User profile for user: RonnP
RonnP Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Accidentally spilled a few drops of milk on a few keys and trackpad

This happened just an hour ago.


So I accidentally squeezed a small box of milk (those cartons where a straw is pushed on to it to drink) as I grabbed it. Unfortunately, the bendy straw was facing the MacBook and splashed small drops of milk on the keyboard and trackpad. I got stressed so I immediately shut down the MacBook and grabbed a hankerchief and wiped away the drops of milk. I'm not sure about this but I think some went inside the keys.


Since I really didn't know what to do, I placed the MacBook in an upside down V position in my bed and searched on what to do. I then stacked up some pillows, put a paper towel on it and let the keyboard sit on it with the MacBook in an upside down L-position. After a few minutes, I didn't see any milk coming out so I decided to turn it on. I opened the Notes app and checked if all the keys were working. It worked fine. Then I tried various parts on the trackpad and it still worked. I also tried plugging it in to check if it still charges.


After than, I turned it off and placed it in the position it was before. I took a paper towel and tried sliding it in the sides of the keys and i saw no liquid.


About 20-30 mins later I turned it on and everything seemed to work.


I'm concerned that problems may appear days later. Could that happen?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X El Capitan (10.11.6)

Posted on Jun 16, 2017 8:30 AM

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11 replies
User profile for user: RonnP
RonnP Author
User level: Level 1
11 points

Jun 16, 2017 10:00 AM in response to RonnP

I couldn't find an edit button on mobile so here's a revision of my first post:


This happened at around 10:00 PM - 10:30 PM (Philippine Standard Time) and I posted my first post at around 11:30 PM


I had a small milk carton (the small boxes that have a straw plugged to the top of it) near my MacBook Pro. I had already finished drinking it and assumed that I already consumed all of it. I have the habit of blowing the straw after it's done. I left it for a few minutes until I decided to try a get a few more sips. I forgot that I blew some air inside and as I grabbed it, it was squeezed and squirted drops of milk into the keyboard and trackpad.


Frustrated, I powered it off, took a handkerchief and wiped the drops of milk I could see. I believe I saw that some went inside the keys. I think it wasn't a lot that went in but I'm not sure. The milk also landed at the top side of the trackpad but I'm not sure if any milk actually got in.


Then, I turned my Mac upside down in my hands before placing it on my bed in an upside down V-position. I tried searching on my phone on what to do and assumed that I've done most of the wiping and all what's left to do was to turn it upside down in an L-position. I stacked up two pillows and placed tissue paper on top. I then placed the MacBook in the said L-position.


After a few minutes, I turned my MacBook on to check if anything didn't work.

- The Mac started fine

- All keys worked

- The trackpad worked

Still unsure, I shut it down again and placed it again in the previous position


After 20-30 minutes, I turned it on again and everything was the same. I returned it to its previous position.


For the third time, I turned it on to post this in the Communities.


Currently, the MacBook is upside down with its lid closed and tissue papers on top of the keyboard.


Could any problems exist after a few days? How do I prevent any damage to my MacBook?

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User profile for user: tjk
tjk
User level: Level 9
51,192 points

Jun 16, 2017 8:40 AM in response to RonnP

Hi,


Of course it can happen, but you won't know until it does. You may have gotten lucky and the milk didn't penetrate into the inside of the MBP, in which case the problem could become sticky keys.


You should always have a current backup like Time Machine, but in cases like this it is even more important.

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User profile for user: tjk
tjk
User level: Level 9
51,192 points

Jun 16, 2017 8:48 AM in response to RonnP

If the Mac stops working normally, that would be a sign.


I wouldn't use it for two days or so, giving the milk a chance to completely dry up wherever it got into. The problem then becomes what happens if the milk got onto something and even though it didn't short it out, does it cause corrosion or something down the line.

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Accidentally spilled a few drops of milk on a few keys and trackpad

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