Safe or Unsafe? Washing Keyboard

[ShaunyR]

I was wondering if washing you keyboard in water or in a dish washer was safe or not? I've heard it was but I have my doubts.

 

[imported_Aelius]

You can use a garden hose if you want.

Just don't forget to collect all the keys afterwards and leave it to dry for at least half a week after shaking the water out of it a bit.

I would suggest against using dishwashing liquid unless you have a super filthy keyboard. In which case it might be less of a headache to simply go out and buy a new one for $15-20. If you can afford it.

 

[Chu]

Definatly not. Spillproof keyboards do nothing to protect your keyboard from water coming from underneath, and water under pressure might do unpredectable things. There are certain keyboards that do stand the diswasher test (the infamous IBM clicker being the main one) but I wouldn't trust any keyboard with a plastic base. If you absolutly must wash it throughly (for example, a coke spill that makes too many keys stick), send it through the diswasher, and then there flush it with distilled water. Hopefully it will survive.

 

[Tango57]

i've heard some people remove all the keys then clean it with dishwashing soap and water and then put all the keys back after drying. sounds a bit tedious though unless you want it thoroughly cleaned.

 

[Czar]

I'v put a few of my keyboard in the tub, warm water + a little bit of soap, let it stay there for 30 minutes or longer and its pretty clean, you can spool it as well.

btw, all of my keyboards have been keytronics which have no extra media buttons or fansy stuff. Also when the cleaning is done it takes quite some time to dry, put it in a warm place with good ventilation for a few days

 

[imported_crossedup]

I had a toshiba laptop that i spilled beer on, mostly the keyboard. Removed it and soaked it in rubbing alcohol for a bit then let it dry and it reattached it and all was well. Before that it had stuck keys and the whole nine yards.

Little more expensive solution but another alternative.

 

[imported_NoGodForMe]

Here at work, I cleaned my keys with a wet paper towel with a little soap on it.
Then one key stopped working. I had an extra keyboard I used for a day. The next day, I put back the cleaned keyboard and it worked again. But it was a major bummer to have a letter key not work.

 

[gsellis]

0 for 1 on the dishwasher technique. Someone in the household spilled a soda in it first. Thought I would try it just because I could. It was no-op afterwards, but it was no-op before it went in too. The controller may have already been beyond hope, so this is not a real test to judge by.

Unless you are a student, keyboards are fairly cheap.

 

[HappyCracker]

Just take it apart and clean it. It's not too hard, just a bit tedious. I had a can of starch go crazy when moving and rendered most of the keyboard inoperable. Took it apart, cleaned the sheet that holds the traces, the black things that make contact, and VOILA!

 

[noteworthy]

I took apart my keyboard when dr pepper was spilled on it. popped off all the keys.... took apart the two sides of keyboard (top bottom) saved all the little 'bubbles' for the keys to push down to complete circuit. Then I took out the controller and took apart the clear circuitry sheets.. washed them real good to get all the dr pepper syrup off them... scrubbed keyboard outer shell... keys then slapped it back together in a few days.

Worked great.

 

[high]

just psut it in a warm - hot water bath with no soap and leave the cord out, take it out and hang it for a day or 2 and you're fine. 100% test and true

 

[Hardtarget]

Originally posted by: high
hot water bath with no soap and leave the cord out

LOL Who would plug it in!

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: Hardtarget

Originally posted by: high
hot water bath with no soap and leave the cord out

LOL Who would plug it in!

ROFLMAO - I know mine wasn't long enough. Must get that keyboard extender cable!

 

[Algere]

< Uses Fantastic all purpose cleaner



Keyboard still kicking.

 

[high]

or to be more specific for the dimwitted around here, keep the cord out of the water, as I have seen upteen people put it in there with the keyboard, morons.

 

[robphelan]

Originally posted by: crossedup
I had a toshiba laptop that i spilled beer on, mostly the keyboard.

sure am glad I'm not the only one who drinks on the job...

 

[gsellis]

Originally posted by: crossedup
I had a toshiba laptop that i spilled beer on, mostly the keyboard. Removed it and soaked it in rubbing alcohol for a bit then let it dry and it reattached it and all was well. Before that it had stuck keys and the whole nine yards.

Little more expensive solution but another alternative.

Had a flight attendant bump into my mom, who knocked her bloody mary onto a borrowed toshiba laptop's keyboard. It was 'bleeding' when we moved it (and deader than a door nail.) Tango Uniform on the keyboard.

I am starting to see a pattern with Toshiba's here. They may need to be checked it into rehab during a maintenance cycle.

 

[Whitedog]

I completely dissasemble mine... (no, I don't take each key off, just take the main layers apart)

I've taken one apart. Totally cleaned it to 100% spanking new clean... dried with towell/hair dryer... reassebled and back up and running in less than 30-45 minutes.

No waiting 2 days for me.

It's not that hard.

 

[us3rnotfound]

Originally posted by: Whitedog
I completely dissasemble mine... (no, I don't take each key off, just take the main layers apart)

I've taken one apart. Totally cleaned it to 100% spanking new clean... dried with towell/hair dryer... reassebled and back up and running in less than 30-45 minutes.

No waiting 2 days for me.

It's not that hard.

And all those litter rubber dots?? Damn, you must be patient

 

[Looney]

Bah, i've tossed EVERY keyboard i've ever own, logitech, Belkins, microsoft and noname brands into the dish washer, and noen of them have ever had any problems... and why should they? As long as you don't use soap, and let it dry completely, what could exactly cause the keyboard to malfunction or break down?

 

[Markfw]

I usually use a light windows cleaner spray on they keyboard, and then use a paper towel to actually get (sort of) between keys and on top of the keys. I have done this several times, with no ill effects. I usually wait a few hours afterwards before using. I think the real key here is making sure the initial spray is "very light". After that, the paper towel has soaked up enough to finish cleaning.

 

[Psych]

Do you take the keys out when you put it in the dishwasher? I'd think at least some of the keyboard's circuitry would be exposed and adversely affected by the water.

I just take the keys off my keyboard and wash those, then I carefully use a damp cloth to wipe the insides.

 

[Jeff7]

I completely disassembled my $6.95 Acer keyboard, to get the circuit board out - and I washed everything else in generic green dish soap and water. Rinse, dry, reassemble - all's well with it. This keyboard is probably about 4-5 years old now, and still working fine. Granted, the S, D, R, E, O, L, M, and N keys are losing the silkscreened letters, but that's no big deal for me. F and J have the little bumps on them, so I always know where my fingers are.
When drying, the keys may require extra attention, if you want it done faster than a few days. I dried each key out individually, and then set them all in front of a fan for about an hour, occasionally shuffling them. That did a pretty thorough job.