Can a Water Damaged Keyboard Be Fixed?
Uh oh... have you spilt liquid all over your computer? Read on to learn if a water damaged keyboard can be fixed fast!
Has this ever happened to you? You're up late at night trying to finish a paper or report. In your tiredness, you've turned to coffee or soda to help keep you alert. It's your trusty sidekick on your journey to your next grade.
Then, as you reach for your cup of liquid energy, you miscalculate and knock it over onto your keyboard. Oh, no! You think to yourself. A water damaged keyboard is not good!
The good news, unlike other aspects of water damage on computer components, your water damaged keyboard can be fixed. This article will help you discover the do’s and don'ts regarding caring for a water damaged keyboard.
What You Need to Know
The first thing to know is accidents happen. The next is whatever liquid you were drinking has no doubt made its way to the mechanical or membrane of your keyboard. So here is what you should do (and not do) to prevent dead keys or a dead keyboard.
DON'T: Use Rice
If you've ever gone online to research what to do when electronics come into contact with water, you've most likely heard the advice to put it in a bowl full of rice.
While this is a popular belief, we don't advise using rice. Why? In most cases, using rice will just help to introduce moist starch particles into the mix. And nobody wants that!
DO: Unplug Your Keyboard From Your Computer
The first thing you'll want to do is unplug your keyboard from your computer. To do this, simply unplug your USB from your computer. If you happen to have a cordless keyboard, you'll need to remove the batteries from the keyboard.
That may sound like an obvious solution. But, in the heat of the moment, it's easy to panic and not know what to do.
Unplugging your keyboard from your computer ensures that water will not mix with other parts of your computer's technology.
DO: Flip Your Keyboard Over
On a counter, flip your keyboard over and let the water run out from the crevices of your keyboard. Doing this will help prevent your keyboard from soaking up any excess liquid that could cause it to malfunction.
You'll want to leave it flipped over for at least 24 hours. That way, you'll have a better chance of the water successfully exiting the keyboard. You want to make sure the keyboard has completely stopped dripping before returning to its rightful position.
DON'T: Use Paper Towels
You may be tempted to do what you do for all spills — grab some paper towels and begin to dab them on the wet areas. However, we caution against doing this. The reason for this is that using paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, or any other paper product used to clean up a wet spill will introduce dust into your keyboard.
You don't want dust or other debris entering your keyboard. It will also make it difficult for the water to drip out and harm your keyboard in the long run.
Can a Water Damaged Keyboard Be Fixed?
Service technicians at iFixOmaha are happy to help you get your computer up and running again.
DO: Use a Lint-Free Cloth
Rather than using paper towels, napkins, or other paper products, use a lint-free cloth. That will allow you to sop up some excess water without adding dust or other debris into the mix.
You could even place the keyboard onto the lint-free cloth when you flip it over. If you don't have one handy, no worries, just flip over your keyboard and then go hunting for one.
The most important point is to work on getting your keyboard dried out.
DO: Remove the Keyboard Keys
After your keyboard has completely dried off, you want to flip it back over and then carefully remove the keyboard keys. Some of the keys might be sticky if you spilled something like coffee, soda, or other sugary drinks.
Therefore, it's important to remove the keys so that you can clean them. At this point, it's a good idea to take a picture of your keyboard so you know where all of the keys go when you replace them. If you've forgotten this step, no worries, you can always find example keyboards online.
You can use a keycap puller if you have one. If not, just be gentle. Once you have the keys off the keyboard, you can put them in warm water to clean them or use an alcohol swab.
Once they are all clean, replace the keys on the keyboard in the correct order.
DO: Go Deeper if Keys are Still an Issue
If your keyboard is still not functioning properly or you notice that some keys are still having trouble, you may need to unscrew the keyboard to dry out any excess moisture. Sometimes the moisture can seep further in. In those cases, it's essential to make sure the moisture is dried up.
If your keyboard still isn't working after all of this, you may need a repair shop for further help.
DO: Consider Water-Resistant Options
If your keyboard cannot be fixed, you'll need to replace it. But, while you're at it, you may want to consider a water-resistant keyboard. That can save you the trouble of having to deal with issues in the future.
Fix it Right: Water Damaged Keyboards and More!
If you're having issues with your water damaged keyboard or other components of your computer, call a professional. Service technicians at iFixOmaha are happy to help you get your computer up and running again.
We offer services for smartphones, computers, and more. Check out our website to learn more or schedule an appointment.
