cleaning your keyboard...would you do it?

[benzimm86]

So today a co-worker was telling me about how on the news yesterday they were talking about how to clean your keyboard. Their suggestion is this:

Unplug the keyboard and wrap the cord around it. Put it in the dishwasher. Do not use soap and do not use the dry cycle. (dry cycle would melt the keyboard) They then say to put it upside down and let it air dry for 24 hours.

I guess there are a couple ways of looking at this. Yes you are putting water on electronics but there is no electricity going through it., so could it still be damaged?

So here is the poll.... Would you wash your keyboard in the dishwasher? If you have already let us know what you found.

 

[TheMajor]

Yes, but I would only do it with a cheap keyboard.

 

[m3trj]

I don't think so.

 

[Harper]

You are not the first person to comment about this

http://www.techist.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=45174

Originally posted by ShoobieRat 03-04-2005 at 12:11 AM
Take it apart. Set all the circuits-mats and stuff to one side, then take the keyboard trays, rubber-mats (if your board has them) and the body and put them all in the dishwasher. Run. Remove, reassemble, done. (MAKE SURE IT"S ALL DRY)

And I do remember reading some even earlier post about computer parts and dish washers. I do remember some one else commenting about his computer teacher putting a motherboard in the dishwasher. And he was able to get it to work. However I can not seem to find that post.

Personally I think people are mad to try this. The most extreme I will do to in order to clean a keyboard is :-
1. Hit the keyboard with some can air to loosen up the dust. And use the a vacuum cleaner to suck the dusk out.
2. Remove the keys and use a slightly damp cloth to key it.

There is no way I am putting a LOGITECH G15 in a dishwasher.

 

[Harper]

My computer repair teacher wants to clean a mobo in a dishwasher and wants some info.

so basically everyone thinks its very moronic to try this??

is anyone even curious that it MAY work?? i mean really , why wouldnt it?? besides the water oxidising the copper traces to nothing, why else wouldnt it work!?!?!

Originally posted by pizzanchy 04-01-2004 at 06:42 AM
ok i posted this thread a month i ago i believe

my teacher since, put 5 motherboards (once that didnt work for mysterious reasons) all together to wash in the dishwasher, brought them back to school and to my suprise....1 of the motherboards actually was fixed!!! believe it or not but he got 1 running!!

by the way used a hair dryer which he said did nothing, so he stuck it in the oven at 150 for about 15 minutes or something like that....im not quiete sure

1 worked and thats all there is to it..

I am very tempted to drop and email to Myth Busters to see if they can try to this one. As I am not risking my computer.


Personally I am not worryied about the water. I have recovered computers that were 30 cm under water. I am more worried about corrosiveness of your dishwasher cleaners. I have hard enough time with those and my fine china, let alone computer parts.

 

[Chazzer3]

I would only really clean it if it got out of hand with dirt, or dust.

Charlie -

 

[Harper]

I am very tempted to drop and email to Myth Busters to see if they can try to this one. As I am not risking my computer.

DONE!!! http://community.discovery.com/grou...01967776&m=2111927528&r=2111927528#2111927528

 

[Mr_Threepwood]

I have a question, usually when I clean my keyboard I pop off all the keys and wash them manually, and wipe down the area underneath the keyboard. With the optimus keyboard will there be a good way to clean it?

 

[molsen]

yea i really don't see any need to put your keyboard in the dishwasher unless you spill soda or something all over it. a damp cloth will clean the keys just fine and a little compressed air will get most the dust/crumbs/weed chunks out.

 

[tajahem]

Canned air and maybe a used monitor wipe is the extent of what I will clean my keyboard with. I replace my keyboards every year as WSAD starts to become less responsive so I don't usually need to do more.

On the subject of hardy electronics, I have a Kingston 512MB flash memory stick that has been through the laundry (washer and dryer) not once, but twice. I don't know if that sucker is water tight or if the fact that it was in my pocket protected it, but I can still use the thing.