smelly keyboard?!

Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions.

You are not strange … nor alone:

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=207887

My keyboard had this problem and I blamed the former owner. After a few months the smell went away. I'm wondering if the plastic is susceptible to specific types of human bacteria and not others.
I'm also thinking that exposure to a Ozone atmosphere will kill the smell. The problem with this solution is that many plastics highly degrade with exposure to Ozone.
The next one I see I'll try it on.
Richard

Of this much, I'm fairly certain: it has nothing to do with an owner's personal hygiene. If you read that huge thread on the subject, you will be convinced of that, too, I believe.

Hey Ronda,
I'm not saying it's a hygiene problem just that as a man it smells exactly like male sweat.
When I say mine went away that's not exactly true. If I put my nose right in it it still smells that way. I also have a G4 1.2 GB taken apart - no smell and another G3 - 700 MHz 12" also apart - smells same smell but only certain parts of the keyboard. Upper left and far right.

Then I found this article by Hardy Menagh at Low End Mac:
http://lowendmac.com/menagh/06/1013.html
and the follow up:
http://lowendmac.com/menagh/06/1019.html
So its an out gassing of the adhesive used to mount the label under the keyboard! Wonder how they make that adhesive?
Richard

I believe I've read the articles on Low End Mac before.

I mentioned this in the huge "iBook smell" thread to which I linked earlier, but will post it again here.

When I buy glassware with price stickers on it, I use a dab of Pledge spray (in the aerosol can) on a cloth to remove the sticky labels from the glassware.

I believe a dab of Pledge spray on a Q-Tip could be used to remove the sticker (if that's what you choose to do to try to eliminate the odor). If I were trying it, I would try Endust for Electronicsˇ Cleaning & Dusting Spray first, since it is especially made for use on computers and other electronic equipment. Away from the iBook, I would spray a small amount on a Q-Tip and then see if it would remove the sticky (and stinky) label.

These products are NOT solvents, so they would be safer to use than something that is a solvent.

If the Endust for Electronicsˇ Cleaning & Dusting Spray didn't work, then I would try the same procedure with the Pledge. Keep in mind that none of our three G3 iBooks have this problem, so I'm not going to try it on any of our own to see.

Enough people have had the problem that if I were buying an iBook G3 (Dual USB) on eBay, I would ask the seller if it smelled bad. Likewise, if I were buying a replacement keyboard, I would ask the same question.

Well when I/Hardy say "label" I/he means the plastic sheet that covers the entire underside of the keyboard. It has instructions on it for installing the Airport Card, RAM and the Keyboard itself.
It's held on with a rubber cement like adhesive and apparently thats the stuff that outgasses and stinks. He/I don't think it should be removed since that would expose the back of the keyboard to dust. Maybe removed, cleaned and reglued.
Richard