Cleaned my keyboard, now it doesn't work

[ThunderRoad]

I cleaned my Macbook Pro (mid 2009) recently. I use a product called iKlear and have done for a few years. I cleaned it using pretty much the same method as I always have done, but used a few more squirts of the solution than usual on my keyboard because it was pretty dirty. When I turned the Macbook back on, the keyboard was acting erratically.

I use the word erratic because there doesn't seem to be much logic to how it works now. Here's some examples...

If I press the 'R' key, it will lock-on and simply keep typing the character. Nothing happens at all if I press 'K'. And if I press 'Z', the volume somehow decreases.

There are a few other examples, but you get this gist. My first thought was water damage, so when it happened I turned the laptop off and let it dry out. I've been away for a week since then and assumed it would be working by now, but the same problems still persist.

Is there anything I can try at home before taking it in to be repaired?

Thanks

 

[duervo]

Probably need at least a new keyboard, or even more fixes.

In the future, spray the solution on the cloth, not the product being cleaned.

 

[simonsi]

If it doesn't work after a week then clearly you have liquid-damaged it...as above, spray any such fluid sparingly on a cloth, liquid is liquid and will do damage...

 

[maflynn]

but used a few more squirts of the solution than usual on my keyboard because it was pretty dirty. When I turned the Macbook back on, the keyboard was acting erratically.

A few too many it seems - the keyboard is now toast.

Is there anything I can try at home before taking it in to be repaired?

Replace it - that's your only option

 

[snaky69]

I cleaned my Macbook Pro (mid 2009) recently. I use a product called iKlear and have done for a few years. I cleaned it using pretty much the same method as I always have done, but used a few more squirts of the solution than usual on my keyboard because it was pretty dirty. When I turned the Macbook back on, the keyboard was acting erratically.

I use the word erratic because there doesn't seem to be much logic to how it works now. Here's some examples...

If I press the 'R' key, it will lock-on and simply keep typing the character. Nothing happens at all if I press 'K'. And if I press 'Z', the volume somehow decreases.

There are a few other examples, but you get this gist. My first thought was water damage, so when it happened I turned the laptop off and let it dry out. I've been away for a week since then and assumed it would be working by now, but the same problems still persist.

Is there anything I can try at home before taking it in to be repaired?

Thanks

It says so right on the bottle of most cleaning products, spray onto the cloth, not onto what you're cleaning, for this very reason. You killed your keyboard with water damage, chalk it up as a lesson learned: read the instructions, that's why they're there.