What to do if water has been spilled on the keyboard?

Despite the recommendation of specialists not to drink different drinks while working at the computer, many modern users prefer to do as they feel comfortable. Often, everything ends with spilled liquid on the surface of the keys and a panic search for a way out of the situation. If the keyboard from the computer or monoblock can simply be replaced, then with the keys on the surface of the laptop this will not work.

Some people think that it is enough to pour the liquid overturning the device and wait until it dries on its own. In some cases, this really helps, but do not be surprised if, after a few days or weeks after an accident, the device stops working.

Actions to be performed first

Emergency assistance consists of three stages, the correctness and speed of which will directly affect the condition of the laptop. You need to start at the very moment when the liquid, regardless of its quality and texture, was spilled:

1. We disconnect the device and pull out the battery. Correct shutdown of the system in order to save data is not as important as preventing short circuits and burning of all contacts. Contrary to popular belief, turning off the battery is no less important, because in it even after disconnecting from the network, power circuits work.
2. After that, disconnect from the device flash drives, disks, memory cards.
3. Next, we act depending on the amount of spilled water or other liquid. If its volume is no more than 1-2 tablespoons, then turn the keyboard or laptop over to prevent moisture from entering the central parts of the case, and then blot the surface with a paper towel. In the case of a larger volume, we install the device on the rib, the ventilation holes must be placed below, and gently shake, removing the maximum amount of liquid.

Tip: In the process of carrying out emergency care, it is strictly forbidden to turn on the device to check whether it works. You will have to come to terms with the fact that you will not have to use it for at least 2-3 days.

Only after doing all these manipulations, you need to decide what to do next - try to clean and restore the device yourself or seek help from a repair shop.

Features of the effects of various liquids on the keyboard

The degree of damage to a laptop depends not only on the volume, but also on the quality of the liquid spilled on its surface. The destructive effect of all drinks is different, which must be taken into account in the repair process.

• Water. If you spill water on the keyboard, the chances of restoring the system are high enough, the product is harmless enough. The main thing is to act quickly and strictly according to the plan developed by specialists, otherwise there is a risk of developing corrosion of individual elements. We must not forget that the pure product will spread rapidly along the internal passages of the device, increasing the possibility of a short circuit. In no case can you just try to dry the keys, the processing should be complete and consistent.
• Traditional drinks such as tea or coffee, including those with added sugar or milk. With such a lesion, the situation is much worse due to the acids that make up most of the components. For example, tea contains tannin, which has an acid reaction.If milk is added to the drink, then the level of negative impact is still increased. Coffee is also quite aggressive, and in combination with sugar and cream guarantees the appearance of a sticky layer that interferes with the keys.
• Natural or packaged juice. Often consists of fairly large particles that are able to tightly clog between elements. In addition, the sweet drink contains fruit acids, which have a pronounced destructive effect.
• Beer. Not many people know that beer not only leaves a sticky mark on plastic, but also corrodes the elements of the device due to its low acid content. Many owners of laptops on which beer was spilled, albeit to a minimum volume, are faced with the fact that the product quickly fails, even if it did not fail at first.
• Soda. It represents the greatest possible danger. In Cola, Sprite and their analogues an impressive amount of chemical components that oxidize and corrode the inside of a laptop or keyboard. In this case, you have to act very quickly, in just a few hours, a drink can cause irreparable harm to the device.

Regardless of what was spilled on the surface of the keys, coffee, wine, tea, juice, beer or milk, it is necessary not only to get rid of excess liquid, but to rinse the object with clean water. After that, you can go to a service center or start an independent repair.

How can I repair a damaged laptop myself?

To quality and correct clean laptop, it is not necessary to contact specialists. In general, they will do the same with the device, but at the same time precious time can be missed, which in the case of spilled soda counts for hours.

• First you need to disassemble the product. To do this, we arm ourselves with suitable screwdrivers and, putting an oilcloth under the panel, methodically unscrew each screw. In order not to be confused with latches and hidden panels, it is recommended to use the instructions for parsing a specific model, which can be found on the Internet. Then we conduct an inspection and assess the damage. Before doing anything further, you need to disconnect the battery that powers the motherboard, preventing a theoretically possible short circuit.

• Cleaning and flushing components. Armed with a magnifying glass, we examine all the elements of the keyboard or laptop, looking for signs of darkening of the material or the appearance of spots. We remove all suspicious formations with a soft, lint-free cloth or with a dry toothbrush. First you need to use an alcohol solution, then distilled water (in extreme cases, replace the component with drinking or filtered water). In the same way, you need to clean all the parts of the device.
• If the board is damaged too much, then take it out, process it in the traditional way and leave it to dry for at least a day.
• After processing, it remains to dry the laptop. Some masters advise using a hairdryer to speed up the process of getting rid of unnecessary fluid, but this is too dangerous an approach. If at least a little overexposure the device, you can melt the various elements or drive the dust to where you do not need. It is better to leave the product for 1-2 days in a dry room without dust and with good ventilation. Care must be taken to ensure that direct sunlight does not fall on the parts.

If water gets on the laptop, all the same manipulations are carried out, you do not only need to rinse the product. After all the deadlines have passed, you need to assemble the device, it is better to do this according to the scheme, and not from memory. If the device does not turn on or does not work, you will still have to contact a service center. Sometimes after such cleaning only the keyboard does not work, then you can try to replace it or attract an external device.