How to Clean a Laptop Keyboard of Coffee
It's easy to get so focused on your computer that you don't notice what's happening around you. If you're playing an intense game or putting the finishing touches on an important essay, you may be so absorbed that you knock over your cup of coffee. If the coffee spills on your laptop's keyboard, it doesn't mean your computer is instantly ruined. It does mean, however, that you need to quickly get back to reality and clean up the mess before the computer is harmed.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
Black Coffee
-
1
Turn off your laptop computer as soon as you spill coffee on the keyboard. Electronics and liquid don't mix.
-
2
Wipe the coffee off the keyboard with a towel, then place a towel on a hard surface and set the laptop upside down on top of it. Position the laptop in the shape of an "A" so it's open and the coffee will drain out.
-
-
3
Let the laptop sit overnight until the coffee has completely dried. If you don't have that much time to spare, use a blow dryer on a medium setting to gently dry the coffee residue.
Coffee with Sugar
-
4
Turn the power off your computer as soon as you spill coffee containing sugar onto your laptop keyboard.
-
5
Wipe the excess coffee off the keyboard with a cloth or towel, then use a screwdriver or plastic pry tool to carefully pry some of the keys off the keyboard.
-
6
Dab a cotton swab in glass cleaner and begin to wipe the coffee off the inside of the keyboard. This task is easier if you have removed some keys, but not impossible if you haven't. If you have left all the keys in place, gently slide the swab between the keys to remove the sticky coffee.
-
7
Allow the keyboard to dry, then check to see if it's still sticky. Continue dabbing at sticky areas with your cleaning solution until the you've removed all the coffee and sugar.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
If you don't feel comfortable prying the keys off your keyboard, take your laptop to a computer service store to have it professionally cleaned.
Don't use paper towels to absorb the coffee. When they get wet, they can disintegrate and leave pieces of paper inside your computer.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
