which act's like a vacuum immediately after being processed could be problematic.
On to the solution which is to simply take the keyboard apart. Then clean the keys and rubber/plastic pad under the keys with a cleaning solution, I use regular dish soap myself. You can air dry the pad/s and keys or use a hair dryer to accelerate the process. I'm not going to say other methods mentioned here wont work but often the keyboard will eventually fail and I don't know about you but personally I don't want anything attached to my computer that may electrically short and possibly cause other problems. Many may think "well if I take it apart I probably wont be able to put it back together" but they are actually quite easy thanks to the ingenious methods used today to build them. Now I wouldn't want to take one of the first invented keyboards apart but today's are actually fairly simple. Some have mini switches and others have an actual metallic bubble that acts as a switch when compressed. I Hope I haven't stepped on too many toes but this is the only truly safe way to clean a keyboard. You will find it's also easier to clean them especially with some of the older ones that are badly stained. You can soak the keys and plastic that surrounds them in almost any chemical solution that wont damage plastic. I've cleaned a few that looked like they'd rusted with some pretty strong solutions and been very pleased with the outcome. Now I wouldn't want to clean a hundred or so a day but to clean just one minus any soak time shouldn't take more than around 20 minutes. Hope this helps

Deadline · Nov 27, 2002, 11:44 PM

Auctually.. if you submerge the keyboard in water it will conduct electricity because it isnt pure dihydroenmonoxide.. so i would advise just buying a new one =P

qnxde · Nov 28, 2002, 07:03 PM

*shrugs* I dunno. I've cleaned about 4 keyboards by giving them a bath. Admittedly these were PowerBook keyboards or ADB ones, so I don't know if USB would be any difference. Whatever you do, just make sure they are completely dry before plugging them back in. You probably wouldn't fry anything, but would you want to take the risk?

MikeA67 · Dec 13, 2002, 02:10 PM

I build computer boards for a living so I will give you all the real deal on cleaning "any" printed circuit board.

If it's a keyboard, take it apart and clean the pcb with alchohol or water. Tap water is fine. You can speed up drying with a blow dryer. Not a heat gun!

Clean the plastics with soap and water or any mild cleaner that you like. Then dry

You can clean any circuit board with water or alcohol. The only time that you will not want to use water is if the board is used for some type of RF device. Then use alcohol only(it dries clean)

Thats it.

Mike

moofman · Dec 30, 2002, 09:12 PM

Originally posted by qnxde:
*shrugs* I dunno. I've cleaned about 4 keyboards by giving them a bath. Admittedly these were PowerBook keyboards or ADB ones, so I don't know if USB would be any difference. Whatever you do, just make sure they are completely dry before plugging them back in. You probably wouldn't fry anything, but would you want to take the risk?

You say you've cleaned PowerBook keyboards... I recently spilled some Sprite on the top three rows of keys of my PB keyboard while it was disconnected and I was changing the hard drive. I was told that washing the keyboard in any form of solution would ruin it because there was a conducive paint on it that was water-soluble and would wash off, making the keyboard useless. I was about to buy a new one on eBay if I had to ($40-60), but if you could give me details on how to clean a PowerBook keyboard I would be forever grateful.

CIA · Dec 31, 2002, 10:03 PM

Or you could just spend the ten bucks on ebay...

moofman · Dec 31, 2002, 10:35 PM

Or you could look and see how much they sell for and notice that they're not going for 10 bucks, but 40-60 bucks. And if you wanna send me the 40 bucks for a new keyboard when I can just clean the one I have for free, go ahead. Remember, it's a laptop keyboard. Not a full length one.

Webscreamer · Dec 31, 2002, 10:50 PM

I had a bunch of stuff in mine before. Sooo....

I just took a sprayer and sprayed water in it(it was not a high powered one at all... think more shower pressure).

But the key is not to plug it in too soon! I plugged mine in too soon(even after 2 sessions of blow drying for 10 min each time). I plugged it in too early and half the keys didn't work... So blow dry it and let it sit in the sun for at LEAST 2 days.

Good Luck. (Note: I didn't use any soap, just water and worked like new!)

the weatherman · Jan 6, 2003, 01:20 AM

Originally posted by MikeA67:
I build computer boards for a living so I will give you all the real deal on cleaning "any" printed circuit board.

If it's a keyboard, take it apart and clean the pcb with alchohol or water. Tap water is fine. You can speed up drying with a blow dryer. Not a heat gun!

Clean the plastics with soap and water or any mild cleaner that you like. Then dry

You can clean any circuit board with water or alcohol. The only time that you will not want to use water is if the board is used for some type of RF device. Then use alcohol only(it dries clean)

Thats it.

Mike

Any suggestion on how to take apart those Pro keyboards. It so hard to get a screw driver for those really small hex screws.
Are they really non-standard or I am just out of luck.
So I am considering just submerging it in water (could I add soap?) to clean even the guts.

Thanks

MikeA67 · Jan 8, 2003, 10:39 AM

No you don't want do dunk the keyboard. The screws should be metric sizes.

Angus_D · Jan 11, 2003, 09:06 AM

Originally posted by MikeA67:
No you don't want do dunk the keyboard. The screws should be metric sizes.

Not here. Apple Pro USB, very small hex screws (4 of them on the base). Apple seems to like hex screws now, they use it for my G4's casing too.

MikeA67 · Jan 14, 2003, 01:25 AM

The hex is a metric size. Try using a flat head screwdriver that just fits inside the hex, or an allen wrench. I have had "some" luck with these in the past.

Mike

clod · Jan 15, 2003, 09:13 PM

Pure alcohol (99% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol for example) is totally safe to submerge electronics in. I've done it before.

Cipher13 · 01:11 PM

Yeah, take the keys off and use isopropyl. Hell, you could dunk your motherboard in that and liquid cool it

Okay, not quite, but almost...

milhouse · Jan 20, 2003, 12:16 AM

Originally posted by COmie JOe:
Fancy switching device, with a USB controler in it. Water that is conductive (containing electalites) is safe for drinking, not healthy overtime is some cases. I would recemend purifyed water, incase your tap water contains a lot of electalites.

Slightly OT:

It's electrolytes...as in electrolytic

Vond · Jan 20, 2003, 02:00 AM

Originally posted by Avon:
Dishwasher? You must be kidding me.

Maybe they built things tougher in the old days, but I have a friend who has worked at the CS department of a large US university, and she said that in the 70s and 80s they used to take the keyboards from the labs in batches of 10, load them up in a dishwasher at home (no soap), and let 'er rip. After thorough drying (we're talking 2-3 days) they plugged them back in and took the next batch the next weekend.

Also, personal experience, I had a minor drink spill on my Pismo keyboard, but it was dirty anyway, so I just submerged the sucker. Tried it a day later, got strange behavior due to remaining water, so 1 more day of drying and it was squeaky clean and 100% working again!