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iNotion

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 5, 2008
306
185
Singapore
I just spilled coffee on my new Mac keyboard(slim).
Anyone know what is the best way to clean it up?:(
 
I spilt a cup of tea on my keyboard a few months back, I ended up taking the keys of one by one and washing them, then cleaning the keyboard its self using cotton buds and alcohol (not beer) before popping the keys back on.

It took some time but worked a treat. I have read of people putting keyboards in a dishwasher to clean them but did not like the idea of doing that.

Good luck.
 
Carefully clean around each key with a cotton swab and a cleaner which evaporates quickly. I use iKlean, my son uses alcohol. After you have cleaned as much as you can see, lay the keyboard on a window sill which has a lot of direct sun. About a day, day and a half should do. After the keyboard has thoroughly dried in the sun, plug it up and give it a try. Carefully remove and clean any key which is still sticky. This has worked twice for me. However, if it doesn't work, you have a new keyboard in your future and have learned a valuable lesson.
Good luck. :D
 
Shouldn't you rinse the keyboard off with water, before laying it out to dry?

If you unplugged the keyboard quickly enough, then the liquid hopefully didn't cause a short and fry the keyboard. But after you unplug it, you should be able to rinse all the coffee out, because residual stuff like that can damage the keyboard even after it dries.

I know some people actually stick their keyboard in the dishwater. As long as you give it a couple of days to completely dry out before plugging it in again, there will be no ill effects.
 
I just spilled coffee on my new Mac keyboard(slim).
Anyone know what is the best way to clean it up?:(

Clean it with "clean" water which is not tap water or mineral water,those have residue in them.
Use the kind of water you use to fill up a car battery,that's totally clean,you can even soak your keyboard in it while still plugged in.
It will do the job without leaving any residue.
Also,always instantly disconnect any device from the mains and/or battery when something is spilled onto it.
If,for instance you drop your phone into water and instantly remove the battery and after cleaning it with the above water there's much better chance it will work again without a glitch.
Good luck.
 
I spilled soda on my Al keyboard before and I put it in the dishwasher rinse cycle or whatever and then let it dry for about 4-5 days. It works like new now.
 
Wait, are you just telling the OP to get a new keyboard without even trying to save 50 bucks? seems a little silly to me.

Some peoples time is worth more than the cost of a new keyboard.

I would have purchased a new one to get back in the game ASAP, rinsed the old one in the sink and set it aside to dry for a couple weeks. If it works then great, I've got a spare keyboard for the next time I spill coffee. If it doesn't work, into the garbage it goes.

Electronics are amazing things. I went Kayaking a little while ago and forgot to put my car keys in a dry bag. I ended up dumping in the ocean and soaking the key fob. Got back to the car and it wouldn't start because the electronics in the fob were wet and would not communicate with the car. I cracked open the fob, removed the battery and rinsed both out in the melted ice of a coke I had earlier in the day. Set everything on the dash for about 20 minute, put it all back together and walla, the car started and everything is working great again!
 
Some peoples time is worth more than the cost of a new keyboard.

I would have purchased a new one to get back in the game ASAP, rinsed the old one in the sink and set it aside to dry for a couple weeks. If it works then great, I've got a spare keyboard for the next time I spill coffee. If it doesn't work, into the garbage it goes.

Electronics are amazing things. I went Kayaking a little while ago and forgot to put my car keys in a dry bag. I ended up dumping in the ocean and soaking the key fob. Got back to the car and it wouldn't start because the electronics in the fob were wet and would not communicate with the car. I cracked open the fob, removed the battery and rinsed both out in the melted ice of a coke I had earlier in the day. Set everything on the dash for about 20 minute, put it all back together and walla, the car started and everything is working great again!

What's a key fob?
 
Wait, why didn't you just unlock your car door with your key? Or am I still missing some crucial point?

I was able to get in the car with the key however there is a chip in the fob that communicates with the cars computer. The car will not start unless it can talk to and authenticate with the chip. It's a theft prevention measure.

I became a very religious person while waiting for the fob to dry :D
 
I was able to get in the car with the key however there is a chip in the fob that communicates with the cars computer. The car will not start unless it can talk to and authenticate with the chip. It's a theft prevention measure.

I became a very religious person while waiting for the fob to dry :D

Ah, okay. I've never seen a car with that fancy a key before; all the cars in my family are from the last century.
 
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