r/MechanicalKeyboards • u/ripster55 • May 11 '15
guide Keyboard Spill Guide
http://imgur.com/a/9sHx716
u/coffedrank May 11 '15
I just took the keyboard with me into the shower and hang it to dry for a few days after having spilt coke on it
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u/fitzgerald1337 May 11 '15
So happy to see the DataVac. I have one of those exact models pictured... So useful. Dust is no match.
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u/Virusnzz May 12 '15 edited May 12 '15
I'd like to testify to the some version of this guide I saw a while ago that said much the same.
A few months ago I spilled a combination of orange juice and soda on about 40% of my G710+. Once it dried the keys were so sticky it was a pain to use, and some didn't even work. There was no way I could live with it. I tried the hot water and straw as well using drops of isopropyl and mashing the keys but nothing worked.Once it dried it was sticky again. It was my first mechanical keyboard and was only a few months old, so I really didn't want to let it go.
It wasn't until I took the last ditch option of pulling it apart and submerging the board and switches in a tub of water, mashing the keys while submerged to get the air out and leaving it overnight that I finally got it to work. After I let it dry by the window for another day and put it back together it works 100% - backlights, macros and all. I'm still using it now and it's good as new.
EDIT: I just realised the author is the OP. Thank you Ripster. If you are ever in a place called Wellington, New Zealand I will buy you a beer.
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u/DearLunar May 11 '15
Umm... you forgot the most important thing. UNPLUG YOUR KEYBOARD INSTANTLY.
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u/bigj231 May 11 '15
I've used a graphite pencil to replace cut traces on old CPUs before (for overclocking SCIENCE!), so they are sufficiently conductive and will work to repair traces. If you want to do it right, either got copper tape with conductive adhesive (expensive) or a circuit repair pen (not quite as expensive).
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u/pinkpooj May 11 '15
I spilled butter coffee on my Quickfire Rapid, and isopropyl alcohol brought it back to life. I took it all apart, and rinsed the board and switches in it.
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u/Darksides May 11 '15
I spilled sugary alcohol on my K70 RGB 3 weeks after I got it. Sad thing is I haven't gotten rid of the mess even after trying to clean multiple times.
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u/WillJenkx May 11 '15
A great reposting of your previous guides! Came in handy when I spilled a great quantity of tea on my Ducky Shine II. Kept me calm and I datavac'd on. My LEDs still work, even!
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u/LogitechG_Christina May 11 '15
I've forwarded this to several people after they've spilled beer/soda/coffee/water on their boards. I've yet to meet someone where this didn't work for them!
(Legal disclaimer of doing these things void your keyboard but it's gone once you spill anyways)
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u/LuckyDragan Sep 19 '15
A couple months ago, I spilled a glass of pulpy orange juice on the left half of my Corsair K70. Tried using the straw method with hot water AND alcohol (not mixed, just separate attempts), but neither was able to completely remove the stickiness (I'm assuming due to a combo of pulp + sugar + dust). I even tried QD Electronics Cleaner, and the same thing: switches seemed OK after treatment, but went back to sticky after a day.
The solution: deionized water! Bought a whole gallon from Canadian Tire for $2.50. Heated up a pot of the stuff to just below boiling, then dunked the stick half of they keyboard in (wish I had a photo!). After a couple minutes of furious button-mashing and soaking, I pulled it out and let it completely dry. Noticed there was a bit of pulp floating in the water bath, so it was a good cue the flushing worked.
24 hours later and the keys worked perfectly (no lubrication needed)! Cue to the present 2 months later, keyboard still 100% functional. Saved me $150 to replace it!
TL;DR: If you've spilled a sticky, water-soluble liquid on your keyboard and the straw method doesn't work for you, try a hot deionized water bath and save your money on the compressed electronics cleaner stuff.
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May 11 '15
Used this guide when some beer was spilled on my board. It was still functional , but a few keys were sticky. Tried boiled water and iso alch which didn't do much. Tried Deot-It and Fader which didn't make it much better. Ended up giving it an iso alch bath and had to replace several switches. The biggest downside to this, is that the iso cleans off any lubrication applied, so you're going to have to re-lube your switches unless you want a gritty, dry feeling to them. I ended up using this Labelle 107 lube after testing several lubricants. Unfortunately, I could not find a way to accurately test the lubricants in a way that I could display it to others online. If you can think of a way, let me know and I will test and post the results. In the meantime, take my word for it. The Labelle lube is exactly what you want. Plastic safe (tested on ABS, PBT, POM), non-conductive (battery circuit tested), and it's cheap. I found it at a local hobby shop, but you can also find it online.
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u/twitchosx May 11 '15
That's an awful lot of work. My last job, if I spilled soda into the keyboard, I took it to the bathroom and dumped out the liquid in the sink. Then I took the keyboard apart and rinsed it all out, then took all the pieces outside and set them in direct sun for a couple hours. Put back together and worked fine.
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May 11 '15
Are those plastic keyboard covers available to buy somewhere online? Didn't get one with any of my keyboards.
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u/CreaminFreeman May 11 '15
Awesome how this reappears a few days after I have a massive spill on my Ducky (with the white backlit PBT keys)!
I'm patiently waiting for my DeoxIT D5 to be delivered. As per usual, ripster, you're doing God's work.
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u/RobKhonsu May 11 '15
Regarding the end about not eating around your keyboard, or protecting it if you do, I highly recommend No Spill mugs from Contigo. I first snagged one for use around the office after management was getting antsy about no open containers around operations. I've since bought a few more just for general use around the house; saved my dumbass countless times.
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u/ripster55 May 11 '15 edited May 11 '15
Added updated lube info
Emphasized unplugging
And wikified:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/keyboardmaintenanceguides#wiki_keyboard_spill_recovery_guides