clintonfrombirmingham
Level 7 (30,009 points)
Mac OS X

Q: Apple USB keyboard - how to clean? I FUBARed mine...

I know that this isn't an Apple keyboard discussion community, but my question just seems to 'fit' better here than anywhere else.

 

I use an Apple Thunderbolt Display with my MacBook Pro and I use an Apple USB keyboard (the latest version). I've used it for about two years with no problem. But 'general gunk' was making the keyboard look nasty so I decided to clean it.

 

I used a slightly dampened micro-fiber cloth to clean the keyboard. Not enough water on the cloth so that you could even squeeze a smidgeon of water from it. I may have pressed some of the keys on the left hand side more vigorously because when I plugged it back in - either to my computer's USB ports or to the Display's USB port, my "e" key, for example, would type "ew". My "s", "sa", etc. So I screwed up somewhere but I don't know where nor how.

 

I'm hoping that someone here can give me some advice. I've ordered a new keyboard but due to adverse weather conditions in Atlanta, I won't receive it until Monday or so (if I get lucky). I don't want to mess this new one, too.

 

Thanks for any tips,

 

Clinton

MacBook Pro (15-inch Late 2011), OS X Mavericks (10.9.1), 16GB RAM 960GB SSD Apple TB Display

Posted on Feb 13, 2014 2:06 AM

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clintonfrombirmingham

Q: Apple USB keyboard - how to clean? I FUBARed mine...

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  • by seventy one,Helpful

    seventy one seventy one Feb 13, 2014 5:16 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 6 (15,185 points)
    Peripherals
    Feb 13, 2014 5:16 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    Well, it's as good a place as any, I suppose.   I'm fairly sure you'll be aware of the formal Apple cleaning advice in this document ... but I'll afix it all the same.

     

    How to clean Apple products    But I see nothing wrong with what you have written unless your discription of smidgeon is an understatement.  Were this the case, you could try sitting it in front of a warm fan for a while

     

    Just to check it isn't a machine malfuntion, do you have a spare USB wired keyboard to run a test?

  • by clintonfrombirmingham,

    clintonfrombirmingham clintonfrombirmingham Feb 13, 2014 5:45 AM in response to seventy one
    Level 7 (30,009 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 13, 2014 5:45 AM in response to seventy one

    seventy one,

     

    I ordered a new keyboard Monday but, here in the southeast US, we've had some snow and that's closed all the airports and things won't begin moving again until Monday or so.

     

    The cleaning took place on Sunday evening and, trying it now, only the "s", "w", and "x" keys are not working. Funny thing is that I did read that article before cleaning the keyboard - I'm just guessing that I must have pressed down too hard on some of the keys and they were simply quick to fail.

     

    I'm flummoxed, actually. I didn't put THAT much effort into making sure that those keys were clean!

     

    Thanks, though!

     

    Clinton

  • by seventy one,

    seventy one seventy one Feb 13, 2014 6:02 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham
    Level 6 (15,185 points)
    Peripherals
    Feb 13, 2014 6:02 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

    Hello Clinton,

     

    I think I would still try the warm fan for a couple of hours.  That things appear to be improving is encouraging me to think you may have dampened it more than you thought and it is drying out.  

     

    Off topic, I'm a brummie, originally from Birmingham England.  (You know, the real Birmingham   )  Though no longer living there, we're up to our neck in water where I am now; had three months rain in a week ... and its all coming from your direction.

     

    Nice to have met you.   Thank you for the star.