M15x sticky keyboard

So i spilled a drink on the right side of my keyboard, and now all the keys between Backspace, Enter and O are sticking and it's the most frustrating thing ever. How can i clean the keyboard to stop the keys from sticking? i've tried forum search and google and found nothing that is relevant. Can m15x keyboard keys be removed? On my old desktop the keys could pop off and on at will and it was easy to clean, but laptops are different (like silly macbooks where they keys don't go back on). Thought i'd ask before i tried to pull keys off only to find they don't go back on... thanks

 

You can find the service manual here. And yes, you can disassemble the machine and clean the keyboard.
Just be careful when taking it apart, be gentle

- Service Manual
So yeah, just be careful and good luck!

 

hey thanks for the reply. I've tried removing the whole keyboard but it still doesn't allow me clean under the keys in the middle, particularly the Enter key. I was wondering that if individual keys were taken off if they would go back on again?...

 

You should be able to wash the keyboard if you have it completely removed. Soak it in some warm distilled water and maybe swish it around a bit. But make sure that you let it dry THOROUGHLY before you re-attach it.

NOTE: I am not responsible for any damage caused to your computer!
Also: Use ONLY distilled water. Regular water contains impurities which cause it to conduct electricity and will settle on the keyboard after it evaporates. Distilled water doesn't contain these impurities and should not conduct electricity or leave impurities behind after it dries.

 

Do NOT soak the keyboard in water although it is distilled!!!
Distilled water becomes conductive very fast! Air, dirt, keyboard etc will make the water not distilled anymore.

Use moist cotton buds to clean between the cravases of the keyboard

 

You can also gently remove the keys you need to clean and reattach them. It's not that hard. Worst case scenario, get a new keyboard off e-bay, or call Dell if it's still under warranty.

 

ϒΘɄ ƇƦᾎƵƴ ϺДƝ !

 

I spilled monster on my keyboard, and some keys stopped working.

Sent it to dell and they replaced the keyboard and a few other things maybe you could tell them your keyboard isn't working and they'll replace it.

 

*keyboard sticky from what....oh yeah your "drink"*

You can remove the keyboard and wash it down, I dont know if the lights will be working though

 

Lights are part of your MoBo, no? I think they'll stay unaffected.
Regardless, I'd probably go with kosti's idea and just carefully remove the keys and clean them one by one.
Unless you have accident protection on your insurance, than call up dell and have 'em fix it!

 

I knew someone would have a dirty mind >.>

anyways, thanks everyone for all the great input

 

Maybe the same trick that works with the ipod home button when it gets sticky solves your problem; just find some isopropyl alcohol (the higher the percentage the better) and with a q-tip try to make the alcohol reach the stickiness so it dissolves it, pressing the key while working it out with the q-tip might help. Remember to do this with the keyboard completely removed, and don't put it back for a while so the alcohol completely evaporates.

 

Yes, distilled water becomes conductive when contaminated. But if the keyboard is not plugged in its not an issue. The issue is not leaving behind calcium and other minerals when it evaporates. If he spilled something like soda on the keyboard then he doesnt have much option to get it completely out of the board. However, soaking it in distilled water will wash away the soda or other beverage and will not leave behind conductive minerals when it evaporates. If he is worried he could rinse it thoroughly with a new jug of distilled water after soaking it in warm distilled water. It will not harm the keyboard as long as it is allowed to properly dry in a warm, low-humidity area for at least 24 if not 48+ hours.

 

that's probably what i would try first.
ensure to leave it overnight before reinserting it into the laptop and turning it on.

 

Naaaaaaaaah!

Just do like the genius said and submerge it in water...

 

Haters gonna hate. Anyone who's taken a high-school chemistry class or been around electronics knows that DISTILLED water will not harm it. So long as he lets it dry properly there wouldn't be an issue. And I would definitely try distilled water before alcohol as it can eat away at the coloring on the plastics. Also, I'll have you know that I do have my A+ certification for hardware and software repair and my CCNA. I don't appreciate the sarcasm.

Lastly, remember the forum rules:
While debating and discussion is fine, we will not tolerate rudeness, insulting posts, personal attacks or purposeless inflammatory posts. Our decision is final in these matters.

 

Wow, calm down Captain Chemistry. Somebody surgically remove your sense of humour? A little sarcasm never hurt anyone (except you, obviously), especially when it's meant in jest.

 

Actually I'm with taylrjones here. I have fears of doing it but if I needed to I probably would. If the water is properly distilled and there is no current running through it, things should be fine. I've once had a watch and a few phones drop into the water which effed it up but drying it thoroughly revived it. As long as there is absolutely no moisture when there is a current through it, it may well work.

 

I think removing each key in the affected area and cleaning underneath would be a much better solution. Even if you drown the keyboard in Cillit bloody Bang you're not going to be able to get underneath the keys properly to do a proper job of cleaning it. Not to mention the fact that it would be a faster process seeing as you won't have to wait around for it to dry. Just pop the keys back in place and get cracking.

 

i had a key popped out on me but could never figure out how to snap it back in place correctly. has anyone successfully took a key off and put it back on.

 

Sec, I'll just grab my SCREWDRIVER!!!

Actually, I'm not going to try pulling keys off just yet. But Kosti seems to know something the pretigious Inap does not? Abduct and interrogate.

 

what prestigious? if prestigious mean chain smoking pot heat then yes i'm very prestigious. still learning new stuff everyday man.

 

clean it with 91% rubbing alcohol, apply with cotton swabs and press keys, repeat until sticky is gone!

 

Just accept the title regardless how it was delivered.

 

I had experience of poping a key and managed to put it back again. The letter 'p' came off while typing (got caught by nail) and fixed it back. At first, it does not fit properly. A closer look, u'll notice the have some kind of ledge at both side, so u have to pry it apart, insert the key and leave it. However, I also poped my right arrow key, coz i spilled coffee (juz a drop) cleaned it. I tried to re-attach it back, but it does not feel smooth anymore, but it is attached right. So your call, but these keys are pop-able and can be reattached.

Edit: However, that ledge seems plastic, so careful.

 

Yeah, they are very delicate. I messed up my G key when I popped it off, and I was being as careful as possible.

 

Worst case scenario mate - you could go with the procrastinator way... Just don't do anything as long as the keys work, you will have to endure stickiness for a while (a month, maybe two). Then, at some point it will work perfectly when you boot up your computer, and within an hour keys will feel sticky. If you wait for long enough, the keys will start working just as they did before - perhaps making a bit more noise than previously, but the stickiness "wears off".

This is probably a rather suboptimal solution, but this being my second and most expensive laptop ever, I have a phobia of disassembling it in any way. So if you have that, weather the sticky storm and eventually your keyboard will be fine by itself or at least mine is (I spilt a bit of juice on it like half a year ago - about 1/5 of the keys were sticky)