Macbook keyboard not working after cleaning?

I am on my 3rd keyboard since March. They look like the old ones, but the new ones are very hard to clean. I've never had an Apple keyboard that you couldn't use a cue tip with a little alcohol to clean. First one the eeeeee stuck. Second one just wouldn't work again. Now I have a combination. Apple Care support said to use Windex if alcohol didn't work. Now a less sympathetic support person said it needed to be unplugged from usb, which I would love to think will work and will try, but until my apple care expires, I will keep asking for replacements, so I hope he is right. I just reach for my old iMac keyboard that keeps working through all the cleanings, now for many years, until FEDEX shows up with a new one.

I had the same problem: Cleaned it with moist Clorox disinfecting wipes, afterwards some keys no longer worked or were "merged" into one, typing on w or 2 always resulted in "w2" ...

SOLUTION:

I was to scared to put the keyboard in the dishwasher, so I used my Steamer (normally used for shirts) and applied a fair amount of steam to the keyboard while holding it sideways. I then dried it with the hairdryer and turned it upside down to let it dry all the way for a few hours.

Now it is working fine (I'm typing on it right now), plus it hasn't been sooo clean in a long time.

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to thank all the contributors.

I got home from work today and my bluetooth keyboard was not working properly. Some keys did not work at all and others put out two letters or numbers or one of each. I replaced the batteries. I tried it on a different computer. I reset it and nothing worked. I told my wife the bad news that I needed a new keyboard and that is when she told me she cleaned it for me today! She said the cloth was just damp with some non-toxic cleaner. I then found this thread.

I took the batteries out and put the keyboard in my convention oven on convection bake (fan blows the hot air around). 175 is the lowest setting. I left it in for 5 minutes and tried it and it was better but not perfect. So back into the oven for 10 more minutes. I took it out and let it cool. I put the batteries back in and turned it on and it WORKED! I was just about to head out to my local store to purchase a new one. So thank you for all the ideas. I am sure a hair dryer would have worked but the oven was fast and even. Not sure what it is about a damp cloth that screwed it up but I am glad that it is now full functional.

Franky Eight seems to refer to °Celsius because if low numbers mean

°F. - doesn't indicate a need to even use an Oven - or any heat within.

Too low a temperature won't allow for water to exit as vapor.

"... I wacked it in the oven for 15 minutes at 50 degrees. Pulled the thing out

and found that now neither of the keys worked. Undeterred, I put it back in at

around 35 degrees and left it in for the hour ..." ~ Franky Eight

{Some clothing dryers with a 'removable horizontal rack' for drying items flat

while the drum goes around -- may be OK for some super low settings that

could be timed + move warm air around; like a convection without cooking.}

Haven't so far gotten keyboards or macs, wet... Of many dozens of dozens.

Good luck & happy trails! 🙂

I know, that this is an old thread, but I want to add this trick here (so people who google and find this thread can have help) that completely saved me from having to clean/change my keyboard.

So I have a mid 2011 Macbook Air and yesterday I decided to clean my keyboard with desinfectant wet wipes. They worked very well for getting my keyboard clean and shiny however to my dismay I noticed, that the buttons 7,8,9,u,i,o,j,k,l,m,. didn't work anymore. Initially I wanted to take my Macbook apart and rinse the keyboard with water and let it dry for a long time. Curiously however, I noticed, that when on log-on screen I pressed those buttons the "*" symbol still appeared on the password line. So obviously some kind of input was getting through when I pressed the faulty buttons. So I had the idea to remap those to their correct output and I downloaded keyboard remapper software https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/. After installing this software those buttons started working again no problem and I didn't even have to do any kind of remapping myself! Fantastic!

I'm so thankful I don't have to take my Macbook apart to tiny pieces and waste a lot of time (or even order a new keyboard), so maybe this tip helps someone else too!

You'll truly be suprised how even a small amount of liquid can get in and damage the keyboard, it's very common unfortunately. Chances are you may have not damaged anything besides the keyboard, and that too may be repairable as well. I would first remove your keyboard and cleanse it via some rubbing alcohol and let it sit in direct sunlight for at least a few days, even using a hair dryer on cold to aid in it's drying process. Great guides on how to step by step remove your keyboard can be found here: http://www.ifixit.com/Device/MacBook

After you feel you've given it sufficient time to dry, re-install the keyboard and be sure to perform an SMC reset as demonstrated here: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3964 If the keys still do not respond, it's time for a replacement. Luckily you can find many for sale in great condition and or brand new for relatively little. Remember, always make sure your battery is removed and your laptop turned off when cleaning, and squeezing that microfiber cloth as much as possible in getting rid of that excess water before applying it in the future.

Good luck.

Hi JoshH93

I have had the same problem since yesterday, did you solve it. If yes please let me know what shall I do.

Thanks

Hey. I did the same thing. My keyboard started to spam random letters (liiikkkee 9999999dddddddddaaa). So I turned it off and now it won't start again 😟. I've tried SMC reset, checking RAM, let it dry in a bag of rise for 3 days. Nothing...

It was really merely MOIST... not a drip of water even. Please tell me if you found any solution.

best /david

Hello,

I did the same thing using a disinfectant cleaner that is environmentally safe. My keyboard stopped working completely and then sticking and repeating keys. I read to pour DISTILLED water on it to flush away any residue of cleaner. I ordered a new keyboard, but thought I had nothing to lose, so I poured the distilled water onto it, and I did get a slight scent of the cleaner. I tipped it and drained it as best I could and set it aside for three days. I just plugged it in and it glitched initially a bit, but now it's fully functional. I say try the distilled water.

Hi Josh,

Sorry, I wouldn't pour Distilled water on your macbook pro, but you could wipe it with a cloth using distilled water. I poured distilled water on the extended keyboard I have for my iMac naturally after disconnecting it. If you have a standalone keyboard and it's not working then you have nothing to lose by trying rinsing it with distilled water.

I've had my new keyboard for 2 weeks. It was time to clean. I've disconnected it from the USB and then slightly cleaned it with alcohol on a paper towel. When I plugged it back all keys stopped working. This is a major flaw in the design. I can clean my other keyboards without any issues.

Wow... I too had this same problem. I just used a paper towel sprayed with Windex. I didn't spray directly on my standalone mac keyboard.

But after I cleaned it suddenly at least 3 keys no longer work - (I'm typing on my clackity old Powermac keyboard).

So... pour distilled water on it? It's weird because I remember reading how the whole keyboard was waterproof and water wouldn't hurt it. But I guess a tiny dab of Windex will knock it out. I needed Windex because naturally keyboards get very dirty after a year of use.

So I guess mine will get the waterboarding treatment...

Well I flushed the keyboard with distilled water for 5 minutes - then dried it overnight with heat lamps and the furnace heat.

NO change - it's still as broken as it ever was. Wow... and all I did was carefully clean off the grime with a paper towel sprayed with windex. I guess from now on we will just live WITH the grime!

BEWARE cleaning your keyboard! Grime is good! I know that Grime hardly fits with the Apple aesthetic of sparkling clean white - but in the real world we have a problem here - using it gets it dirty - cleaning it breaks it permanently!

I tried to do the right thing and keep it clean.

I have the same problem: Cleaned my parents keyboard (usb, numpad, bought in 2013/14, which was a bit scruffy after a year or so.

I did the same, that i did many times with my keyboard (also USB, Numpad, but with one or two different keys, bought in 2009 or 10) and with my 2008 MacBook (Alu unibody).

Sprayed a paper towel with "Glassreiniger" (I guess windex is a brand of glass cleaner?!) and wiped the keyboard thoroughly.

I have to blame myself, that I didn't unplug it, before I cleaned it. But I'm almost certain, that I also did this with my devices.

The keyboard immediately stopped working at all. I let it dry for several days and even took a few keys out, so that it dries better, but nothing!

I'll now try the dishwasher + distilled water method and let you guys know.

(It's just frustrating, that almost all the apple products seem to decrease in quality. I mean I gladly pay double the price of an "ordinary" computer (or other device) for a thought through and high quality product. (And my 2008 MacBook is more than it's money's worth!) But lately they just seem to be well designed, high power scrap...:-(

You may need to be replacing the MacBook keyboard, however the top section of the case

in a newer portable has to be taken off to replace that section; they're considered integral.

For the key-faces and springs, you could take each one off, one at a time, and clean them.

There is a switching component beneath the key top and spring, sometimes they can be

made to work again, other times not.

Some of the newer small wireless keyboards are similar in build to those in MacBook models.

However their components are more approachable.

• Apple Keyboard Repair guides - iFixit:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Apple_Keyboard

The sections for portable computers and their keyboard, would be as indicated in earlier URL

(old post) & in each specific model guide for them, are ideas on replacement of the component.

• Mac Laptop Repair guides - iFixit:

https://www.ifixit.com/Device/Mac_Laptop

Sellers of original replacement keys and spring assemblies for the portable and USB keyboards

may be able to help since their web pages sometimes include take apart and reassembly info.

A good idea is to never get moisture near the built-in keyboard on portable computers; and if

using the portable indoors for a length of time, set it up as a desktop-replacement; use a USB

keyboard and mouse to save on wear, tear, or accidental damages to the most costly portable.

In any event...

Good luck & happy computing! 🙂