Babywipes killed the Apple Aluminium Wired Keyboard. Fix posible, or ready for trash?

[blanka]

Just wiped some finger grease from my aluminium wired keyboard with baby wipes (organic ones, oil based, no fluids spilled into keyboard).
But now it is FUBAR I guess.

When I press either A or K, i get BOTH A and K, so "AK"
When I press either z or , i get both z and colon, so "z,"
When I press either q or i, i get qi
When I press 1 or 8, i get 18
When I press F1 or numpad-4 I get 4 and the brightness alters
When I press F8 or numpad-7 I get the 7 and the volume alters
Number 4 stopped working

If you look on the keyboard, it looks like there is some matrix reading of the keys, and all problem keys align vertically (except the F and numpad ones).

Do you think there is a fix for this? Can you open the keyboard easily? Or take the pain, and get a 15€ logitech that types better and pull a middle finger to Apple keyboards?

 

[iAppl3Fan]

Just wait a day. Once it drys up I think it will be fine.

 

[opinio]

Just wiped some finger grease from my aluminium wired keyboard with baby wipes (organic ones, oil based, no fluids spilled into keyboard).
But now it is FUBAR I guess.

When I press either A or K, i get BOTH A and K, so "AK"
When I press either z or , i get both z and colon, so "z,"
When I press either q or i, i get qi
When I press 1 or 8, i get 18
When I press F1 or numpad-4 I get 4 and the brightness alters
When I press F8 or numpad-7 I get the 7 and the volume alters
Number 4 stopped working

If you look on the keyboard, it looks like there is some matrix reading of the keys, and all problem keys align vertically (except the F and numpad ones).

Do you think there is a fix for this? Can you open the keyboard easily? Or take the pain, and get a 15€ logitech that types better and pull a middle finger to Apple keyboards?

I always suggest putting the vacuum cleaner onto it to lift any residual moisture that may be stuck under the keys. I only use that method with minor spilled. A major spill could cause problems with the vacuum.

 

[Saltymac]

Hair dryer - alternate between high and low heat. Don't get too close. Use a few times oven an hour period and see if this will help. Never tried a vacuum - sounds like it might work as a pre hair dryer tool.

 

[fhall1]

Sounds like those oil-based wipes left some sort of conductive residue, thus getting two characters displayed when you only press one.

If none of the above suggestions work, my suggestion is to unplug the keyboard and immerse it in a container big enough to submerge it all at once in with enough warm (not hot) water to cover it with a small amount of a bio-degradable de-greaser soap (e.g. "orange" cleaner).

My wife's keyboard took a "coffee bath" a couple weeks ago, so I put hers in the bathtub with warm water and mild dish soap. Gently swished it around upside down in the water, then turned it over and swished it around some more. Then repeated for about 5 - 10 minutes. Then rinsed it thoroughly with cold water. Held it up to let it drain, then put it on the back deck (standing on end in a web type chair) in the semi-shade (not direct sun) to dry for the day.

Brought it in that night and let it sit for a couple more days without plugging it in (obviously we had a spare keyboard). Then plugged it into the computer and it worked fine again.

Some people report success running keyboards through the dishwasher (low cycle, low heat of course) - we don't have a dishwasher (unless you count me). I think the key for you is the mild degreaser to get rid of the conductive oily residue.

 

[Millionaire2K]

Did you try unplugging the keyB and restarting?