I know that sounds like a stupid ass question. I have the Logitech wireless mx keys. I wiped the keyboard down so the surface of the keys aren’t sticky, just hard to press down and some have a spasm.

Since a whole ass thing of coffee did not short it, it gives some credibility that it is water resistant. Can I just dump water on it to help it?

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[–] 2 points 3 years ago (3 children)

I just rescued a keyboard from a ramen spill over the weekend. There are a few things you can do to make it a bit safer and more reliable than "just dump water on it."

Power off immediately (incl battery).

Disassemble as much as you're comfortable -- removing the keycaps is a must, opening the case is optional -- and use DISTILLED water on any part that may have been coffee'd. Don't apply pressure or scrub - pour directly onto the components (gravity is your washing pressure) with a tub underneath, then swish the components around in the tub.

Let dry for a day or so, then come back with isopropyl alcohol (at least 95%), cotton swabs, and compressed air. Put your keycaps back in and test each one -- any that are still sticky get taken back off, then get a good swab full of alcohol down in the switch or membrane. Use the compressed air to help blow it down in there + assist the drying process.

Let dry for another day or two (until completely dry) before attempting to power back on.

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  • [–] 0 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    70% isopropyl alcohol is better for cleaning than 95%, water is a key factor in the reaction.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago

    The whole point in using 95% or 99% isopropyl for cleaning electronics is that less water and other potentially conductive impurities get left behind when it dries. Yes 70% is better for general purpose cleaning and it will work on electronics in a pinch but when working with electronics you ideally want the highest concentration isopropyl alcohol that you can get.

    I work for a company that manufactures electronics and all of our general product cleaning is done with 99% isopropyl. We will also clean some product with water but that uses highly filtered deionized water and what basically amounts to a fancy dishwasher with a conveyor running through it. That's also only really done when water soluble fluxes are used, otherwise it's just the alcohol for cleaning.

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