I Can't Believe it's Not Butter!

[SenorPhrog]

Eating and drinking are as much a part of gaming as having the Firefly DVDs going, or something <i>other</i> than 80’s music playing.  Kiara takes a humorous look at what gamers eat, and what not to spill on your keyboard.<a href="http://eq2.tentonhammer.com/index.php?module=ContentExpress&func=display&ceid=823" target=_blank>I Can't Believe it's Not Butter!</a><div></div>

[Geakor]

Awsome! =D

[Calthine]

<P>Ah, you missed my favorite...  sticky Cheeto-orange-stuff on the keyboard.  :smileytongue:</P> <P>Or missing a vital click 'cause you have buttered popcorn fingers!</P>

[Icarii_Raven`Lyon]

<DIV>My friend keeps telling me I can run the keyboard through the dishwasher and thatll clean it..but I dont think I should believe him. Well, unless I want to go buy a new keyboard that is.</DIV>

[Calthine]

I tried that with an old one just to see.  Make SURE it has a membrane under the keys (pop a key off and look), use the top shelf and let it dry VERY well.  Mine didn't have the membrane (it was also dead, so I figured I couldn't break it worse, lol).

[Paladin776]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Icarii_Raven`Lyon wrote:<BR> <DIV>My friend keeps telling me I can run the keyboard through the dishwasher and thatll clean it..but I dont think I should believe him. Well, unless I want to go buy a new keyboard that is.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Although I wouldn't recommend running a keyboard through the dishwasher (I mean, really, how does Cascade get the dishes THAT clean? Not to mention the extreme heat of the water might begin to render a keyboard to its base molecular components.). I have personally given keyboards baths in the past. Just fill the tub with a couple of inches of warm water (not hot). set the keyboard in it and swish it around for a bit. Don't panic if a lot of other stuff comes rolling out...You would be amazed at how much junk gets in under the keys. Oh, and unless you get a charge from the tingle you'll get (pun completely intended), when dealing with a wireless keyboard, you might want to consider removing the batteries before submersion.</P> <P>The next step is pretty important. Let that sucker dry. Dry completely. All the way dry. Unless you've never experienced the effect of water on electronic circuits and actually want to use the keyboard again, take this step to heart. (Although said effect is actually kinda cool....for about 10 seconds.) I would use a couple of coat hangers (the complete ones, not the ones you get which have a cardboard tube between two hooks. Or the ones that are used to hang pants from the waistband on.) Anyway, place the hangers far enough apart to hold the keyboard at the very edges and point the keys downward.  Let sit for about 5 days or so. You will probably want a backup keyboard to use at this point (unless you have an aversion to things like sunlight, bound paper literature or inane reality shows.)  You might want to allow a bit longer for those keyboards that use IR receptors.</P> <P>One of two results will occur.  You will either have a dead keyboard (which would have occurred anyway after losing a mouthful or can full of Mountain Dew into the keys), at which point you have lost nothing further and are right back to where you started.  Or you will rescue the keyboard and it will work just dandy, until the next time the cat spills the Mountain Dew into the keyboard. (You could, of course, try again at this point, or not...Your decision.)</P> <P>I have done this on three occasions now, and have recovered the use of two keyboards. Of course, as inexpensive as keyboards are, it's probably more efficient to just go out and buy a new one and chuck the damaged one.</P> <P> </P>