Laptop spillage

[hardy49]

I don't know if anyone can help but some orange juice was spilt onto my laptop.I managed to mop it up quickly but some got into bottom half of the keyboard and the manual controls.
The laptop works perfectly when using a mouse but part of the keyboard is very stiff as well as the manual controls.
Will the stickiness wear off or will I have to spend out to have it cleaned ?

[Ethel]

You don't need to spend money - you can do it yourself with care, time and a can of compressed air.
Turn off your laptop and disconnect from the mains.
Take a photo of your keyboard and print it out.
Get some cotton buds and warm soapy water.
Turn laptop upside down and shake hard
Turn right way up
Ping off the keys.
Use the cotton buds to clean the gunk - you'll be surprised what is in there. Use compressed air to blow gunk away.
Push keys back on in correct order when it is thoroughly dry.

Reconnect and switch back on

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xpIq7-xYzcg

[madmaggot]

Ethel, I think you're brill. I think I'm in love!

[hardy49]

Many thanks

[ACtheTROLL]

and can I have it when it stops working permanently?

soap/detergent and warm water are just about certain to start the circuit board corroding - warm soapy water "walks" up rubber membrane - and the soap turns copper green (neither is good!)

first you need to remove all power - and batteries
depending on how tight the keys are ... you may have to pop some of them out to make room.
(check the book and see if the keyboard can be removed by opening clips (some have the ram behind instead of flaps in the back)

then you need distilled water - or even better isopropyl alcohol (�4 for .5 litres - local chemist) which is a safe solvent and will evaporate quickly (no flames though - it's very flammable - and keep it away from the printed keytops)

have a broddle about with moistened buds and then use a vacuum cleaner to draw damp air away and over the damp bits... alternatively a hairdryer ... (but don't let it get too hot) using compressed air (very cold liquid gas!) on moist areas will turn it into condensation and blow it into the machine.

alternatively ... out with the battery
then stick the machine into the airing cupboard for a couple of days ... the juice should crystallise ... and should just crumble away if you patiently operate the stiff keys

[Ethel]

Cotton buds dipped into warm soapy water haven't done my 5 year old laptop any harm with its thrice yearly clean.

[ACtheTROLL]

eth

that's fine for you but if any of my colleagues was found to be carrying a bottle of fairy and a bog brush in his toolkit ... they would be down the road...

isoprop is a general purpose cleaner used in video, floppy cassette etc etc etc cleaning kits

air dusters have been banned where I work
a - because they have a tendency to blow our windscreens if left in passenger seats in august

and also because if they are full and held at an angle they will cover components with supercooled liquid gas which can kill hot running components

I'm a little intrigued how you get a bud in between a laptop's keys - on mine they are as tight as a duck's .... - the only way in would be to pop a couple of keycaps

I have a friend who cuts his fingernails with an axe ... but I wouldn't recommend anyone else to do that

it's like the virus scanner chestnut ... "it works for me ... means nothing" ...I believe you were a uni gel ... how scientifically or (legally valid) is anecdotal evidence?

not everyone can be guaranteed to be as meticulously precise as you ... those that aren't will damage their machines

jake the peg puts it so much better than me
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Technology/Comp uters/Question678946.html