Eating over your Keyboard

[Pope]

I know that this has probably happened to some of you too.
I was eating while chatting on irc when I spilled some tomato juice on my MS Natural keyboard. It was only a very small amount so I didnt give it much thought. After about half an hour though I lost 'B'. So I say to myself forget it for now I'll open up the kb and clean it up tomorrow morning. Hehe, next morning there was a lot more keys that didnt work.

Rigorous cleaning of the keyboard did not fix the problem. I took out the 3 plastic sheets and washed them with soap, rinsed and dried them very well. The same keys remained out of order. It has probably come down to if its circuitry has gone bad. Is that possible? Is there something I haven't thought of? I hate this $10 kb Im using now. Want my natural back.

Thx

[NDC]

I'm sure that your keyboard circuits got fried as soon as you spilled the tomato juice on it. When you spill liquids while the computer is powered down, all you would have to do is to take it in the shower with you and thoroughly dry the keyboard before using it. But in your case, you had the computer on which supplies power to the keyboard as well. The result is that you will have to buy a new keyboard.

[Pope]

**** it. Why dont they just make them more robust to these kind of things. Grrrrrr!

Thx for your swift reply.

[gyoung]

How about one of those keyboard covers they use at restaurants to prevent spills!! http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[NDC]

yeah, that would be a good idea also, what gyoung said. Just get a keyboard skin. In my case I don't use one, I just wasn't too crazy about the way it felt using a skin for my keyboard. It takes time getting used to... http://sysopt.earthweb.com/forum/smile.gif

[thekingofpain]

Had a neighbor call once as her daughter had spilled soda in her k/b and wondered what to do, (it was a Logitech) I figured we had nothing to lose so I simply rinsed it in hot water in the sink and placed it in the sun all day, not sure if id advise it, but it worked...<IMG SRC="http://b.postmypic.com/b.nsf/Z/MOD4PQWJ/$file/MOD4.jpg" border=0>

[NDC]

He already tried that, and.......Well, no luck. I think he fried is circuits as soon as that juice hit the ciruitry.

[MadMatt]

Tomato juice is fairly acidic - probably did hose a circuit, especially if one of the sensor membranes had a hole or tear.

Washing the keyboards does work! I do a little volunteer work for the local school district helping them with their computers. Between every semester we wash all the keyboards in a dishwasher. No kidding! A little squirt of plain dishwashing soap (*NOT* the stuff for dishwashers), run it on low temp, and let them dry for about three days. Gets rid of all the sticky stuff between the keys...

Hey Pope - I get those MS Natural Elite's at the local comp show all the time for about $17.

[This message has been edited by MadMatt (edited 09-06-2000).]