Laptops are amazing, right? You’re not stuck in one spot. You can easily relax as you work or watch your favorite TV show. Munch on your favorite snack as you do. It’s like living your best life, a dream come true. But this all can turn into a nightmare in a second. As soon as you spill something on your laptop which could damage switches and you might need to look for new keyboard switches.
How to Clean Laptop Keyboard After a Spill
I hope you’re reading for future reference because when it comes to spills on laptops, time is vital! If you’re not, TURN OFF your laptop ASAP!!! At this point, you might think that all is lost. But, there might be some hope, so give these tips a try, and maybe your laptop will work as if nothing ever happened.
Off with the Power
The first thing you need to do if you ever find yourself in such a predicament is switching your laptop off. Then, force shut your laptop by pressing down on the power button. I know that people advise you against it, but this will save you in the log. You might lose many temporary files, but it’s better than losing important data due to the hardware short-circuiting. But don’t worry as your laptop doesn’t set on fire immediately after something spills on it.
Strip it, then Flip it
This step greatly depends on your laptop’s ability to be unscrewed and the warranty. If your laptop cannot be taken apart, run to the repair shop at the speed of light. If it can check the warranty policy first. Many companies’ warranties are rendered useless once you take the laptop apart. So make sure to check that with the manufacturers. You might get a free inspection if you decide to go to the company’s repair shop.
But the actual repair might cost you money which is mostly the case with Macbooks. If you don’t feel like paying a hefty amount for repairs and are okay with doing it yourself, get the screwdriver. As your laptop is flipped upside down, unscrew the back. After you’re done with that, set aside the hard drive and RAM in a safe and dry space. If your laptop’s battery is removable, remove it instantly.
In case some of the liquid got to it, dry it as best as possible and put it in a safe place. If you can’t take it out easily, take the screws out using a screwdriver and pop the battery out. Don’t even think of using a hairdryer. Just don’t. Trust me on this one. It’ll burn your keys and instead of drying, you’ll have to replace your entire keyboard. Instead of that, flip your laptop over a towel and let it dry.
You can turn on a fan to quicken the process. Although it’s best to leave your laptop to drain for 24-hours, if you’re in a hurry, 4-hours should be enough. You might be thinking that this is too long. “Just throw it in some rice!” Sorry to burst your bubble but “rice isn’t nice” for drying electronics. What’s worse, if rice happens to get in your laptop’s USB hub or cooling system, you’ll have more problems to solve than a simple wet laptop.
Now for the Keys
The keys are the first surface of contact, so they’re sure to get drenched. If you spilled water, dapping them with a towel should be enough. If you spilled something other than water like a soda, beer, juice, etc., now, that’s a different story. You’re in luck that keys on keyboards are removable. Thus, remove your laptop’s keys to get them thoroughly cleaned. I’d say use a keycap puller as it’s a tool made for the job. If you don’t have one, a screwdriver with a flat head works just fine as well.
If you’re using a keycap remover, clip the keys from top and bottom, if the keys are high-profile keys. Left and right are the way to go for low-profile keys. If you’re using a screwdriver, any direction works. Just pop out the keys and put them aside. If you don’t have the key placements memorized like me, snapping a picture would do you wonders. This will make putting the keycaps back easier compared to trying to figure out which key belongs where.
Once you’ve removed the keys, put them in a container with soaping water and thoroughly rinse them. As for your laptop’s keyboard, use rubbing alcohol to clean the space between the keys. Use a tiny amount and clean it using a Q-tip /cotton bud. Also, make sure you don’t spill this anywhere on your keyboard. Once you’ve removed the sticky liquid from your laptop, dry the keycaps using a paper towel. You can also use cotton buds to get all the nooks and crannies.
Yeh! It’s All Coming Together
Once everything is cleaned off and dried (like thoroughly dried), put it all back together. Place all the keycaps in their original place. A “click” should indicate that they’re nice and secure. Screw-in the hard drive and the RAM (if you removed it). Slip the battery back into place. Try turning your laptop ON after you’ve put it back together. It should work perfectly fine, and you should be good to go. If that’s not the case, then you might have to go to the repair shop after all.
Precaution is Better than Cure
Whether you’ve gone through this and want to avoid it, or just don’t want to experience this at all! Use a keyboard cover for your laptop. I personally find them a bit weird, but Hey! They’re saving your laptop from severe damage, so why not. What’s more, they even come in cute colors and designs, a bonus for aesthetics. If you want hardcore protection, then you can go for a full shell protective case. These, too, come in various designs. Hence, you get an aesthetic form with an amazing function!
Related Keyboard Guides: How to increase & decrease keyboard speed | How to charge wireless keyboard
To Sum it Up
Spilling something on your laptop is a complete nightmare! We all know that electronics and liquids don’t mix well together but don’t lose hope. All is not lost yet. Turn off your laptop ASAP and follow these tricks so you can save your drenched laptop and have it working like before in no time.