Recovering a flooded laptop keyboard. Repairing a Flooded Keyboard How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard After Flooding

One of the most common problems that laptop owners contact service centers is spilled liquid on the device. The event itself is out of the ordinary and extremely unpleasant, but ... The income of the service masters could be somewhat more modest, and the number of survivors after washing the devices is much higher, if users were a little more attentive and got acquainted with the rules of first aid for their electronic friends in time ...

We will talk about the technique of "artificial respiration" for an accidentally flooded laptop, about how to reduce the costs of probable repairs and increase the chances of a full recovery of the device in our article.

The root of the problem is that most of us are well aware of the degree of risk when any liquid gets on the body of the device, but over time, the proximity of a laptop and a cup of coffee or tea becomes a good habit, and at some stage vigilance becomes dulled. Here the payback for our excessive love of comfort awaits.

According to stubborn statistics, the contents of every 200th cup carried over the laptop does not reach its goal, that is, it does, but not the one that was set. However, beer, as it turned out, is far from the most common risk factor. In decreasing order of probability, liquid spilled on a laptop can be arranged like this:

coffee;
carbonated sweet drinks (cola, soda, sprite, kvass, etc.);
alcohol (beer, cognac, vodka, wine, whiskey, etc.);
water;
other drinks and first courses (milk, borscht, ...);
dog or cat "Golden rain" (our four-legged friends can sometimes be very jealous, vindictive and inventive)).

Of course, the presented statistical summary of the spilled liquids, proposed by the researchers of the issue, is rather arbitrary. It is clear that in a family where a child of 3 years old wanders around the house with a cup of juice all day, the most likely source of problems will be juice, a lonely elderly lady - an inveterate cat lady with her mind and memory - is the last factor, and those who like to work with a glass of cool velvet beer - it is native.

What has been shed is important!

Here you should immediately pay attention to the fact that all of the listed liquids spilled on laptops from the point of view of the potential danger to the device of the components of their composition can be divided into two groups: aggressive and slightly aggressive.

Postulate 1 sounds like this: the higher the content of sugar and salts in a liquid, the more aggressive it is.

Accordingly, running water, unsweetened tea, etc. can be classified as weakly aggressive.

Weakly aggressive liquids in limited quantities, subject to short-term contact and correctly carried out resuscitation measures, pose a minimum danger to the motherboard - the most vulnerable element of the assembly. Accordingly, sugar-containing formulations (tea, coffee, etc.) are more dangerous. But cola, kvass or salted mineral water can ingloriously kill your tsamputer literally in a matter of hours.

Postulate 2 states: the degree of success in repairing a flooded laptop and possible injuries to the motherboard directly depends on what kind of liquid and in what amount was spilled and how long it worked to destroy!

Resuscitation measures - sequence, description (a small amount of non-aggressive liquid is spilled - up to 20-30 ml)

The sequence of priority resuscitation measures in the general case is as follows:

We disconnect the device as quickly as possible, without delay, disconnect the power supply at the connector (!) Of the laptop. At this point, you should not think about how to correctly exit Windows, which documents are not saved, and even more so, try to clarify these issues in ICQ or Skype. - The priority is to save equipment. Remember: documents are most likely to be restored after it will be possible, but a laptop, with the loss of precious seconds, is most likely problematic.
Turn off the laptop (if, after spilling liquid or completing step 1, it did not turn off by itself). We remove the battery and connected peripherals - remove the flash drives, disconnect the external drive. We remove the disc from the drive ....
After opening the lid, turn the device over with the keyboard down, which will allow the liquid to drain. Make sure that it does not flow onto the matrix! We wipe the rest of the spilled liquid on the body with a soft cloth or napkin. We leave it in this position and with the lid open on a well-lit (sunny side) - it can be on the windowsill for a day or two to completely dry the keyboard and the case.

Do not, under any circumstances, turn on an undiagnosed laptop, even after good drying!

Important! At the drying stage, many (up to 80%) users who find themselves in such a situation for the first time often commit a global and fatal mistake - they connect a device that has not been diagnosed, and often not dried! This is categorically unacceptable, because if the liquid did penetrate inside, a short circuit is very likely, and dried sweet tea can also close the jumper no worse!

We remember our main goal - to minimize the consequences and risks!

If a small amount of non-aggressive liquid was spilled, you reacted quickly enough and steps 1-3 were performed correctly, there is a high probability that your laptop will continue to delight you after drying. But here, too, options are possible.

Misconception: if after drying the laptop turns on and works, then the problem is a thing of the past.

Explanation : Externally, the keyboard and the case can be dried ideally, but it is often problematic to determine visually whether water or beer has penetrated into the case, to assess the degree and volume of liquid penetration and the consequences of its destructive effect. The path taken by the spilled liquid is fairly standard: keyboard> case-to-keyboard joints> motherboard. At the same time, the liquid that has penetrated into the body begins its destructive work from the first seconds of its contact with current-carrying elements.

You are in luck if the manufacturer has provided a special protective film under the keyboard of your model. And if there is none, then while you are inspiredly watching the next episode of "Game of Thrones", corrosion will do its "orange" business! Perhaps, after drying, you will have time to watch a few more episodes, but each of them very soon may result in a tidy sum for you. Whether such "games" are worth the candle is up to you!

We add that the development of the situation in a negative way is provoked by the fact that:

motherboard chips - big fans of drawing water under themselves;
the rate of corrosion increases with an increase in the operating temperature of the board;
the rate of corrosion increases with increasing potential difference between adjacent tracks.

Conclusion: It is necessary to carry out the obligatory diagnostic measures immediately after drying (see point 3), NOT INCLUDING THE LAPTOP!

So, to make it clear whether moisture got inside or not, you need to remove the keyboard and disassemble the laptop. Please note that the disassembly process may differ significantly depending on the model.

Carefully and unhurriedly, remove the keyboard by opening the miniature latches with a straight screwdriver.

If there are no traces of liquid underneath - put a bold “plus”!

You can clean sticky keys of the removed keyboard with ordinary hot water and a non-abrasive detergent. Dry the keyboard before returning to its place for at least a day. If everything is done correctly, most likely, it will serve you for more than one year. We will dwell on this process in more detail below.
After disassembling your model, it turns out that the liquid did get under the keyboard and got to the motherboard (as a rule, we are talking about the volume of spilled liquid over 30 ml).

In case 2, again, two options are possible: contact the specialists of the service center, or, with some understanding of what you are doing, try to cope with the problem yourself. Here we will consider a step-by-step sequence of actions if, nevertheless, a decision is made to restore operability on our own.

The element-by-element inspection of the motherboard after disassembling the laptop is best done under a magnifying glass. Pay attention to blackening in the soldering points, yellowish or whitish bloom.

In the case of the presence of blackened places and in the presence of experience in soldering, we re-solder. In the case of local plaque, we clean it, first with a soft children's toothbrush, then with alcohol and then rinse with distilled water. Dry the board thoroughly. Oxidation traces on the contact pads can be easily removed using the most common soft eraser.

Solder the damaged elements of the circuit.

If the plaque has covered almost the entire surface and local cleaning is problematic, a complete flushing of the motherboard is recommended.

For this purpose, all intact hinged elements of the board (CMOS battery (!!!), processor, WLAN module, memory, etc.) are removed, and the rest of the thermal paste is cleaned off. If this is not done, it will be quite difficult to get rid of its traces after rinsing with hot water.

After removing the "hanging" the mother is briefly "soaked" in soapy water and gently brushed with the previously mentioned soft toothbrush. The next stage is flushing with a strong pressure of clean hot water (ideally, flushing is carried out under the pressure of distilled water with a temperature of + 50C, which is not always possible at home.).

Important: When washing, we take into account that the textolite and chips are fans of drawing in water, we wash it promptly (within 4-5 minutes), after “soaping” it with a non-abrasive detergent. You can use neutral baby soap. Lathering, as well as flushing the motherboard, should be quick and extremely careful, if possible without contacting the connectors.

After rinsing off the soap solution, we conduct a thorough visual inspection of the board. Remaining contamination noticed is washed additionally.

After the bath, thoroughly shake the completely cleaned board, blot it with a pre-prepared lint-free material and send it to dry for at least a day in a warm, dry room in order to ensure the complete removal of liquid residues from under the chips of the south and north bridges (BGA). Otherwise, moisture that is not completely removed can cause short circuits and, again, progressive corrosion.

We carefully inspect the rest of the assembly elements (hard drive, drive, memory, Wi-Fi module ...) for the remains of spilled drinks. Disassembled elements filled in, disassemble (disc, drive ...).

If contamination is detected and it is technically feasible, we remove it in the same way, if not, we leave it as candidates for replacement. When flushing a disassembled drive filled with beer, be careful not to get water on the lens assembly (see the figure below), and after drying, grease the slide with thick silicone grease and wipe the lens with a cotton swab moistened with alcohol.

After rinsing and drying, the contact pads of the flooded memory are additionally cleaned with an eraser and wiped with alcohol.
The second, "simplified" and accelerated version of processing the motherboard consists in applying alcohol to the filled areas of the board (including accessible places under the chips) and further cleaning the plaque with cotton swabs. When alcohol evaporates from the surface of the board, the remaining moisture that has not dried up for some reason will also evaporate. We clean the traces of oxidation on the contact pads with a soft eraser.

To consolidate the effect after drying, you can treat the surface of the board with a special spray cleaner, which not only effectively removes plaque, grease, traces of dried liquids and corrosion, but also dries quickly and without residue. You can use, for example, a fairly popular budget option - YA XUN 538A DRY.

We re-solder the carefully dried motherboard in the right places. At the end of the listed resuscitation measures, we return the board and the rest of the assembly elements to their native place, check the operability, draw conclusions. The absence of a positive result will indicate that you have done everything that can be done at home, and it is time to pack your bag and go to a trusted service.

The most vulnerable places, as a rule, become the paths of the power circuits.

Aggressive liquid spilled

Important! In case of ingress of particularly aggressive liquids in large volumes, disassembly and total flushing of the laptop is recommended immediately after turning off the power, removing the battery and draining the liquid, bypassing the two-day drying stage!

In this case, operative disassembly, visual inspection, flushing and subsequent drying of the motherboard and other flooded elements of the assembly according to the above scheme are extremely important. The category of especially dangerous for the life of your laptop includes Pepsi, Cola, exclusive - dog and cat (especially) “rain”, etc.

Failure to follow this advice will lead to the fact that after a few days your laptop will not care at all whether you have completed steps 1 and 2 of the resuscitation measures or not.

Introductory: if you are the owner of one or more pets, pay attention to extraneous strong characteristic odors that may appear "nowhere". If those make themselves felt - perhaps your four-legged friend did manage to take advantage of your absence. In this case, proceed in accordance with our manual.

Resuscitation of the keyboard

Unlike the motherboard, the keyboard does not need soldering. If it is flooded with water, just let it dry, if with something else, rinse it under the pressure of hot (+ 50C) high-quality water (after drying, the water on the washed board and elements should not have streaks), shake off the water well and then dry it as described above ... In winter, it is quite possible to dry the keyboard on a central heating radiator or alternatively, in a safe way. If it is filled with an aggressive liquid, it is better to remove the buttons with the fastening mechanism when flushing, rinse and dry them separately.

In order to preserve the possibility of reassembly, it is better to photograph the location of the buttons before dismantling, or write down the location of the keys on the keyboard itself. If the liquid has filled only a few keys, and not the entire keyboard, the processing can be carried out locally by washing and then drying the previously removed filled keys and their fastening mechanisms.

Important: after the assembly is complete and the expected effects are obtained (the laptop turns on), test the system for stability and other key stress tests, check the operation of individual components and each key.

Some manufacturers (Samsung and others) often complete their keyboards with water-soluble jumpers. Accordingly, after flushing and dissolving the jumpers, such a keyboard will not work. This is easily found out in the service center, where they confirm the fact of liquid penetration and repair the device as not under warranty. Naturally, in this case, the keyboard must also be replaced.

Don't put off until Monday what you had to do last Thursday!

It happens that a laptop is attacked by spilled liquid on it thousands of kilometers from home - for example, on vacation. Having quickly dried the device in the scorching southern sun, its owner slams the lid, does not turn on the laptop for a week or two, but also pushes the solution to the problem until he returns home. Lost days in such cases most often turn into a corroded motherboard and other untimely deceased circuit elements.
It is no longer a question of reanimating a laptop after such shocks by traditional methods (cleaning in an ultrasonic bath, restoring damaged tracks, completely re-soldering elements) even in a service center - see Fig. below.

Conclusion: try to correct the situation correctly as quickly as possible, wherever you are, using every opportunity for this.

If you decide that it is better to entrust everything that is described in our article to the specialists of the service center, then get ready for the corresponding costs, the amount of which will be directly determined by the amount of liquid spilled, its composition and the degree of harm caused to the device.

in the case of minor repairs after a slight flooding with a slightly aggressive liquid, you may be able to keep within $ 30-50;
in case of large-scale damage, you can get $ 100 or more.

In the absence of basic skills, it is still better to immediately contact a specialist. The main thing here is to cope with the state of shock as quickly as possible and to complete the points listed at the beginning of our article as soon as possible. Whether to proceed further in accordance with our recommendations or not entirely depends on the level of your training. Experimenting here is the last thing!

With all my heart I wish the readers of our blog not to get into the situations described above, which, by and large, largely depends on each of us.

Afterword from the iCover Team

We hope that the information provided in this material will be useful to the readers of the iCover blog and will help you to easily return your device to its former agility and ingenuity. And we also hope that in our blog you will find a lot of useful and interesting things, you will be able to get acquainted with the results of unique tests and examinations of the latest gadgets, you will find answers to the most pressing questions, the solution of which was often required yesterday.)

Even if someone has not yet encountered such a problem as a keyboard flooded with any liquid (and this happens very often!), Then clean it from dust, food crumbs or sebum that has got there, which everyone has and with regular using a laptop remains on the keys, over time everyone will have to. Therefore, the question of whether it is possible and how to wash, clean and refresh the keyboard is very relevant.

What can a dirty laptop keyboard cause?

If dust and dirt gets inside the keyboard of a regular computer, then the only harm they can do is ruin the keyboard itself. But when dirt and dust from the laptop keyboard gets on its "filling", then the following troubles await you:

Due to the ingress of mechanical debris inside, one or more buttons may sink.
Failure of all keys can occur if you accidentally tipped a glass of liquid onto the surface.
Breakage of internal parts of the laptop can also occur due to moisture getting inside;
The laptop shuts down due to overheating - this can happen if dust and dirt gets on the heatsink. As a result, the ventilation system stops letting in air.

Considering all these factors, it is necessary for each owner to know how to clean a laptop keyboard and regularly do it on their own, if there is no time to take the device to specialists.

Can my laptop keyboard be washed?

It is possible, even necessary, especially if any liquid has been spilled on it. Moreover, you need to do this right away, without waiting for it (tea, coffee, beer, cola, etc.) to get inside the laptop and not spoil not only the keyboard, but also its other components.

It is clear that we are not talking about washing with strong water and full immersion. You need to carefully remove and clean the keyboard itself

If cleaning is carried out in order to get rid of dust, because the buttons began to sink, or for some other reason, then for this you need to allocate two or three hours of your time, because the work is painstaking.
You can, however, take the device to a service center, where specialists will work on it. You can do everything yourself.

How do I clean my laptop keyboard?

First, figure out which cleaning you need - shallow or deep:

Surface cleaning cleans up the keys as well as the spaces between them.
A deep cleaning will help remove dust from the contacts so that it does not settle on the inside of your laptop.

Important! The keyboard of the device needs two types of cleaning, but the more often you do surface cleaning, the less often you will have to resort to deep cleaning. Consider also the fact that not all models can simply remove the buttons. In some laptops and netbooks, they are a single design with a panel. Therefore, if you have just such a technique, then you will have to almost completely disassemble the device for deep cleaning.

Laptop cleaners

The surface of the keyboard should be cleaned regularly, at least once a month. You can buy a cleaning kit from specialized stores. It includes a brush, tissue and cleaning fluid. This kit will help you clean your keyboard more thoroughly. If you do not have special button cleaning fluids on hand, use the tools at hand to clean your laptop keyboard.

We offer some of them:

Diluted isopropyl alcohol. It is the optimal cleaning agent for removing stubborn dirt. Soak a soft cloth with alcohol and gently wipe all keys. Handle the keyboard carefully, do not overdo it with liquid, so that it does not drip between the keys on the contacts.

Important! Acetone and other aggressive substances must not be used, as they can not only erase the keyboard paint, but, worst of all, melt the laptop case. Ethyl alcohol and vodka can also ruin the paint on the buttons.

Soapy water. Soak a swab or cotton swab in soapy water and gently wipe off any dirt from the buttons. After the procedure, be sure to wipe the keyboard with a dry cloth, as moisture is contraindicated in the device.

Basic rules for the use of cleaning agents

Use only special liquids, as well as lint-free wipes, which are sold in any computer stores. Users recommend high-quality computer cleaning products from Defender.
Use special soft brushes to remove dust and dirt between the keys, and it is better to clean the buttons themselves with wipes.

Before cleaning your laptop keyboard at home, unplug it completely and remove the battery.

How to remove dirt from under the keyboard?

Dirt and debris can also collect under the keys and interfere with normal laptop operation. The easiest way to get rid of the trash is to turn the device over and shake out the contents.

For the same purpose, you can use:

a brush with a long hard bristle;
hair dryer - lift the laptop and tilt it, blow the keyboard with cold air;
a household vacuum cleaner using a narrow nozzle;
a portable can of compressed air - such an aerosol is sold in computer stores

Deep cleaning laptop keyboard

If you want to be sure that no dirt remains in the keyboard, then perform a deep cleaning. You need:

disassemble the keyboard;
remove the keys using a screwdriver;
clean the rubber bands and contacts using a cleaning agent and soft wipes.

Important! All this must be done very carefully, so if you are not sure of your strengths and results, do not take it, but contact the service center. There, specialists will remove the buttons with a special tool without damaging them, and after carrying out the necessary cleaning, they will return everything back.

If you nevertheless decide to thoroughly clean your laptop at home, use the following algorithm:

Take a picture of the keyboard to return everything to its original place at the end of the work.
Use a screwdriver to remove the keys. The fastening of the keyboard buttons, although simple, is very weak. Therefore, be careful not to damage the ribbon cable.
As soon as the keys are detached, use a brush or a special laptop vacuum cleaner to remove the dust (a vacuum cleaner is also suitable for cleaning upholstered furniture).
Return all keys to their places.
If after cleaning a couple of keys do not work, and you are sure that you did everything correctly, then replace the keyboard. Most likely, it's not about the dust.

What difficulties can arise in caring for a laptop?

There are times when it is not possible to do with ordinary cleaning of the keyboard. For example, when you flooded your laptop with juice or tea. Here you will have to completely disassemble the keyboard, rinse it with a special solution.

If this happens to you, first of all:

Turn the device over and pour out as much liquid as possible.
Blot the remaining moisture with cotton wool or blow dry.

Only then separate the keys and disassemble the keyboard. Wipe the surface with diluted isopropyl alcohol and then with a dry, clean soft cloth. If necessary, replace the protective membranes.

Important! Such an operation will be better carried out by the specialists of the service center. The technicians will disassemble the laptop keyboard, carry out the necessary diagnostics, find out if the contact tracks are damaged, and if the damage is strong and the contacts are oxidized, then in this case you will have to buy new spare parts for the laptop.

Summing up all of the above, we can conclude: to avoid serious damage to the laptop, regularly clean the device, and also keep the mugs with drinks as far away from the computer as possible. Remember that cleanliness is not only a guarantee of health for the user, but also a guarantee of long-term and uninterrupted operation of any equipment.

How and with what to clean the buttons on a laptop?

It is best to clean the buttons on your laptop with isopropyl alcohol or a special keyboard fluid available from computer dealers.

Before cleaning the keyboard, turn off the laptop, unplug it and remove the battery.

If the "rescue" of the keyboard takes place in emergency mode, then you can not turn off the laptop, just disconnect from the mains and remove the battery

Before removing the buttons, you need to make sure how to correctly return them to their places later. To do this, you need to either take a picture of the keyboard, or put the buttons in the same order as they were removed (this method is suitable only when the person himself is cleaning the keyboard, so that no one moves these buttons while they are waiting for their return to the place, neither the child, nor animal, nor accidental movement with your own hand).
A regular knife, a small screwdriver or a nail file will help to remove the buttons. The used tool is wound under the corner of the key and gently pry it with an upward movement. It is better to learn how to remove keys from a laptop keyboard, starting with some little-used key, for example, with a solid sign or with the letter "e".
You can rinse the keyboard buttons with a brush (toothbrush, napkin, cotton pad), removing them from it and dipping them into a soapy solution and cleaning their inner and outer surfaces from dirt and dust.
Before attaching them to the keyboard again, they must be thoroughly dried.
If it turned out to carefully remove all the keys, then putting them back will also not be difficult. The key must be carefully adjusted to the desired position and then pressed lightly on it. If the key is positioned correctly, an audible click should occur - the key is locked.
For the larger keys, space, shift, enter, you may need to attach the metal mount first, but this is also not difficult at all.

How and with what to clean a flooded laptop keyboard?

The flooded laptop keyboard must be cleaned and dried, otherwise the liquid that has been splashed or poured onto it will flood the details, they will begin to rot and fail. Even worse, all sorts of Coca-Colas and other drinks can enter into chemical reactions with the details of the laptop, which will also lead to big problems with it.

The buttons on the keyboard will have to be removed, washed and dried thoroughly.
You may have to disassemble the keyboard further, removing and cleaning the layers under the keyboard buttons (three film layers with contacts and tracks on them). If liquid leaks onto or under these layers, they will also have to be removed and rinsed.
The layers are bonded and glued. They need to be carefully separated from each other, being careful not to touch the tracks and contacts. First, the rubber gasket that protects them is removed. She can be removed without any problems.
Each layer is washed and dried.
A hairdryer will help speed up the process, only its air stream should not be hot, otherwise the contacts may melt.

The question of how to flush the keys and the inner layers of the keyboard remains open.

Water, especially tap water with impurities, is not the best remedy. If we do use it, then take distilled water for this purpose.
The best option is alcohol, ethyl 96%. It will rinse well and fade quickly, and will also absorb water.
You can flush with the same isopropyl alcohol.
The rubber pad of the keyboard can also be washed with running tap water.

When wiping layers, be sure to pay attention to the tracks - they should not be damaged. Unfortunately, if the keyboard is flooded thoroughly, or time has passed, the tracks may be damaged - oxidized, crumbled, cracked, and so on. But they can be restored using conductive varnish. It is sold at car dealerships. With this varnish, those parts of the tracks that are damaged are painted.
It is necessary to apply varnish carefully so that a short circuit does not arise between the tracks.

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Remember, your laptop's greatest enemy is liquids spilled on your keyboard. Coffee, juice, Pepsi kill buttons with their taste. The keys of the flooded keyboard, having drunk sweet water, are pressed hard, wedge, stick. Unpleasant? Then we go to you! If you delay, you will have to change the keyboard. Especially competently, the keyboard is killed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi - these are the leaders in the corrosive ability of conductive tracks! Oh, I forgot about beer, wine and puppy urine :). But I don't have a dog yet (I hope it won't).

So, in my unintentional experiment, the asus eee-pc 901 laptop reacted with the Tonus "Apple with pulp" juice (no added sugar). What exactly this juice contains in the amount of 100%, as a result of the reaction, it was not possible to determine. However, the keyboard was flooded. Description of the experiment: as a result of an inappropriate tremor of the hands, the juice flew past the glass and splashed out to the area of the Enter key. Immediately after realizing the gravity of this event, the laptop was turned down by the keyboard, but this did not change much of the consequences. Without thinking twice, I made the decision to disassemble the keyboard and remove the remaining juice! On regular notebooks, the keyboard screws are located on the bottom of the case. I turned over my eee-pc 901, but I couldn't find the screws with the keyboard icon. "Unusual laptop" - I thought. Looking closely at the keyboard itself, I noticed that on the front, in the area of the function keys F1, F6 and F12, there are latches that hold it.

I pressed three little white buttons in succession and the panel with buttons was easily removed. In order not to damage the train during manipulations, he unfastened it too. To do this, using a thin object, he pushed the latches on each side of the connector. So, the keyboard is removed.

As it turned out later, removing the keyboard is the easiest thing in this rescue operation. While trying to pull out the buttons, I broke two fasteners before I figured out the mechanism for attaching and removing buttons. However, the functioning of the broken buttons was not affected by this. Now, after a while, it is even difficult to determine which of them were broken. For those who still want to remove the buttons, I tell you. There are three holes for each key on the back of the panel with buttons. It is necessary to press with a sharp object (a blunt awl, for example) from the outside consistently on the plastic fasteners in the holes nearby.

At the same time, the buttons move away with a quiet click. They do not leave for another world, but are separated with the hope of further anchoring to their rightful place. Separating the two buttons, I suddenly remembered that it would be nice to photograph the position of the keys with the meaning so as not to puzzle over which key has which place. After analyzing the keyboard, one thing became clear - it is disposable. Disposable - anywhere in Japan or Germany, but not in Russia. Removing the keys, numerous transparencies emerged.

Under the films there is a sheet of tin. Traces of the evil reagent - sour apple juice were already visible on the substrate. This is how it is, the keyboard drenched in juice ...

In the operation of neutralizing the latter, cotton swabs for children's ears, alcohol and patience were used. Of course, the nap from the sticks is our evil enemy, but there was no other material at hand. And so, while everyone was asleep, I began to clean up. Having cleaned the tin layer, I suddenly noticed that juicy (more precisely, juicy) stains are already there between the transparent layers of the film with contacts. I had to separate the layers. There were four of them.

Each of the layers was rendered harmless with real diluted alcohol brought from abroad specially for such operations. After this manipulation, the keyboard was assembled in reverse order. Yes, I had to tinker with the keys again before I learned how to put them in place. For those interested, I tell you. Three mounts correspond to each key. The first to put on the mount is lonely standing. After the mount is thrown on, gently press the button and the key sits in its place. So, the keyboard is assembled. We connect it to the loop. We check the performance of each of the keys. If there are problems, I'm afraid that you will have to remove all the keys again and repeat the operation.

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Few have not heard the string of "bearded" jokes about dirty keyboards. But, jokes are jokes, but in fact, according to statistics, the keys on our gadgets are not cleaner than the rim of the toilet bowl. Hence the question is brewing: how to rinse the keyboard of a computer, netbook, laptop? How to do it every day, and what should be the general cleaning? How do I clean up spilled tea and get rid of crumbs, grease and other dirt? Follow us - we will tell you everything in detail!

In the first part of our great life hack, we will tell you about the best, safest and most effective way to clean your laptop keyboard ( netbook). In general and special cases.

Why clean

Someone sins by not averse to having a snack while sitting at a laptop. From here on the face such impurities as crumbs, droplets of sweet tea, coffee, juice. But if you do not have such a seductive habit, then, then, you do not need to clean the keyboard? Alas, it remains necessary, so you need to know how to flush laptop keyboards.

All electronics are, unfortunately, big " dust collector". Hence the advice - do not forget to clean the cooler of your device from dust. The keyboard also attracts dust and dirt. And it is necessary to wash it not only for an exemplary appearance, but also to ensure the operability of the device, its long years of service. As long as there is dust on the outer surface of the keyboard, it is not terrible at all. But if it gets into the "filling" ... Here's what can await you:

Mechanical debris can cause " sticking»Buttons.
Spilled liquid is the reason for the failure of not only the keys, but the entire laptop.
Ingress of dust and dirt far into the interior of the equipment is fraught with overheating of the radiator, which leads to serious damage.

Cleaning types

Laptop cleaning is divided into two types, which also affects how to clean the keyboard on a laptop:

Superficial. Cleans up both buttons and the spaces between them. It is produced at home, without disassembly and the use of complex technologies.
Deep. Removing contamination from the key contacts so that they do not penetrate further into the " stuffing". It is required to remove the keyboard and, possibly, if the contamination has penetrated deeper than it, to clean, rinse and other elements. For owners of many laptops with non-removable keyboards, the problem is compounded by the fact that the device has to be disassembled almost completely. If you do not have the skills, self-confidence and any experience in this matter, then it is better to entrust the procedure to specialists.

Advice! The more often and more thoroughly you surface clean, the less often your technique will need a deep one.

Superficially

Be prepared to surface clean at least once a month.

Facilities

How to wash the keyboard on a laptop? To do this, you should always have a kit ready with the necessary tools:

Jelly sponge for cleaning the keyboard Special mini vacuum cleaner
How to rinse a laptop keyboard? You can purchase such a universal device Kit from a Chinese store website
Cleaning the screen and keyboard Compressed air can

Special set for cleaning the keyboard. This handy innovation is available from a number of specialty stores. It already includes a cleaning liquid, a napkin and a brush.
Isopril diluted alcohol ( products made on its basis are also suitable). The answer to the question "How else to wash the laptop keyboard?" and a great handy alternative to special cleaning fluids. However, you should not abuse it - lightly soak a rag or napkin in the solution - do not allow alcohol to drip onto the keyboard.
Soapy water. It is obtained by diluting shavings of laundry or toilet soap, dishwashing liquid, liquid soap, shampoo, shower gel. Also, carefully moisten a cloth in it, and after the procedure, be sure to wipe the buttons dry with a soft, dry cloth.
Napkins. Use a soft, lint-free cloth. A damp cotton pad or cotton swab, microfiber material will do. A great example is the specialized Defender wipes. The buttons can only be wiped with a rag, cloth, napkins, but not with a brush!
Soft brush. Use this tool to clean up the spaces between the keys.
Jelly sponge. Know-how of the last days. Represents some semblance of a child's toy- " slime". The principle of operation is simple - with a sticky base, you thoroughly and several times walk over the keyboard. " Jelly"Will stick to itself all dust, dirt, crumbs, even from hard-to-reach places. Ideally, one jelly sponge = one cleaning, but if the keyboard is not too dirty, then the product may work for the next cleaning.

« Can my laptop keyboard be washed with water?" - you ask. Depends on the model, namely, on the presence of hydrophobic elements on it. So it’s better not.

Advice! Do not use ethyl alcohol, vodka, acetone or other solvents to clean and disinfect the keyboard! They can not only destroy the paint on the buttons, but they can also burn the plastic parts!

Cleaning the laptop indiscriminately

You can try to clean the laptop from dust and dirt without disassembling it. To do this, simply turn the device over and lightly shake it up and down, left and right to shake out crumbs and dirt particles from it. But there are more professional ways:

A vacuum cleaner. There are special mini-vacuum cleaners for the keyboard, but it's okay if you use a household " giant". Just turn it on at the lowest power and put on a narrow attachment, which is often included in the kit with a vacuum cleaner. By the way, special car vacuum cleaners are also effective. For a major cleaning, you will have to linger for 3-5 seconds on each of the keys.
Hair dryer. Holding the laptop at a comfortable angle, blow cold ( only cold!) air from it all the crumbs.
Long bristle brush. The procedure is long and meticulous - you will have to bypass every button.
Compressed air can. You will find the miracle of technology in specialized stores. It is easy to use - spray at the required angle to the contaminated surface.

Deep

Can the keyboard be washed from a laptop, netbook? Yes, but only in a specific way.

The algorithm differs depending on the model of equipment, but in general the following:

Take a picture or otherwise fix the keyboard in the memory when it is still assembled.
Using a nail file, an awl, a thin crochet hook, pry each button and remove it. Be careful not to damage the ribbon cable. Pay special attention to the long keys - they are much more difficult to both remove and fix back.
Using brushes, a vacuum cleaner or the same hair dryer, sweep, blow out dust from the opened " viscera».
If necessary, wipe each of the buttons with a soft dry cloth or brush.
Can the keyboard be washed under a tap, shower? No, but the buttons are quite! Particularly soiled keys are washed in soapy water and then treated with an antiseptic. Another unusual life hack: put the buttons in a linen bag, mesh or unnecessary sock. Soak in detergent and then rinse thoroughly under running water. Do not forget to dry the keys completely before returning them! The process can be accelerated by using a hairdryer with a cold stream of air.
Using the photo taken, return the keys to home. The fact that the key fell into place during installation, you will recognize by a characteristic click.

Advice! For those who find it dreary to collect " mosaic»From the keys on the photo or there is no possibility to photograph / copy the keyboard, we suggest the idea of the so-called zone cleaning: you remove the key, clean the surface under it, clean it itself, dry it and immediately return it to its place. Then move on to the second, third, etc.

State of emergency

One of the most common and dangerous problems for the keyboard is spilling coffee, tea, juice or other liquid. At the same time, sugary drinks are the worst of all - sugar freezes, crystallizes, which is why washing it is an additional problem.

The algorithm of actions for such pollution is approximately the following:

Turn the device over sharply and try to shake out as much liquid as possible.
Use a hair dryer, vacuum cleaner to blow out the remaining micro-droplets.
Disassemble the keyboard - try drying the inside out. Soak with a dry, absorbent cloth, replacing it with a new one as it gets wet.
After all these operations, wipe the internal elements with isopril alcohol, and then again with a dry and soft cloth.
Take your time to reassemble the device - the longer it dries, the better.

Advice! For the sake of the safety of your device, we do not recommend drying the keyboard yourself without certain skills. It is much easier and more efficient to call a specialist or take the device to a service center as soon as possible.

You will see more ways in the video in this article. And we are moving on to the second section.

Computer

Cleaning a computer keyboard is in many ways similar to cleaning a laptop keyboard, but it still has a number of its own characteristics. Since it is located separately from " gland”, Then the cleaning methods can be used more drastic. However, first things first.

Superficially

Like a laptop keyboard, a computer keyboard also needs both superficial and deep cleaning. The first one follows a similar pattern:

Flip and shake the keyboard, holding it upside down over newspaper, plastic. You will get rid of some of the crumbs, dirt and dust in this way.
A small brush or paintbrush can help you clean hard-to-reach areas.
More " lazy"Ways - hair dryer, mini-vacuum cleaner," jelly", A can of compressed air - you saw these tools in the photo.
Greasy deposits can be removed with hygienic wet wipes.

Advice! Clean only when wet ( dust sticks to them more easily), but never with wet tools. Refers to both cleaning the laptop keys and cleaning the keyboard outside the laptop.

Capitally

Experts advise doing this procedure at least once every three months. You can use either the method that we described in the topic about laptops, or go to the table where we have placed tips for cleaning computer keyboards.

Disassembly and washing	Proceed as follows: 1. Be sure to take a picture, copy the position of the keys. 2.Use a screwdriver to remove the screws on the underside. Set it aside after disassembling. 3. We will only clean the upper part. From the inside, gently squeeze out all the keys. Do not remove only "Enter" - this button in a number of keyboards is very difficult to fix back. 4. Extruded keys are rinsed under running water. It is allowed to soak them in a disinfectant solution. If it is heavily soiled, rub it with an old toothbrush. 5. Is it possible to wash the keyboard under water after all? The upper part is yes. Do a wash under running water. Use a brush or a brush to go over hard-to-reach places. 6. Dry all elements thoroughly. 7. When both the part and the keys become absolutely dry, return the buttons to their place, fix the upper part with screws from the bottom, connect the keyboard to the system unit.
Standard cleaning	It also takes place in several stages: 1. Disconnect the keyboard from the computer. 2. Shake it well over the newspaper with the buttons down. 3. Clean the dirt between the keys with a cotton swab, periodically moistening it with isopril alcohol. 4. Thoroughly blow out the device with a hair dryer. 5. Remove the keys with your own hands or with a small knife, nail file. 6. Blow the opened filling again with a hair dryer. If you could not clean it with a hairdryer, remove it with a brush, cotton swab, brush.
Cleaning up liquid spills	Again, a simple instruction: 1. Disconnect from your computer. 2. With the buttons upside down, try to shake out as much liquid as possible. 3. Disassemble in two halves, gently dry them from the inside with a dry cloth or hair dryer. 4. Squeeze out the keys, place them to dry. 5. To make the keyboard dry faster, put some cotton wool or some rice inside it - this will absorb the liquid.
Cleaning without disassembly	There are several things you need to do at home: 1. Disconnect the device from your computer. 2. Take a non-sharp " sandwich»A thin knife, napkin or thin cloth. Wrap a knife blade in it. 3. Dilute the soap solution. 4. Slightly wetting the instrument in the solution ( it should be slightly damp, but not wet), gently clean the surfaces between the keys, as well as the gaps between the buttons and the base.

And in conclusion, we will introduce you to a number of tips that may be useful to you.

Good to know

Before cleaning, pay attention to a few tips:

When cleaning the keyboard, do not remove the long keys, Enter - it is difficult to put them back in place.
If you accidentally spill liquid, cotton wool or rice grains will quickly absorb it.
Do not forget to take a photo, drawing of the keyboard before you remove the buttons from it.
Dirty keys in a special bag or sock can be machine washed. But don't try to rinse the keyboard in the dishwasher!
If you nevertheless lost a photo or instruction, then the location of the keys can be found in the following way:
- For Windows: go to Start, then find Programs - Accessories. Further - "Accessibility" - "On-screen keyboard". Recreate the painting by example.
- For Macintosh: Programs - system settings menu. Next - "Languages and Text", then - "Input Sources". Check "Symbols and keyboard" and "Show input menu ...". Click on the checkbox at the top of the screen where you usually change the language - the on-screen keyboard view will become available to you.

That's all that will help you learn about how to flush the keyboard of a laptop and computer. The main advice in the end - do not forget about superficial cleaning and wean yourself from the habit of drinking drinks while sitting at a PC or laptop.

Many people are familiar with the habit of having lunch with a laptop or drinking a cup of tea. This, unfortunately, does not pass without leaving a trace and becomes the reason for the accumulation of various garbage. And if, through negligence, you spill a drink, even a small amount of it can disable the device. Therefore, you need to know the fastest and most effective ways to clean your laptop keyboard at home.

Cleaning methods without disassembly

Light dirt can be easily removed with a brush or vacuum cleaner

There are two cleaning methods:

superficial;
deep.

The first option involves removing dirt from the keys and between the buttons. This will require napkins and soft brushes. These tools can be purchased at specialized computer hardware stores.

A special liquid and rags will allow you to achieve a more effective result. Just dampen the cloth and wipe the keyboard, paying attention to the gaps between the buttons. If you do not have this remedy, you can use isopropyl alcohol. The liquid should be used in moderation so that it does not get on the contacts between the buttons. Do not clean the keyboard with ethyl alcohol, as it can remove paint. Also, acetone cannot be used for this purpose.

Important! Products containing corrosive substances will not only erase the paint, but can also melt the laptop case.

The deep cleaning method will help remove dust from the contacts, which will prevent the inside of your laptop from getting dirty. To do this, you can use:

Special USB vacuum cleaners. They are equipped with attachments that allow you to remove various contaminants. But these devices are not very powerful, so cleaning with them can hardly be called deep.
A can filled with compressed air. The stream leaves the container under strong pressure, thereby eliminating dust on the contacts.
If you need to treat a small area of the surface, you can use stickers. These are sticky leaves that are applied to the desired place and immediately removed. The advantage of this method is the ability to instantly remove dirt. But for cleaning the entire keyboard, their use is impractical, since this process will take a long time.

Important! It should be remembered that too frequent use of the spray can damage the keyboard.

When do you need to disassemble?

It is best to remove the keyboard for effective cleaning.

The need for this arises when liquid gets on the keyboard. And also before deep cleaning. There are several signs that help determine the need for disassembly: this is the heating of the device during a short period of use, as well as the slowdown of applications and operating systems. A spontaneous shutdown of the notebook indicates excessive heating of the processor due to contamination. In such cases, you need to disassemble the device and carry out a deep cleaning.

How to remove keyboard buttons on Asus, Lenovo, Acer, HP, Samsung laptop

Removing the laptop keyboard will help penetrate the deepest dirt

Today on sale there are laptops of various models, which differ in external parameters and technical properties. But they also have similar characteristics, one of which is the keyboard attachment method. It is screwed to the body of the device or fixed by means of latches.

Consider the disassembly process in stages. To work, you will need thin tweezers and a dental probe. If these tools are not available, similar tools will do. The process of removing the keyboard is as follows:

First you need to figure out which side of the key is easier to detach. Each button has a vertical and side attachment. That is, the key is fixed to the left or right and at the bottom or top.
Dismantling is carried out in the vertical direction, since attempts to remove the button horizontally may result in its damage.
First of all, remove the keys with letters and numbers. They have a similar fastening mechanism and the same square shape in all famous brands of laptops. When removing the keys, put them aside along with the microlifts. Each of these mechanisms in many models corresponds to a specific button. Therefore, if you confuse them, it will be extremely problematic to assemble the keyboard in its original state.
We proceed to dismantling the upper buttons: Е, Esc, F, etc. Then we remove the large keys. Next, remove the space bar, it is fixed using two microlifts. Finally, dismantle Fn, Win, Ctrl, Alt.
When all buttons are removed, you need to remove the black stencil. First, remove the film base, which consists of three layers. Each of them needs to be separated. Do not be afraid of this procedure, during the assembly process, the layers are easy to connect. Remove the keyboard very carefully. Otherwise, you can damage the ribbon that connects it to the motherboard. The laptop is now ready for cleaning.

Important! Before proceeding with the dismantling of the keys, it is advisable to photograph them, this will subsequently facilitate assembly.

Video: Key Removal Workshop

How to clean at home

The cleansing procedure has some peculiarities depending on the nature of the contamination.

From dirt and dust

We start work with key processing. To do this, you need to prepare a container or a regular bag. Pour water there, add detergent and place the keys. You can use laundry detergent or laundry soap. We leave them in the liquid for 15–20 minutes. Then we drain the water, put the buttons on some surface, where they will dry for about two hours. A hairdryer can be used if necessary. It will help dry the keys much faster.

Important! When drying with a hair dryer, use only cool air mode, otherwise the keys may melt.

While the buttons are in the liquid, proceed to cleaning the keyboard. We take a napkin or rag, put a detergent on it and remove dirt. In hard-to-reach places, use cotton swabs. When the buttons are dry, we put the keyboard back.

Can I clean spilled liquid

Cleaning your contacts will improve your laptop experience

If liquid gets on the keyboard, immediately turn the laptop upside down to prevent it from entering the device. Then we disconnect it from the power supply and remove the battery. We remove the keyboard and check how deep the liquid has penetrated. If you turn the device over immediately after flooding, it is likely that damage to the laptop will be limited to the keyboard. In this case, only this part needs to be cleaned.

If you did not have time to react in a timely manner and flooded the keys, the motherboard may also suffer, which will also have to be washed. For cleansing, use a special composition of Kontakt U or Axent, which are available in cylinders. It is necessary to prepare a container where the product will drain. Spray the liquid abundantly, positioning the balloon at an angle to the surface to be cleaned. Kontakt U contains toxic substances.

Important! After completing the work, you need to place the keyboard in a ventilated room until the composition is completely dry - this will help get rid of hazardous elements.

Video: an alternative cleaning method (suitable for laptops)

Elementary rules of care

Timely regular maintenance will extend the service life of the equipment

Cleaning procedures are recommended to be carried out with regularity once every 1-2 years. Among other factors, the location of cooling systems affects the rate of pollution of cooling systems, which differs from model to model. The keyboards of Asus, Acer, Samsunq, Lenovo, HP laptops should be cleaned annually. SONY products can do without this procedure for two years. The expensive HP and Asus models have a similar ability. Apple laptops need to be cleaned every 4 years.
In addition to the type of model, the operating conditions of the device should also be taken into account. If the apartment has pets, is undergoing renovation work, or if you smoke while using the appliance, the keyboard will get dirty more often. Therefore, surface cleaning once every 1–2 weeks. Clean the keyboard with tissues or rubbing alcohol.
Also use a dedicated vacuum cleaner. Avoid eating or drinking while using your computer.
Always wash your hands before using your laptop.
If you are not in the habit, use a disinfectant spray on the keyboard. It must be applied to a napkin, and then the surface is treated.

Systematic cleaning of the keyboard will prolong the life of the laptop. Of course, if you use the device regularly, you will not be able to completely avoid contamination. But the implementation of the necessary maintenance rules will help maintain the device in proper condition and prevent it from breaking.