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geekhack Community => Keyboards => Topic started by: Flossed on Fri, 02 August 2013, 18:27:43

Title: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Flossed on Fri, 02 August 2013, 18:27:43
I've recently spilled soda on my Ducky Shine II. I unplugged it, cleaned it as best I could. I let it dry and plugged it back in.  It worked for a good hour before it disconnected. It comes back once a while, then disconnects. On the other hand, when I just leave it, it is fine. It seems like its fine if I don't use it. =/  I took it apart again and the back of the PCB is sticky. How can I clean it? Thanks a lot!
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: CPTBadAss on Fri, 02 August 2013, 18:30:04
Isopropyl alcohol might work
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Flossed on Fri, 02 August 2013, 18:44:29
Isopropyl alcohol might work

I've got 50%. Is that good?
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: SpAmRaY on Fri, 02 August 2013, 19:03:37
Isopropyl alcohol might work

I've got 50%. Is that good?

You want closer to 90-99%
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Tarzan on Fri, 02 August 2013, 19:08:26
Isopropyl alcohol might work

I've got 50%. Is that good?

50% is also 50% water.  Cleaning electronic parts with water isn't recommended.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: RyanM on Sat, 03 August 2013, 01:57:57
I've used 90% Isopropyl before and it went well. The 50% or 70% probably isn't a good idea for the PCB. I have a can of 1,1,1-Trichloroethane solvent from an old job where I worked on motherboards and the like often. It's illegal now so I feel bad when I use it as a last resort (for the ozone) but damn it works -- a little too well sometimes. It also rids the room of oxygen quickly.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: PointyFox on Sat, 03 August 2013, 02:03:15
Heptane, xylene, MEK, MIBK?
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: rowdy on Sat, 03 August 2013, 02:39:48
Do all the switches still work?  If not, they will be difficult to replace.

In that case you might save yourself some time and just get a new keyboard.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 03 August 2013, 02:53:00
Um...

In the liquid likely hasn't dried and is causing a short.

leaving the case open and lean it against the wall somewhere..


if all the switches are non-sticky, then the board should be fine once dried.

STOP USING IT.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Ekruceal on Sat, 03 August 2013, 06:10:30

if all the switches are non-sticky, then the board should be fine once dried.

STOP USING IT.

This. 

Wait until it's completely dry, then clean what's left of the soda off, as needed, with a small amount 90%+ isopropyl alcohol.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: microsoft windows on Sat, 03 August 2013, 10:01:07
I agree, washing it with rubbing alcohol would be a good idea. I've fixed other electronics that were victims of Coke spills by doing the same thing.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Rule16 on Sat, 03 August 2013, 23:34:40
This one time, a bird **** on one of my keyboards while all the keycaps were off, and I spent the next hour cleaning out every switch on the right half of the keyboard with a sowing needle, que tips, and 99% Isopropyl alcohol.
TLDR: 99% Isopropyl alcohol.


True story btw.
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: jonathanyu on Sun, 04 August 2013, 01:10:08
This one time, a bird **** on one of my keyboards while all the keycaps were off, and I spent the next hour cleaning out every switch on the right half of the keyboard with a sowing needle, que tips, and 99% Isopropyl alcohol.
TLDR: 99% Isopropyl alcohol.


True story btw.

wow......  :eek:  if a bird **** on my keyboard, i am definitely going to get another one
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Grim Fandango on Sun, 04 August 2013, 03:08:35
In situations like this you are better off leaving the board for a full day or something to make sure that it is really dry. You can deal with stickiness, but you might not be able to deal with further damage you are doing by using it before it dried. 
Title: Re: Cleaning my keyboard
Post by: Rule16 on Sun, 04 August 2013, 15:55:32
This one time, a bird **** on one of my keyboards while all the keycaps were off, and I spent the next hour cleaning out every switch on the right half of the keyboard with a sowing needle, que tips, and 99% Isopropyl alcohol.
TLDR: 99% Isopropyl alcohol.


True story btw.

wow......  :eek:  if a bird **** on my keyboard, i am definitely going to get another one
It was vintage, what can you do. It's spotless now, and as clean as it was, NIB, before it got shat on.