Last week I overheard a co-worker saying she had an incident with her cuppa Joe and keyboard. The first thing I thought was, phew - glad that hasn't happened to me! Sure enough, I was enjoying my morning tea the next day and with a quick clumsy move (blame it on the geekiness), my tea tipped over. When I realized what was happening, the me-oh-my kicked in and I was able to grab the cup before it spilled everywhere. If you ever find yourself in this situation (knock on hard wood you don't), here are some tips to help you save your keyboard (or laptop)! 
- Unplug the keyboard immediately and turn it over so that the keyboard can drain and dry out for at least a day.
- Remove the small key 'caps off' with a screwdriver (don't remove any of the larger keys).
- Clean the keyboard with a wet cotton swab and put the keys back to their original spots.
- Plug back in when you are absolutely sure things have dried off. And fingers-crossed, your keyboard will be back in tip-top shape!
Do you know a great shortcut or tip you think geeksugar readers should know? Share it in our 'How To' Help - Guide To All Things Geeky group, read more
I know that this long list looks scary, but trust me, once you get the hang of it, it'll be a snap the second time around.
- First of all, join the 'How To' Help - Guide To All Things Geeky
- Click "Create and Share!" on the left hand side
- Choose "Blog"
- Give your photo a Title
- Leave the category as "general"
- Change the channel to "technology and gadgets"
- Add keyword(s) (for example mine for this photo was "Geek tip")
- Click on the "Add Image" link below the "body" box
- A popup window will happen - click on "Browse" to find your image on your computer
- Once you have the image chosen, click "Submit"
- The popup will show you your image, choose size: "normal" - if you want, you can give it a title (which will show up as a caption)
- Click "Insert" and the popup will go away
- Your "body" box will now have some text in it. Leave it as is. If you want to add some text before the picture telling me why you think this person is geeky, do it before the code that has appeared.
- Click Submit
So join the 'How To' Help - Guide To All Things Geeky and start sharing your favorite tips! Your tricks just might end up on the Geeksugar homepage!
3.1 Phillip Lim
CAFe'NOIR
Dress for Less
It should be noted that this solution works well for water, but not for something that tends to leave a greasy residue like, say, ramen noodles (yep, freshman year of college). For more serious spills, I've found that some keyboards can be unscrewed and completely washed (except for the electronics). After ample drying time, keyboard was working again!
A lot of keyboards are soldered together in stupid ways, though, so it might not be an option for everyone.
1I have not had a spill on my keyboard yet, but I am guilty of having crumbs in my keyboard. (bad girl that eats at her desk)
2I actually read in an issue of Wired magazine, that if your keyboard was a wireless one, then it was safe to put it in the dishwasher! I must admit, I haven't tried it yet, but if someone actually does, let me know how that works out for ya!
3I actually read in an issue of Wired magazine, that if your keyboard was a wireless one, then it was safe to put it in the dishwasher! I must admit, I haven't tried it yet, but if someone actually does, let me know how that works out for ya!
4I actually read in an issue of Wired magazine, that if your keyboard was a wireless one, then it was safe to put it in the dishwasher! I must admit, I haven't tried it yet, but if someone actually does, let me know how that works out for ya!
5Sorry, I didn't mean for that to post three times
6I could have used these tips about 6 months ago, when a glass of iced tea claimed the life of my laptop.
7My roommate in college used to spill lemonade on her keyboard on a monthly basis! It was almost like a running joke with her, but the poor girl could never own a laptop!
8hands down the most useful ever. my brothers can get really clumsy with the keyboard.
9i could have used these tips 9 months ago when i knocked over some sticky drink onto my keyboard. the r key still sticks.
10I could have used this information two days ago.
11I'm OCD about drinks near my laptop. They have to be at least a foot away from my laptop, and I use two hands when drinking. The other day I pulled out my laptop during lunch when I forgot to send an important email and my friend passed someone a water bottle over my laptop. I totally flipped.
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