# Clean my laptop (beverage spillage & aroma)
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [May 10, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612 "2007-05-10T22:10:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/1 "2007-05-10T22:10:55Z")
I managed an impressive feat yesterday. Spilled an entire pint of lager over my computer, while switched on, and although I was expecting some catastrophic failure, it works fine. Even the keyboard hasn’t got gunked up at all. DVD is fine.
Just discovered one problem today. As it warmed up, a distinctive smell permeated the room. Not good. Not in a classroom! As far as I can make out, most of it is coming from underneath the keys, everything else being wipeable. Is there any way of cleaning under there? (I am OK with dismantling things if necessary, but would rather avoid the hassle.) Or, does anyone have a meaningful estimate on how long before it stops smelling, or a computer-friendly way to disguise it?!
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### Author:  [@Iggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggins)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2007, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/2 "2007-05-10T22:52:10Z")
There’s probably no good way of cleaning the KB without disassembly. Heck there’s probably no good way of cleaning the keyboard without some heated drying process, unless you use a evaporative cleaner like alcohol or flux remover.
Febreze may be able to alleviate the smell, though I would use a hair dryer on the keypad after spraying and before turning it back on.
Maybe you could buy a new keypad. There are a couple of vendors on the internet. I priced a Toshiba Satellite keyboard for $41 the other day.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/3 "2007-05-10T23:15:34Z")
Google up the disassembly instructions for your model of laptop and do whatever’s needed to get they keyboard out. Start out with something like \*\*laptop model keyboard replace \*\* - eg: **Thinkpad T42 keyboard replace**
Some laptop keyboards are miserable - held in from underneath, requiring removal of the bottom of the case and the drives, and others just need to you pop off a bit of trim above the keyboard and a couple screws.
Once you have the keyboard out, rinse it out with water - preferably distilled. You can get it by the gallon at the grocery store. While it’s draining out, go at any beer that got in past the keyboard. Let the keyboard dry out at least overnight, then reassemble.
You may want to think about ordering a replacement keyboard anyway. Chances are pretty good that the beer being in there for the past 24 hours has started corrosion that will sooner or later cause it to fail.
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### Author:  [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2007, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/4 "2007-05-10T23:25:49Z")
Thanks for the suggestions…
The computer came from a small audio specialist, with one of the selling points being its ruggedness. Which (a) is probably why it survived, and (b) might make it a pain to get spares, but (c) if I email them, they’ll probably actually reply with a real email rather than a robot reply and will probably be able to supply a keyboard. Which probably is the above, but I’m sure they could supply a new keyboard if necessary. Especially now **gotpasswords** has planted the possibility of corrosion into my mind! 😛
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/5 "2007-05-10T23:33:51Z")
The won’t hurt, might help solution is just to keep cleaning it with rubbing alcohol, Q-tips and soaked clothes. I would let the whole computer dry for a while though. My guess would be to open the screen and lay it face down for any drainage.
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### Author:  [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2007, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/6 "2007-05-11T05:11:44Z")
The keyboard will be replaceable as **gotpasswords** notes. I’d remove it, flush thoroughly with water, then rinse with some alcohol (the rubbing kind this time) to keep the water from causing problem.
There’s not a whole lot to keyboards… I’d say there’s a good chance of fixing the situation.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2007, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/7 "2007-05-11T06:52:21Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan]
The computer came from a small audio specialist, with one of the selling points being its ruggedness.
[/QUOTE]
Going out on a limb here, but is it a Panasonic Toughbook? If so, you can probably chuck it into the washing machine and have it come out squeaky clean. OK, so maybe an exaggeration, but that line is built to shrug off minor abuses.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2007, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/8 "2007-05-11T07:10:38Z")
I did this with coffee the week before last. Then the sauce off a Cambodian takeaway last week. (Ever think your laptop might be overly integrated into your life?)
See if you can get a mini spray unit thingy - maybe from a garden centre - and put ethyl alcohol in it - alternatively, an ether-based switch cleaner spray can. Prise all the keys off (take a photo of the keyboard first!) and wash them in soapy water, rinse and dry. Spray the shit out of whatever’s under the keys, and wipe with kitchen roll. Using the picture, replace the keys - mind the arrow buttons as they look quite similar.
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### Author:  [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2007, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/9 "2007-05-11T15:07:11Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm]
Prise all the keys off (take a photo of the keyboard first!) and wash them in soapy water, rinse and dry.
[/QUOTE]
That is the \*\*last \*\* thing you want to do to a laptop keyboard. You can do this with desktop keyboards as their keys are on posts and pop on and off easily. Laptop keys are much thinner and not built to be taken apart - more often than not, if a key comes off for whatever reason, you have to replace the keyboard.
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### Author:  [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-my-laptop-beverage-spillage-aroma/403612/10 "2007-05-11T20:39:52Z")
I have a Fujitsu Siemens, and the keys appear designed to be popped off and replaced. I hadn’t realised other laptop keyboards might be differently designed.