Unibody MacBook massive keyboard death?!

[Azrel]

Dear all,

Recently I was cleaning my Unibody MacBook with an alcohol based cleaning product.

I was cleaning my Keyboard, upon after about 30 minutes later my shift key stopped working.

It appears some of the cleaning product has gotten itself under the keyboard?

About 2 hours after, the shift key started working again, but later my F1, 1, Q,A,Z and F11, F12 and Delete keys stopped working?

After this I unplugged the machine and put it on the radiator… Too late? … Perhaps….

Today I powered it on again but still the same keys stopped working, though the shift key still works.

I've connected an external keyboard to type this up. I bought this machine about November 2008 with only the basic warranty.

Is there anything I can do?

 

[maflynn]

Sounds like you shorted it out by pouring too much cleaning solution onto the keyboard.

It doesn't matter that your warranty expired because apple does not cover damage through negligence.

You'll need to get the keyboard replaced, either you can do it yourself or take it to an authorized apple dealer, like an apple store.

 

[acurafan]

also, try using a hair dryer on it for about 1.5 - 2 hours.

if still within warranty, take it to the apples store, they will replace. your keyboard is shorted - but it will not trigger the liquid sensors (assuming you did not spray the entire bottle into the keyboard!) if only a little got underneath.

never spray anything directing into the laptop, spray the cleaning product into the wipe/towel, then clean the keyboard.

 

[Azrel]

also, try using a hair dryer on it for about 1.5 - 2 hours.

if still within warranty, take it to the apples store, they will replace. your keyboard is shorted - but it will not trigger the liquid sensors (assuming you did not spray the entire bottle into the keyboard!) if only a little got underneath.

never spray anything directing into the laptop, spray the cleaning product into the wipe/towel, then clean the keyboard.

Hey thanks I will try that. Unfortunately the warranty has expired. I'm a student and wouldn't be able to afford a replacement keyboard (I checked prices on iFixit).

if it doesn't fix it self looks like I'll be using my external keyboard until I graduate later this year and get a job >.<

I can't believe it, it was only a very small amount of cleaning product, I cleaned my old PowerBook like this all the time!

 

[Takashi]

I can't believe it, it was only a very small amount of cleaning product, I cleaned my old PowerBook like this all the time!

Whether you believe it or not, nobody cleans the keyboard by pouring cleaning solution onto the keyboard directly. A little bit of common sense can get you a LONG way both in school and in college.

The proper way to clean the keyboard is to pour a little bit of cleaning solution on a cloth and wipe each key carefully and make sure the cleaning solution does not drip out of the cloth and land in between the key and the unibody. If you pour too much cleaning solution and soaked the cloth, throw out the cloth and start over with a new piece of cloth.

I won't use a hair-dryer on your keyboard. You don't want the excessive spot heating to melt the keyboard and mess up more things. Furthermore, the fumes from the alcohol based cleaning solution might be flammable.