is it safe to wash keyboards..?

Nutty · 10-10-02, 05:53 PM

I just came home to find some lovely member of my household has spilt a cup of tea all over my keyboard. Lots of sugar in it, so it's getting sticky.

I was thinking of unplugging it, and running it under the tap for a bit, and letting it dry out in the airing cupboard? Anyone tried this? Anyone think it's a bad idea? How do you go about cleaning your keyboards? Or should I just chuck it and buy a new one?

fishlung · 10-10-02, 06:52 PM

If your keys are sticking when you press them, personally, I would buy a new one. I doubt it's worth the hassle of cleaning, as it's not as easy as it seems. If it's just surface stickyness to your fingers, you can just wipe it clean.

I purposely have a regular $15 keyboard, not the fancy-schmancy kind, because they're cheap to replace if they ever get messed up.

10-10-02, 06:53 PM

Compressed air MAYBE, or just buy a new one.

thcdru2k · 10-10-02, 07:35 PM

hey, since most likely you are going to need to replace it, i say run it under the tap, and let it dry for one day outside. who knows it might work, and than just return the keyboard you bought, if it doesn't work, than trash it

Cereal-Killer · 10-10-02, 07:42 PM

I put my keyboard in the dishwasher once and it worked great, but I took it apart first. You'll mess up the num lock/caps lock/scroll lock LEDs if you don't take that little chip out first. It takes quite a while to reassemble the keyboard, but it'll be like new

sy5tem · 10-11-02, 02:39 AM

errr take about 20 min .... open it up and was it from under...
..
remove all the electronic piece and put some soap plus water under presure for faster clean

hehehe i was my keyboard once a years.. i love this old ibm keyboard... :P

Nutty · 10-11-02, 07:10 AM

yeah it's only a cheapo 10 quid one. I'll give it a wash, if it breaks, I'll just get a new one. cheers all.

arise · 10-11-02, 12:05 PM

It is safe, yes, but only with Coke or Beer...

volt · 10-11-02, 12:11 PM

That's why I dont buy expensive keyboards...
I usually buy a new one every year or so. Between that time I try to keep it as clean as possible

Evil17 · 10-12-02, 04:44 AM

Just on the idea of keyboards...
a PC key board can be cleaned,
what about laptop keyboards?
they can get a fair amount of dust on them just like the pc keyboards (if you use then enough, or if you have furry animals who love a warm "cushion" just like my friend....)

Nutty · 10-12-02, 05:50 AM

well "eye" rnsed t wth luke warm water, and now my "eye" keys bust. Maybe needs more dryng tme or somat.. Looks nce and clean tho..

Nutty · 10-12-02, 11:06 AM

ahh bugger it, I went out and bought a nice new logitech keyboard. much nicer, quiter, more comfortable.. God help those who spill tea on this one!

10-10-02, 05:53 PM	#1
Nutty Sittin in the Sun Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,835	is it safe to wash keyboards..? I just came home to find some lovely member of my household has spilt a cup of tea all over my keyboard. Lots of sugar in it, so it's getting sticky. I was thinking of unplugging it, and running it under the tap for a bit, and letting it dry out in the airing cupboard? Anyone tried this? Anyone think it's a bad idea? How do you go about cleaning your keyboards? Or should I just chuck it and buy a new one?

10-10-02, 07:35 PM	#4
thcdru2k Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Milpitas, CA Posts: 1,142	hey, since most likely you are going to need to replace it, i say run it under the tap, and let it dry for one day outside. who knows it might work, and than just return the keyboard you bought, if it doesn't work, than trash it __________________ Athlon XP 1.58GHz \| MSI KT3 Ultra2 \| 256MB DDR PC-3000 \| GeForce 4 ti4200 64mb @ 310/533 \| IBM 120GXP 40.0GB \| Det. 41.09 \| DX 9 RC2 \| Win XP SP1 11118 3DMarks

10-11-02, 12:11 PM	#9
volt Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: /dev/null Posts: 1,556	That's why I dont buy expensive keyboards... I usually buy a new one every year or so. Between that time I try to keep it as clean as possible __________________ [b]Optimization guidelines by Koji Ashida of NVIDIA:[/b][list][]Use fx12 instructions whenever possible[]Use lowest pixel shader version[/list][url=http://developer.nvidia.com/docs/IO/10878/ChinaJoy2004_OptimizationAndTools.pdf]source[/url] [size=1]The politics are invading the technology. We don't really like to mess with politics because that kind of adversarial relationship has nothing to do with pure technical operations and the technical specifications of what we like to play with, the hardware![/size]

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10-10-02, 06:52 PM	#2
fishlung "Steempy, you nVeediot!" Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Berkeley, CA Posts: 100	If your keys are sticking when you press them, personally, I would buy a new one. I doubt it's worth the hassle of cleaning, as it's not as easy as it seems. If it's just surface stickyness to your fingers, you can just wipe it clean. I purposely have a regular $15 keyboard, not the fancy-schmancy kind, because they're cheap to replace if they ever get messed up.

10-10-02, 06:53 PM	#3
The Baron Guest Posts: n/a	Compressed air MAYBE, or just buy a new one.

10-10-02, 07:42 PM	#5
Cereal-Killer Posts: 4159 Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 73	I put my keyboard in the dishwasher once and it worked great, but I took it apart first. You'll mess up the num lock/caps lock/scroll lock LEDs if you don't take that little chip out first. It takes quite a while to reassemble the keyboard, but it'll be like new

10-11-02, 02:39 AM	#6
sy5tem Registered User Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 1	errr take about 20 min .... open it up and was it from under... .. remove all the electronic piece and put some soap plus water under presure for faster clean hehehe i was my keyboard once a years.. i love this old ibm keyboard... :P

10-11-02, 07:10 AM	#7
Nutty Sittin in the Sun Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,835	yeah it's only a cheapo 10 quid one. I'll give it a wash, if it breaks, I'll just get a new one. cheers all.

10-11-02, 12:05 PM	#8
arise Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Europe Posts: 93	It is safe, yes, but only with Coke or Beer...

10-12-02, 04:44 AM	#10
Evil17 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Sydney Australia Posts: 7	Just on the idea of keyboards... a PC key board can be cleaned, what about laptop keyboards? they can get a fair amount of dust on them just like the pc keyboards (if you use then enough, or if you have furry animals who love a warm "cushion" just like my friend....)

10-12-02, 05:50 AM	#11
Nutty Sittin in the Sun Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,835	well "eye" rnsed t wth luke warm water, and now my "eye" keys bust. Maybe needs more dryng tme or somat.. Looks nce and clean tho..

10-12-02, 11:06 AM	#12
Nutty Sittin in the Sun Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom Posts: 1,835	ahh bugger it, I went out and bought a nice new logitech keyboard. much nicer, quiter, more comfortable.. God help those who spill tea on this one!