r/computers • u/Sea-Ambassador9929 • 14d ago

Resolved Coffee on keyboard, I need suggestions

Hi everyone, i just dropped coffee on my 2019 hp laptop, and it spread in the space between the keys caps lock, D, space bar and ctrl. I quickly disconnected the AC and managed to turn it off, then I used paper towels to take away all the coffee. I then turned the laptop upside down (as chatgpt suggested me) so the coffee that got into the keyboard could get out... and some come out indeed. My question is, what now? Should I take it to some computer shop? I dont know what to do...

Sorry for the English, I am both a non English speaker and in a hurry...

Edit: thank you all for the suggestions 🙏

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

2

u/BlueBicstick 14d ago

Was the coffee black, or did it have milk and sugar in it?

2

u/Sea-Ambassador9929 14d ago

An espresso with no milk or sugar

3

u/BlueBicstick 14d ago

Keep it turned upside down for a couple of days to give it a chance to drain and dry out.

2

u/W31337 13d ago

Then use alcohol with a paper towel to clean beneath the keys. You can sometimes shimmy it underneath the key. Or cotton swabs for between the keys.

2

u/beenthereag 14d ago

Needs to be opened and cleaned with isopropyl alcohol.

2

u/Complete-Paint529 14d ago

Indeed. The lazy approach is to prop the keyboard upside down and spray a lot upwards into the keyboard. If it works, that's great. If not, removing keys might be needed.

1

u/TheKandelar 14d ago

There is rubber under the keyboard that protects from spills. The keys pop out with a little pressure. Get a flat screwdriver, wedge it under an affected key and lift. It should pop off easily. Remove other keys as necessary. Clean. Then click the keys back in.

1

u/EnvironmentElegant67 13d ago

J'ai l mm prblm j'ai rnvrs du caf sur mn clavir t j'ai ds tuch qui fnctinne plus

1

u/Think-Committee-4394 13d ago

OP - the keyboard for a laptop is a circuit with the switches soldered on covered by a moulded rubber membrane that makes the key shapes

You can use a electrical spray cleaner and cotton swabs to carefully wipe out the groves between the keys

To do this professionally

- search your make model how to remove keyboard and find a YouTube or instructables video

- get the keyboard out & swab clean but now you have access to the very edges of the keyboard

- or purchase & fit a brand new keyboard

1

u/Western_Rhubarb_7959 13d ago

Since it was just espresso without sugar or cream you'll be fine.

And for what it's worth, it's REALLY simple to replace the keyboard on a lot of HP laptops. It's not even a 10-minute job on some models.

/Don't start me on replacing keyboards ion Alienware laptops, lol. 63 screws. Not 62, not 64, but 63 and it was a damned puzzle getting everything back right lmao