Spilt my drink in my laptop. Advice?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of liquid spills on laptops, specifically addressing the potential damage caused by water and other liquids, and various methods for cleaning and salvaging affected devices. Participants share personal experiences and propose different approaches to mitigate damage.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Personal anecdotes

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes that water can evaporate, raising the question of whether there is still hope for a laptop after a spill.
  • Another suggests that if power is removed quickly enough, there may still be a chance to save the laptop, emphasizing the importance of drying it out.
  • Concerns about rusting and long-term damage from spills are mentioned, with a participant sharing a personal experience of sticky keys after a soda spill.
  • Several participants recommend rinsing the affected area with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol to clean any residue, with varying opinions on the effectiveness of these methods.
  • One participant recounts a negative experience where washing a keyboard did not restore functionality, contrasting with others who had successful outcomes.
  • A participant mentions that some laptops have moisture barriers that can help protect against spills, suggesting this as a consideration for future purchases.
  • Another participant shares a successful recovery story after cleaning the motherboard with alcohol, indicating that it is possible to restore functionality after a spill.
  • There is a discussion about the differences in handling spills on keyboards versus laptops, highlighting the complexity of laptop circuitry.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of opinions on the best methods for cleaning and salvaging laptops after spills, with no clear consensus on a single effective approach. Some share successful recovery stories while others recount failures, indicating that outcomes may vary significantly.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various cleaning methods and their personal experiences, but there is no agreement on the best practice or guaranteed outcomes. The discussion reflects a mix of anecdotal evidence and technical suggestions, with uncertainty about the effectiveness of different approaches.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals who have experienced liquid spills on their laptops or keyboards, as well as those interested in preventative measures and recovery techniques for electronic devices.

jaydnul
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I before i got to turning it off right after i spilt the drink, the fan seemed to boost up to the highest speed in the laptop. Then i took out the battery and haven't done anything else. I was just wondering how exactly water ruins a laptop, considering the water will eventually evaporate, right? Is there still hope?
 
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Provided you reemoved all power fast enough there is still hope keep all power removed dry out the laptop. Liquid damage unless it shorts a circuit does not necessarily damage a circuit board right away. if it shorted you should smell a sweet smell. If it didn't then drying it out may work
 
Sometimes it rusts things. Its good it wasnt pool water with chlorine that how a lot of people lose cell phones.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/tips/4269047

I once dropped a soda into my terminal keyboard which is bad but worse is I picked it up to dump out the soda and the soda then got to drip down the shaft of some keys. The end result was a bunch of perpetually sticky keys rendering it unusable

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2012/jul/05/drink-spilled-on-laptop

My spill occurred because my drink was next the the keyboard and when I went to answer the phone and standup at the same time the phone cord snapped straight, hit the drink and puff the keyboard got soaked.
 
try a rinse with distilled water - after removing the battery.

Then dry it in a warm place overnight.

good luck.
 
Actually I would recommend isopropynal alcohol. Most laptops have removable keys that you can pop. Temove the keys. Underneath you will see a row columm strip with graphite pads take the alcohol and pour a bit on a lint free cloth. Clean the pafs and remove any coffee film liquid.
 
Use good hot soapy water and get the board & components warm/~hot (hot components evaporate the water faster) followed by jim hardy's distilled water rinse (don't won't to leave conductive impurities) then set aside to dry.
 
Mordred said:
Actually I would recommend isopropynal alcohol. Most laptops have removable keys that you can pop. Temove the keys. Underneath you will see a row columm strip with graphite pads take the alcohol and pour a bit on a lint free cloth. Clean the pafs and remove any coffee film liquid.
You probably meant isopropyl alcohol, right?... :smile:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol
Isopropyl alcohol is used in keyboard, LCD and laptop cleaning, is sold commercially as a whiteboard cleaner, and is a strong but safer alternative to common household cleaning products.



OCR
 
Yeah that's the one lol
 
I once spilled a Pepsi on a keyboard. I immediately grabbed it and put it under the cold water tap in the bathtub. After thoroughly washing it for about 10 minutes I washed it with distilled water. A couple of days later when I thought it was totally dry, I tried it. It didn't work and it never worked again. Good luck. Maybe one of the other solutions will work.
 
  • #10
So how did the OP Lundyjp make out? Did the computer survive our advice?
 
  • #11
It's always a good idea to remove the battery from any device that gets a soaking, asap.
 
  • #12
Some keyboards have a moisture barrier that can prevent water from penetrating to the rest of the circuitry. For example, my Samsung notebook has such a barrier and it has survived splashes of salt water. Their protection against spills is not absolute, but better than no barrier.

Look for such a barrier the next time you shop for a computer.
 
  • #13
Hey sorry just looked at the thread again. My laptop is working perfectly fine now. I just pulled out the motherboard(where i expected the most liquid to be) and i wiped it down with alcohol and a microfiber cloth. I saw an area that had a little more dried soda so i gave it a little extra cleaning. Everything's perfect now. Thanks guys
 
  • #14
For those who have not had much PC experience, please understand that spilling liquids on a keyboard is not a disaster. Rinse the KB thoroughly and let it dry and it will be fine. Spilling liquids on a laptop can be a real problem, because there is a lot of circuitry under that keyboard, and you can't just flush everything with warm water and expect it all to work out.

When I was the IT guy for a large ophthalmic practice, I would scold the clerks/secretaries when they would spill coffee/soda etc on their keyboards. I could easily rinse them off and dry them, but I would punish them by giving them a replacement keyboard that they would dislike. "No beverages on the desk" predated me, but it was widely ignored.
 
  • #15
Glad everything worked out.
 

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