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I spilled beer on my keyboard a while back, and some of the keys are sticky.

It's driving me crazy, and I don't have any isopropyl. Can I use vodka to clean it?

user1068446
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    If you're just talking of wiping with a damp rag, pure water or vodka would be fine. Don't let any liquid seep into the keyboard, though. If you have a problem that the beer has make the keys themselves stick down then it is necessary to partially disassemble the KB and immerse the upper part in pure water, then dry for several days. (I've done this several times and it works.) Luckily it was beer and not a cola beverage, as cola will literally dissolve the printed circuit at the heart of the KB if not immediately washed off. – Daniel R Hicks Apr 16 '14 at 11:41
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    the [mechanical keyboard](http://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicalKeyboards/wiki/keyboardmaintenanceguides) subreddit has some guides for cleaning keyboards. may only apply if you have a mechanical keyboard though. – Boumbles Apr 16 '14 at 12:46
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    Just make sure you spill some coffee on it afterwards... – Vector Apr 21 '14 at 00:58
  • This question is on topic for this site. We're talking about computer hardware repair and maintenance, after all. – bwDraco Apr 22 '14 at 11:14

7 Answers7

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The residue from beer is water soluble, so a damp cloth should do the trick if it's just the faces of the keys that are sticky. The alcohol in the vodka might dissolve the key labels.

If the keys are actually sticking, you've got a bigger problem though, since wiping the visible surfaces isn't going to get the residue out from where it's making the keys stick.

Basically, if you spill something on the keyboard, it's already wet, and when it dries it's going to leave residue behind.

So if you can't wipe it all off, you won't do any worse if you run the keyboard under the tap to get rid of the spillage, and then let the keyboard dry in a warm place like an airing cupboard for a few days. It's worked for me a few times over the years!

ChrisA
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    ... but only do this if the keyboard is not part of your laptop! –  Apr 16 '14 at 11:44
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    vodka is not pure alcool, as a test case you can spill it on the table and let it dry.. you'll find it stiky, depending on the "puriness" of the vodka. – Lesto Apr 16 '14 at 12:43
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    @lesto Who said vodka is pure alcohol? – user Apr 16 '14 at 14:06
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    @MichaelKjörling the anser it implicitly thinking that vodka won't leave residue, like the pure alcool does (it vaporize at 9° Celsius) – Lesto Apr 16 '14 at 14:16
  • @lesto, the boiling point of ethanol is around 78ºC. And pure alcohol will evaporate without residue, unlike any beverage (which contains other compounds). – vonbrand Apr 16 '14 at 23:16
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    DONT place it on something hot like radioator/heater/warmer - I did and it curved my keyboard to point where keys wont press. – Szymon Toda Apr 17 '14 at 10:07
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    Cleaning with water is perfectly valid even for a whole notebook. Well, except the display, maybe. I did it myself with no problems whatsoever. However, an extended drying phase, optionally with something like silica gel, is necessary. – Daniel B Apr 17 '14 at 17:48
  • @lesto buy some Absinthe already – ppp Apr 17 '14 at 18:21
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    PatoSáinz Absinthe contains a lot of sugar and chlorophyll with will make they keyboard more sticky @vonbrand boiling point is useless here, flash point give an indicative way to find out if the liquid is goin to evaporate soon (given proprer ventilation) – Lesto Apr 17 '14 at 18:31
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    If you happen to do what @Ultra advised against, which I did too, is to use a hair dryer on the "outside" of the curve and apply a little force so it comes back into shape. I've been able to successfully "uncurve" my keyboard this way. Somebody give Ultra an upvote because comment votes do not work on touch surfaces. Shame on you, SE. – NothingsImpossible Apr 18 '14 at 14:23
  • @NothingsImpossible Please consider posting that on [Meta Stack Exchange](https://meta.stackexchange.com/). – user Apr 20 '14 at 21:25
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    @DanielB ...if you remove the battery first! – AndrewC Jun 01 '14 at 15:20
  • @AndrewC Considering how you’d have to disassemble the whole device anyway... – Daniel B Jun 01 '14 at 18:41
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I have cleaned a keyboard by running it under tap water - seriously, out of the tap (spilled a latte on the keyboard). Let it dry (like overnight), and good-as-new. I believe this is reliable as long as you let the water completely evaporate.

I also believe vodka is too valuable to be used as a cleaning agent.

Gary Huckabone
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  • This will work provided that the water is 100% clean. Clean water does not cause shorts, and making sure it dries well will prevent the rust. Downside is that on most keyboards, water can cause issues if trapped under the cuircuih membrane – Jarmund Apr 17 '14 at 06:27
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    @Benoit Depends; in mother Russia, all taps dispense vodka! – Danny Beckett Apr 17 '14 at 23:31
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    "I also believe vodka is too valuable to be used as a cleaning agent." (in answer) is correct and should not be confused with the parenthetical use of "too", as in: "I also believe vodka is, too, valuable to be used as a cleaning agent." – user29020 Apr 19 '14 at 18:59
  • drying tap water could leave residue (calcium? lime? not sure what the correct form of the dutch 'kalk' should be in english), so whenever possible, dry in rice. – Nanne Apr 20 '14 at 07:28
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Do not use anything with alcohol to clean the keyboard. The keys will probably not stick anymore, but alcohol would also dissolve some of the lubricants used under the keys. Also, the word alcohol abuse comes to mind.

Your best bet is a damp piece of cloth, slightly warm, and then compressed air to get any gunk that the beer spill may have trapped.

Jarmund
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My favorite method of cleaning keyboards is putting them inside a dishwasher on a 30-minute program and then letting them dry out on the clothes line. The keyboard is usually squeaky clean afterwards.

JonathanReez
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    This sounds crazier than it is. I've done this. It does work. I've just set mine to dry inside, over a few days. Good as new. – Steve Butler Apr 18 '14 at 15:33
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    I thought this was a troll at first, but it looks like others affirm this strategy. However, it's worth stressing that [you don't use the heat and don't use soap](http://superuser.com/questions/742295/can-i-use-vodka-to-clean-my-keyboard#comment956352_742443). – Michael Apr 21 '14 at 13:21
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I would suggest removing the keys*, and applying some warm water and a q-tip (or if you don't mind waiting for it to dry out, run it under water, but then don't plug it in for several days). Finally, you can just swish the keys around in a bowl of water.

If you don't know your keyboard layout by heart, it may be a good idea to take a picture first so you know how to put the keys back, as there's nothing more frustrating then trying to figure out why an "m" gives you "n" and vice versa.

*This depends on the type of keyboard. If it is a separate keyboard, you can usually pry them up easily with a flat-head screwdriver, but for flatter keyboards, like laptop keyboards or some of the slimline keyboard you see today, I wouldn't recommend trying to remove the keys.

Community
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Sidney
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If the keys feel sticky when you press them, it's usually a better idea to forget about this keyboard and buy a new one.

I've soaked my kb in kvass a few years ago and no attempts of restoring it to the original condition succeeded. Water, alcohol, removing each individual key for thorough cleaning… It either will still feel sticky, or it will start making terribly loud noises with each key stroke because you'll inadvertently remove the key lubricant.

Keyboards are not that expensive, it's easier to buy a new one. But if they are, make sure to remember this experience and never spill anything on yours again.

user1306322
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I'd remove the keycaps, and soak the entire keyboard in distilled water, which is cheap to come by and won't leave any residue after drying.

Removing the keycaps is optional, but if you spilt beer into the keyboard, this may give a better result.

Simon Richter
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