What's the worst you've done when cleaning mouse or keyboard?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Maybe this is unique to the sdmb.
If you’re like me your mouse or keyboard will occasionally get greasy (perhaps you ate a chicken leg and didn’t wipe your hands properly) and you will endeavour to clean them while the computer is on. You will also likely press a few buttons in the process.

If so, what is the worst you have caused to happen by doing this?

2

Aww great - now I’ve looked down at my keyboard. And now I realize how funky it is and have to clean it. When did I have pizza?

(I’ve broken more space bars than I can count cleaning. Hope that doesn’t happen today.)

3

Once while cleaning the inside of my mouse, I dropped the ball and it rolled to a spot where I’ve never been able to find it.

4

During a busy time at work, I tried to clean off a smudge of grease on the keyboard of the cash register while waiting for a customer to write out her check (she was one of those who has to write the entry in her check register BEFORE writing the check, even though there were other people waiting in line). Somehow I managed to press a combination of keys that crashed the register and wouldn’t allow me to simply reboot. I had to call the help desk, and whole process took a good 15 minutes. In a store with only one register. During our lunch rush. At Christmas. In a mall where most of the customers are shopping during their 30 minutes lunch.

5

kittenblue, I think you are going to win!

The worst I eve did was spray some windex inside my trackball mouse, and it killed it. I had to buy a new one.

6

An easy way to clean your keyboard is to stick it in the dishwasher. Yes, I’m serious.

  1. Put it upside down on the top rack.
  2. Make sure the cord is wrapped up around the top of the dishwasher so it can’t fall down and get caught up in any of the moving parts
  3. Hi opal!
  4. If the dishwasher has a heat cycle at the end make sure you turn it off. Otherwise it can bake your keyboard into a molten pile of plastic goo.
  5. Don’t use soap.
  6. Let it dry for a couple of days before plugging it into your computer. This one is kinda important so you don’t end up as another disaster story in this thread.

It’s a LOT easier than disassembling a keyboard (sproing!!! damn, where did that spring go…)

7

I spilt a full glass of Coke in it. The keyboard stopped working (some keys didn’t work, some did). I took it into the backyard and took the hose to it figuring it can’t get any worse. After letting it dry overnight I plugged it in and it worked for 2 years flawlessly till it was replaced w/ a spilt keyboard.

8

One time my dad created some crazy static discharge that fried the mouse. I can’t remember if he was cleaning the mouse or if he had just been rubbing the monitor or something.

9

With the OP I kind of meant that software damage have you done by the inadvertant clicking of buttons. such as selecting “c:” and pressing delete, and then space for ‘are you sure?’
But carry on.

10

I’ve learned that it’s hard to surf porn AND lube at the same time.

Hey somebody had to say it.

11

well, lemme check…

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