Repair laptop keys with WD40 lubricant?

[Faringdon]

Hi,
We have lots of laptops in our electronics lab.....students have spilled coffee over their keyboards. They are now extremely clicky, and contractors are walking out.
They seem to be made more silent by bathing the keyboard in IPA, then allowing that to dry off.

I wonder if we can bath the keyboards in WD40?....to really make them go silent?

The keys cannot be removed. So we cant take them out and clean behind them....they are impossible to get back on, we  already tried it with the squiggly bracket key, and it wont go back on.

WD40
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/lubricants/0189068?cm_mmc=UK-PLA-DS3A-_-bing-_-PLA_UK_EN_Catch+All-_-PPE,+Safety,+Test+%26+IT-_-189068&matchtype=e&pla-4575480221734510&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=554644865&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=o&cq_plt=gp&gclid=27ce86253c601faaba11e3f6405d5314&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=27ce86253c601faaba11e3f6405d5314

[coromonadalix]

do not use WD40  or any petroloeum based lubricant  ...

for a case like this  normally the keyboad pad is removable

use non mineral water  heated a say warm 50 degree,   soak the keyboard,  and do small movements  once in a while    let it soak for a day

worked for me

ipa  can work,  but you need to soak  and remove the  gummy caramel  ...

[wraper]

To remove sugar and other water soluble stuff you need water. Organic solvents like IPA work very poorly for that. As of WD40, you can use that for creating a mess before throwing out the laptop.

The keys cannot be removed

Nearly all laptop keys can be removed if you know what you're doing. Also unless keyboard is embedded in enclosure, it's better to just replace it. Sometimes you don't even need to take the laptop apart as unscrewing a few screws on the bottom and releasing a few latches will do the job.

[factory]

Sometimes you don't even need to take the laptop apart as unscrewing a few screws on the bottom and releasing a few latches will do the job.

Some Dell laptops require removal of everything to get to the keyboard, which the service manual mentions, they consider the keyboard to be non replaceable without replacing the entire base plate that it's part of too.

David

[Gyro]

Hi,
We have lots of laptops in our electronics lab.....students have spilled coffee over their keyboards. They are now extremely clicky, and contractors are walking out.
They seem to be made more silent by bathing the keyboard in IPA, then allowing that to dry off.

I wonder if we can bath the keyboards in WD40?....to really make them go silent?

The keys cannot be removed. So we cant take them out and clean behind them....they are impossible to get back on, we  already tried it with the squiggly bracket key, and it wont go back on.

WD40
https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/lubricants/0189068?cm_mmc=UK-PLA-DS3A-_-bing-_-PLA_UK_EN_Catch+All-_-PPE,+Safety,+Test+%26+IT-_-189068&matchtype=e&pla-4575480221734510&cq_src=google_ads&cq_cmp=554644865&cq_term=&cq_plac=&cq_net=o&cq_plt=gp&gclid=27ce86253c601faaba11e3f6405d5314&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=27ce86253c601faaba11e3f6405d5314

Unbelievable! This is taking the p*ss even for a Faringdon/treez thread! 

Don't waste your time replying.

[jpanhalt]

Hi,
We have lots of laptops in our electronics lab.....students have spilled coffee over their keyboards. They are now extremely clicky, and contractors are walking out.

Hard to believe given your other thread about needing a corporate umbrella.  Just buy new ones with the tuition they pay.  If it's your personal unit, the same advice applies.

[xrunner]

Hi,
We have lots of laptops in our electronics lab.....students have spilled coffee over their keyboards. They are now extremely clicky, and contractors are walking out.
They seem to be made more silent by bathing the keyboard in IPA, then allowing that to dry off.

I wonder if we can bath the keyboards in WD40?....to really make them go silent?

Absolutely! I wouldn't hesitate if I were you. I'd gather the students together and have a go at a classroom project to restore them. 

[Simon]

what contractors are walking out?

[Zero999]

I would soak in hot (about 50°C, just too hot to hold your hand for too long) water with dish washing  detergent, for 10 minutes, rinse three times in deionised water and dry at 40°C. The detergent will help to dissolve fats found in coffee creamer, milk and hot chocolate and the deionised water will remove any detergent and salt residues.

[wraper]

I would soak in hot (about 50°C, just too hot to hold your hand for too long) water with dish washing  detergent, for 10 minutes, rinse three times in deionised water and dry at 40°C. The detergent will help to dissolve fats found in coffee creamer, milk and hot chocolate and the deionised water will remove any detergent and salt residues.

I would not suggest detergent in this case, as it will get in between of the films with no chance to get it out entirely. It's very different from washing PCB. The problem with washing keybords is to not make them more bad.

[Zero999]

I would soak in hot (about 50°C, just too hot to hold your hand for too long) water with dish washing  detergent, for 10 minutes, rinse three times in deionised water and dry at 40°C. The detergent will help to dissolve fats found in coffee creamer, milk and hot chocolate and the deionised water will remove any detergent and salt residues.

I would not suggest detergent in this case, as it will get in between of the films with no chance to get it out entirely. It's very different from washing PCB. The problem with washing keybords is to not make them more bad.

I thought I would get some disagreement, when I said detergent, but why? Rinsing throughout in deionised water aught to remove the detergent. It shouldn't be a problem, as long as you don't make it extremely concentrated. Heck, I've heard stories of people washing ordinary computer keyboards in the dishwasher, but I certainly wouldn't recommend that, especially a laptop keyboard, which is more sensitive.

[wraper]

Because films are lying on each other with no gap and only a very small gap under buttons. So there will be no water flow to wash everything out. It's for the same reason why switches and non sealed relays are non washable. You get the stuff in but cannot get it out entirely.

[jpanhalt]

I hate to take this seriously, but there are a lot of "non-ionic" surfactants.  When aquatic areas are involved in agriculture, they are used to avoid hurting fish eyes.  Hence, they are quite cheap.  Similarly, one might consider cellosolves that are non-ionic and great solvents when diluted with water.  Many household cleaners contain butyl cellosolve, which has a distinctive odor.  Diluted 1:50 or greater, and it is safe with most plastic and paint.

I don't see keyboard clicking as the real problem.

[Zero999]

Because films are lying on each other with no gap and only a very small gap under buttons. So there will be no water flow to wash everything out. It's for the same reason why switches and non sealed relays are non washable. You get the stuff in but cannot get it out entirely.

If that's true, then no detergent, food residue, water etc. will get in, so whatever you use to wash it, won't be a problem.

If you don't want to use detergent, then use a mixture of IPA and deionised water. The IPA will dissolve any fats and the water will deal with the sugars and salts.

[wraper]

Because films are lying on each other with no gap and only a very small gap under buttons. So there will be no water flow to wash everything out. It's for the same reason why switches and non sealed relays are non washable. You get the stuff in but cannot get it out entirely.

If that's true, then no detergent, food residue, water etc. will get in, so whatever you use to wash it, won't be a problem.

If you don't want to use detergent, then use a mixture of IPA and deionised water. The IPA will dissolve any fats and the water will deal with the sugars and salts.

They are not glued together, just lay directly on each other. Capillary effect will suck the liquid in between of films almost immediately but there will be no flow. The problem with detergents is that they're way more conductive and corrosive than sugar.

[Faringdon]

If you don't want to use detergent, then use a mixture of IPA and deionised water. The IPA will dissolve any fats and the water will deal with the sugars and salts.

Thanks, i actually already bathed the keyboard in IPA,  and it did help...i will try it again, and with the de-ionised water. The worry is that liquid seeps through to the microprocessor beneath.

They are  Huawei Matebook D laptops:
https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/laptops/matebook-d-15-2022/

[jpanhalt]

It is well know that solvent mixtures do not add their individual properties arithmetically.  Just one example:  Absolute ethanol is a great solvent for human fat.  Add a little water, and it is much less so.

Now, what do you really want to do with the keyboard you wrecked and are too cheap to replace?  Does it work OK regardless of the clicking?  If yes, wear ear plugs.  If not, then let's consider solutions that are possible, but unlikely to succeed.

[wraper]

The worry is that liquid seeps through to the microprocessor beneath.

They are  Huawei Matebook D laptops:
https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/laptops/matebook-d-15-2022/

You must not wash it with water, and frankly with anything without disassembling the laptop. It's always powered from the battery, so no liquids should get on electronics until you take the battery out.

[wraper]

Key construction seems to be the same as in D15.

[Jwillis]

The worry is that liquid seeps through to the microprocessor beneath.

They are  Huawei Matebook D laptops:
https://consumer.huawei.com/uk/laptops/matebook-d-15-2022/

You must not wash it with water, and frankly with anything without disassembling the laptop. It's always powered from the battery, so no liquids should get on electronics until you take the battery out.

Agreed.
Remove all power before washing with anything. On mother boards you must remove the bios battery as well. You can wash ICs in water because they are sealed. But must be completely dry before adding any power. Tap water is fine to use for initial wash but the board should be rinsed with distilled water or IPA to get rid of any impurities left behind from the evaporated tap water. Then completely dried before assembly and power connection. Although IPA has a very low conductivity, there is still a risk of fire. Even the slightest arc (battery re connection )can ignite IPA.

[IanB]

Some Dell laptops require removal of everything to get to the keyboard, which the service manual mentions, they consider the keyboard to be non replaceable without replacing the entire base plate that it's part of too.

This may be true, but I have seen a repair technician completely disassemble a Dell laptop to replace the mainboard. Lots of parts and dozens of little tiny screws all over the place. I think most laptops can be completely stripped down, just so long as you are comfortable with putting it all back together again (which is honestly less daunting than disassembling and reassembling a smartphone).  All of which is to say, that the keyboard module could in principle be separated out for cleaning by itself.

[jpanhalt]

Some keyboards have the assembly screws buried under a plastic fascia.  Logitech K360 is one example.  That may not apply to a laptop.  But considering the "non-repairability" built into most things today, a $400 laptop is likely to be designed with such mouse traps.  Once that fascia is removed, it will be hard to replace cosmetically.

[Bud]

Some Dell laptops require removal of everything to get to the keyboard, which the service manual mentions, they consider the keyboard to be non replaceable without replacing the entire base plate that it's part of too.

Yeah, I can see why manufacturers want you to do this. I once had to replace a UV damaged plastic speaker grill on the back shelf of my car, and the car manufacturer said I have to replace the entire shelf which also includes the second speaker grill. They quoted me $1200 or something. Long story short, I bought an aftermarket 2-speaker grill set for $20 on Ali and saved on installation fees

[IanB]

Some keyboards have the assembly screws buried under a plastic fascia.  Logitech K360 is one example.  That may not apply to a laptop.  But considering the "non-repairability" built into most things today, a $400 laptop is likely to be designed with such mouse traps.  Once that fascia is removed, it will be hard to replace cosmetically.

Laptops do seem like they are more repairable. Every laptop I have owned or used has been repairable at the module level by disassembly and module replacement. Buried screws would cause problems since the manufacturer would be forced into replacing the whole laptop under warranty or service agreements, and it would create user hostility into the bargain.

Dell in particular has an absolute "repair first, replace as a last resort" policy.

Logitech keyboards, I would have to say, are a kind of disposable item, in spite of their cost.

[jpanhalt]

Logitech keyboards, I would have to say, are a kind of disposable item, in spite of their cost.

I have to agree.  After I popped off all the keys, I discovered LogiTech's secret.  I saved the keys, just in case I wear the labels off my current keyboard too early.