My Keyboard loves coffee!

Compressed Air - A great idea for the computer and keyboard.
@webeishere (36313)
United States
February 22, 2010 2:34pm CST
Well,my keyboard really loved coffee just a bit ago. This photo shows a can of my compressed air that I always have handy by the computer. It has saved many a day for me actually. Just a little while ago I was sitting here playing games. I got excited and tipped my cup of coffee over. SPLASH! Coffee went all inside my keyboard and the desk and speakers. So I first turned the computer off, then grabbed the paper towels cleaning up the spill then turned the keyboard upside down to shake the fluid out. Then I dried it off and sprayed the air into it to get the last few drops out. This works well each time I do this. So do you have compressed/canned air handy for keeping the keybopard and tower dust free? Ever have a major spill on your keyboard? HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
10 people like this
24 responses
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
22 Feb 10
I've never had more than a few drips on my keyboard. I did come into work one day and somebody had spilled a whole cup of coffee on my chair. Yeck....
2 people like this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Hope you saw it prior to sitting down. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (47706)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
22 Feb 10
Double lucky!
2 people like this
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
22 Feb 10
Luckily yes. And there was a chair I could exchange it for too!
2 people like this
• United States
22 Feb 10
Oh we've had many a spill to put it lightly. I usually go thru a keyboard or two a year. Hubby bought me this one that's supposed to be waterproof... HA! It's not kid proof! Crumbs got in between the keys and now the keys are popping off & they are not the kind you can just press back into place. I told hubby to get the $9.99 special nooo had to get a fancy one and see what happened anyway? + I tried to go to the thrift store to get a new keyboard and wouldn't ya know it they didn't have any. Lucky for me I know all my keys well enough I don't need them but it's funky typing w/ you shift, comma, Z, & M key missing
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I buy the cheap keyboards as well when needed. I'm a three finger typists so I need the keys there. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Geez, I thought I was the only one who did this lol. My keyboard seems to be a magnet for spills. The last time it happened it was coffee with cream and sugar, and the sugar glued half of my keys together when it dried. Good hint about the compressed air, I do keep a can of it handy. It probably would have ended up sticking anyways. What I did was dismantle the whole keyboard, and gently rinse everything off. Then I let it sit on top of my chest freezer until all the circuits and all dried. I had to make a diagram when I was taking it apart so I could get it back together...man, there's a lot of pieces parts in there! I keep a second keyboard (one that I don't care for) for instances like that. Hey, you got a new pic up..cool:-)
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
If you clean the spill right away and do a good job it won't become sticky. I've even spilled syrupy sodas and they cleaned up well. Just turn puter off and bang the keyboard on a towel or other soft surface to get the last few drops out then the air gets the little left. A lot of work undoing the keyboard. HAHAHA! As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
1 person likes this
@JoyfulOne (6232)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Will most definitely try the canned air next time (quick...hide them screwdrivers...grannies havin' a conniption fit lol) Don't know why, but I never thought of using my compressed air for moisture. (duh) I use it all the time to keep the cat hairs out of the tower. Nothing kills a computer faster than kitty hair clogging the fan! This is a great hint, will have to pass it along to the family!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Anytime at all. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
@GardenGerty (160998)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Believe it or not I have never had a spill on my keyboard. On our first computer my husband had a custom made cover over the keyboard. It felt weird at first, but we got used to it. I try not to have too many foods or drinks near the computer. I have never used the compressed air, but I know it would be good for the computer and probably for my sewing machine as well. It seems your computer has survived. You are typing on it. I am glad. I hate to murder things with coffee.
2 people like this
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
23 Feb 10
Hey Grandpa Bob! OMG! That is one of my biggest fears! I am such a clod and I try so hard to keep my drinks away from the keyboard! I have a side table where keep them, but I am always spilling or knocking my cups over, but thankfully they fall on the table or floor and away from the keyboard! And since I usually am drinking nice sticky diet coke I am really happy! It is bad enough that I have to wipe the table and the linolium and it leaves a really sticky icky mess! I don't even want to imagine what would happen to my poor keyboard! You are really lucky that your keyboard is ok! I did get a can of that air stuff! Haven't used it yet! But, keep it on hand just in case!
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
23 Feb 10
I have to use wordpad to write responses etc now for some odd reason. I've read elsewhere of others having things dissapear after they try to post. Mine just went poof after a few strokes on my keyboard. Oh well. My cup was way off the the right of the keyboard. But when I got up I turned back suddenly and hit the mug sending it flying right at the keyboard. Hahaha! As always... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
@alilin28 (1527)
• Uruguay
22 Feb 10
omg! my keyboard like chocolate milk too! the last they i trugh on the my keydobard twice! ones was chocolate milk and then was coffee! .. this year, i trhought a cup of milk trying to get a cookie that was in front of the screen, i hit with my arm the cup and happened the worst! lol!
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (160998)
• United States
22 Feb 10
Believe it or not I have never had a spill on my keyboard. On our first computer my husband had a custom made cover over the keyboard. It felt weird at first, but we got used to it. I try not to have too many foods or drinks near the computer. I have never used the compressed air, but I know it would be good for the computer and probably for my sewing machine as well. It seems your computer has survived. You are typing on it. I am glad. I hate to murder things with coffee.
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I drink at the puter but not eat. Odd huh? Yeah the air clears the dust from the tower too. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (63643)
• United States
23 Feb 10
Oh, yeah - a major spill, and it was time to replace the keyboard! Happily, we always have a few spare around...
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (47706)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
22 Feb 10
Tsk tsk! We're gonna have to get you a sippy cup...
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I've got a couple in the cupboards. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
1 person likes this
@terri0824 (4991)
• United States
23 Feb 10
I can't say that I do have a can of air sitting by my PC but glad to know that works when fluid is spilled on the keyboard. I've had my share of fluids spilled on my keyboards before. More times than not is is because I've left a glass with fluid sitting on the desk and a cat has jumped up on the desk and knocked it over onto the keyboard. I try to be more careful and not leave anything with fluid on the desk for them to knock over. Which I have one sitting there now, that I need to remember to move before I go to bed.
1 person likes this
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
23 Feb 10
I really should get a can of compressed air, sometimes crumbs get in my key board and sometimes dust. I do all my computer work now here at home on a lap top on my kitchen table. The kitchen counter is right behind where I sit so I keep my drinks up there behind me, if I want a drink I just turn around and get it, take a drink and put it back, so it is not by my computer unless of course it slipped out of my hand while I was drinking it. I did spill my hot chocolate on my computer once when I was working in an office for someone else. I cleaned it up well so the computer was fine, but I was so scared when I first spilled it. I was thinking I was going to get in to big trouble, but everything was fine.
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I didn't even know they made such as that. will have to check into it. I have ruined a couple of keyboards by spilling coffee or tea in them. Thanks for the info. I try to be really careful not to do that anymore but u just can't ever tell. Have a good one.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
It's been around forever it seems. I also use it on the speakers and also on my DVR DVD and surround sound system. Very handy to keep things clean. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
22 Feb 10
Hi GRANDPA BOB, I have never spilled any drinks over my laptop as I have it on my coffee table on to of a little box so I don't have to bend when tyoing, but that air cleaning looks a good idea to clean your keyboard, I only have a special cleaner for the screen. Tamara
1 person likes this
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
22 Feb 10
I have never used a can of compressed air. But thanks to your discussion I am going to write it on my list so I will remember to get a can on my next shopping trip. I hardly ever eat, well maybe do drink a little when I am on the computer. But my grand children do. I am constantly reminding them not to do this. They once distroyed one of my keyboards by wasting a bowl of cereal and milk on it. After that I told them not to eat or drink when on my computer. However, I do catch them doing it anyway. Now I know what to do when this happens and I will be getting a can of compress air. Thanks for sharing GrandPaBob.
1 person likes this
@webeishere (36313)
• United States
22 Feb 10
It isn't cheap though just to warn you. I use it mostly for the tower as dusts builds up on the fan a lot. The fan keeps the mother board from getting hot. If it gets too hot it causes crashes and slowness. As always.... HAPPY POSTINGS FROM GRANDPA BOB!!~
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
22 Feb 10
No Grandpa Bob I haven't but it certainly sounds a handy thing to have I have actually never heard of this before
1 person likes this
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
25 Feb 10
Not a major one, no. I was eating fish for dinner one night in front of the laptop and I squirted lemon juice...it was meant to go on the fish but well, you know how it is. It squirted across the keyboard and hit the screen and the screen went dark. I noticed one or two drops on a couple of keys so I figured it went through the gaps as well. It took 3 weeks before the screen was back to normal. I've never seen canned air, I don't think we have it here. Isn't that stuff highly toxic??
23 Feb 10
I shudder to think how much gunk has gone over my keyboard in the past few years, and normally I turn it upside down to knock out all the crumbs and crud that accumulates. I've spilled coffee on the keyboard before, and found that cotton buds is a good way to clean out and dry the keyboard although I do have a can of compressed air to finish off the drying process. It's often harder to clean soffee off the monitor :-D
@p1kef1sh (45681)
22 Feb 10
Some years ago I bought a very smart Windows keyboard full of keys that did everything that you can think of and several that you can't. I set it all up and then poured coffee over it! Same day. It was useless ever after and I had to go out and buy a much cheaper one that I still have, although I no longer use it or a Windows computer. I didn't think to use compressed air. I must buy a can in case. Although I make it a rule not to drink over the keyboard now. I am glad that it works for you Grandpa Bob.
1 person likes this
@joh028 (42)
23 Feb 10
i avoid accidents like that XD and luckily, i haven't encountered such.
@atv818 (1980)
• United Arab Emirates
23 Sep 15
That's funny! Your keyboard must be so sticky now. Hahaha! But seriously, why don't you use a spill-proof mug so that you get to enjoy your joe without the fear of spilling it all over your keyboard?