Restore Apple keyboard aluminum after exposure to liquid. Where do the legs of the problem come from? External keyboard cleaning
There's probably dust, crumbs, bits of food, hair, and other debris under the keys on your computer. Even the neatest ones Mac users unable to protect the keyboard from getting dirty.
Buttons on Apple computers are clearly fitted, the holes in the body have minimal clearance, but even this is enough to regularly collect a batch of garbage.
Why clean your keyboard?
Firstly, this is useful from a hygienic point of view. Computer keys are the first breeding ground for germs and bacteria in the house after the toilet. It’s not every time that you wash your hands before typing something, and if it’s a laptop, it will also pick up dirt from the office, cafe and travel bag.
Secondly, dirt and dust can cause buttons to stick. The contacts on the board may become clogged and may not respond to pressure the first time.
Third, A clean keyboard looks aesthetically pleasing. The Mac looks like new.
How often to clean your keyboard
It all depends on your desire and mode of operation of the Mac. It is recommended to clean home computers at least once every three months. Portable laptops It is advisable to clean it every 30 days.
How to clean your keyboard
Cleaning the keyboard is divided into two stages: external and internal. External cleaning of the keys can be carried out as they become dirty or at the user's request. It is aimed only at removing dirt from the surface of the keys and will not affect the operation of the device in any way.
Internal cleaning is aimed at removing dirt and debris under the buttons. This procedure must be carried out regularly to avoid contamination and sticking of the buttons.
External cleaning
For external cleaning, it is not necessary to turn off the computer or turn off external keyboard. You can use the KeyboardCleanTool for Mac utility. This free utility Locks keys and prevents false keystrokes during cleaning.
Don't forget to grant permission to the app along the way Settings – Protection and Security – Privacy – Universal access (Administrator password required).
After blocking, we arm ourselves with microfiber, cotton swabs or pads. They must be lightly moistened with water or an alcohol-containing substance. You can use special wet wipes to clean the keyboard and display.
Attention! The liquid should not drain from the rag, cotton wool or napkin. If you're worried about wetting, it's better to play it safe and turn off the computer's power.
Carefully wipe all buttons from the front and ends. Don't forget to wipe the surface of the keyboard itself, the bottom and legs (for external devices).
How to clean the inside of your keyboard
This is a painstaking and time-consuming process. Be patient and have up to an hour of time at your disposal. First, take a photo of the location of the buttons on your smartphone so that you don’t painfully remember the layout later.
Be sure to spend internal cleaning when the computer's power is turned off.
Use a toothpick or plastic tool to pry top corner keys and carefully unfasten the fastening from the groove (do not use screwdrivers or knives, they can damage the keys).
Now grab the entire button and unfasten the fastener from the second groove.
Attention! Excessive use brute force may damage the keys. Be careful.
If the retention mechanism is still on the keyboard, unfasten it and secure it to the key.
Once all the buttons have been removed, you can clean up the debris using a vacuum cleaner. Remaining dirt and particles should be removed with a lint-free, slightly dampened cloth.
Wipe the buttons themselves wet wipes or an eraser.
We install the clean buttons in place. We put the key with the fastened fastening in place and press it along the entire perimeter until it clicks. We press several times and make sure that all fasteners are in the right grooves.
Here's a cheat sheet if you forgot to take a photo of your keyboard:
Wait until the keyboard is completely dry and only then turn on the computer.
Remember to regularly monitor the condition of the keys and clean them. Do this right now - and tomorrow you will say Thank you yourself for this.
From time to time you need to clean your keyboard, here's how to do it
04/06/18 at 01:26
Every new MacBook is pleasing to the eye, especially when it has just been unboxed. It's all shiny and hasn't gotten dusty yet. But over time, dust inevitably appears on its keyboard, which gets between the buttons, which is simply aesthetically unpleasant. The situation can be worse if, due to contamination, the keys are difficult to press, stick, or stop working altogether. In this case, you need to clean the keyboard and there are several ways to do this.
Whatever method you choose, it is important to remember that when cleaning the keyboard, the MacBook must be completely unplugged and turned off by itself. Under no circumstances should liquid cleaners or alcohol be used. Because the keyboard is not removable, you can seriously damage your electronics.
Method 1: Cleaning the Sides of the Keys
This is a purely cosmetic method that is suitable for anyone MacBook models, you just need to use cotton swabs (to clean your ears) and go around the entire perimeter of each key.
Method 2: Cleaning with compressed air
This method is recommended by Apple for MacBooks released in 2015 and newer. Anyone will do a can of compressed air purchased at an electronics store. But it is important to remember that the tip of the can must be kept at a distance of 1.5 cm from the keyboard, without turning it over while air is being released (otherwise liquid may come out of the nozzle, which will harm the MacBook).
Raise your MacBook in the air so that there is a slight tilt and blow broken keys compressed air, moving the nozzle of the can from side to side. Turn your MacBook on its side and go over the entire keyboard again in a side-to-side motion. Parallel to the edges of the keys. And turn the MacBook over again to sand the remaining edges of the keys.
Fair, not overpriced and not underestimated. There should be prices on the Service website. Necessarily! without asterisks, clear and detailed, where technically possible - as accurate and concise as possible.
If spare parts are available, up to 85% of complex repairs can be completed in 1-2 days. Modular repairs require much less time. The website shows the approximate duration of any repair.
Warranty and responsibility
A guarantee must be given for any repairs. Everything is described on the website and in the documents. The guarantee is self-confidence and respect for you. A 3-6 month warranty is good and sufficient. It is needed to check quality and hidden defects that cannot be detected immediately. You see honest and realistic terms (not 3 years), you can be sure that they will help you.
Half the battle is Apple repair- this is the quality and reliability of spare parts, so good service works with suppliers directly, there are always several reliable channels and your own warehouse with proven spare parts current models so that you don't have to waste extra time.
Free diagnostics
This is very important and has already become a rule of good manners for service center. Diagnosis is the most difficult and an important part repair, but you do not have to pay a penny for it, even if you do not repair the device as a result of it.
Service repairs and delivery
Good service values your time, so he offers free shipping. And for the same reason, repairs are carried out only in the workshop of a service center: they can be done correctly and according to technology only in a prepared place.
Convenient schedule
If the Service works for you, and not for itself, then it is always open! absolutely. The schedule should be convenient to fit in before and after work. Good service works on weekends and holidays. We are waiting for you and working on your devices every day: 9:00 - 21:00
The reputation of professionals consists of several points
Company age and experience
Reliable and experienced service have known for a long time.
If a company has been on the market for many years and has managed to establish itself as an expert, people turn to it, write about it, and recommend it. We know what we are talking about, since 98% of incoming devices in the service center are restored.
Other service centers trust us and refer complex cases to us.
How many masters in areas
If there are always several engineers waiting for you for each type of equipment, you can be sure:
1. there will be no queue (or it will be minimal) - your device will be taken care of right away.
2. you give to Macbook repair an expert in the field Mac repairs. He knows all the secrets of these devices
Technical literacy
If you ask a question, a specialist should answer it as accurately as possible.
So that you can imagine what exactly you need.
They will try to solve the problem. In most cases, from the description you can understand what happened and how to fix the problem.
Buttons sometimes stick not only on new MacBooks, but also on old ones. Usually it is recommended to disassemble the keyboard for cleaning, but in practice this only leads to breakdowns - Mikk has already proven this.
We will tell you how to clean your keyboard without vandalism using a couple of proven methods if the buttons on it are already sticking or are just being assembled.
Five minutes once a week and the buttons on my MacBook Pro 2017 works like clockwork. Yours will be no worse.
Why do the keys on a MacBook periodically stick? The keys start to stick only because foreign particles get under them. There are no other options, and buttons even with a broken mechanism do not behave this way.
If something gets under the button, it prevents it from being pressed, and it seems to you that it is simply stuck to the base. That's why they say the key is “stuck.”
They began actively writing about the problem in 2015. The world saw a 12-inch MacBook with a butterfly keyboard. New mechanism It turned out to be much smaller in size, so cleanliness turned out to be more critical for it than for the usual “Scissors”.
In 2017, “Butterfly” was updated to the 2nd generation, the problem began to appear less frequently, but remained.
However, the services say that they are regularly contacted not only by owners of new MacBooks, but also by old ones. Why? Residues of food and dust. Yes, these are the most frequent guests of your keyboard, who happily find hidden places under the keys and prevent them from being pressed.
If you eat near a MacBook, you have already encountered or will encounter this problem in the near future.
If you don't eat near your MacBook, dust still falls on it, so you won't be able to avoid it getting stuck. Pieces of skin and sweat. Microscopic parts of your body, to a lesser extent, can also cause sticky keys.
To minimize the effect, do not forget to maintain hygiene - just wash your hands with soap and water often. Tea and water with sugar. Liquids with sugar are critical for the keyboard. IN in this case It will not be possible to completely get rid of sticking even after cleaning.
Even before the New Year, I spilled tea with sugar on the keyboard of my MacBook - there was minimal liquid, it was quickly removed at the nearest service center, but I was not able to save the keyboard.
The only one the right decision Turned out to be a keyboard replacement. That's what I did.
How Apple advises cleaning laptop keyboards Apple has not officially recognized the problem with sticking MacBook keys. And it was pointless to do this, because this could be avoided with banal accuracy.
But a large stream of criticism against the company forced it to update the Butterfly, which became more practical - this is a step towards users.
And last year, the manufacturer released a guide on cleaning the keyboard from dirt using compressed air.
Yes, Apple suggests simply blowing out food debris and other foreign objects from under the keys with a special balloon.
By the way, you can easily find one like this in any store. modern electronics or order online. The issue price is 200-400 rubles. Step 1: Hold your MacBook so that its keyboard is at a 75-degree angle to you—no need to stand it upright. Step 2. Blow the entire keyboard or only the most problematic keys, first from left to right, and then from right to left. Step 3: Place your MacBook on its right side and do the same. Step 4: Place your MacBook on its left side and repeat the procedure.
Please note that when using a compressed air cylinder, it may release a small amount of liquids. It's harmless, just wipe it off your keyboard with a tissue.
Our method for cleaning a MacBook keyboard from the pharmacy To blow it out MacBook keyboard from dirt, you can use not only compressed air. You can simply blow on the buttons with your mouth, but this is not as effective.
It is better to use a “Pear” type enema-syringe from the nearest pharmacy for purging. Don't laugh - the method works quite well. Roma Yuriev tested it on himself a couple of years ago.
Blow air out of the device so that it gets under the keys. The faster you compress the rubber part of the device, the more efficient the process will be. Which syringe should you choose? I took the smallest version with a plastic tip to prevent blockages, which I do once a week.
If the blockage is serious, it is better to pay attention to the larger option. With it it will be easier to create a powerful stream of air.
How to avoid problems with keyboard sticking 100% To protect the keyboard from dirt and further sticking, you can use special covers, which are full on AliExpress for every taste.
But working with them on a MacBook is terribly inconvenient. I don't recommend this option.
It is better to thoroughly blow off dust from the laptop buttons with a syringe or compressed air from a cylinder at least once every one to two weeks. Then you are unlikely to encounter sticking.
And if you can’t handle the problem yourself, go to service. Do not try to disassemble the keyboard - do not repeat the mistakes of others.
It all started when they poured red wine on me one day. wired keyboard from Apple (MB110RS). The maximum that was done before I found out about this was only removing external traces of liquid ingress.
It should be noted that it is not for nothing that this keyboard is considered one of the most comfortable of its kind in principle: easy, quiet key travel, completely free and relaxed hands when working at it, nice design.
So, it was precisely its main advantage - the easy movement of the keys - after wine got under them, the keyboard almost lost: the buttons began to stick, especially the bottom row - Shift, Ctrl, Alt, Cmd and, first of all, Spacebar. This is understandable - the liquid that got in, due to the tilt of the keyboard, rushed to its lower part, and the wine, the water from which had time to evaporate, left its dry residue on the contact pads, spring rubber bands and under the keys. To be fair, it should be said that even after this, the keyboard continued to work.
It was decided to restore. But! After 10 minutes of searching, it turned out that the keyboard is absolutely non-separable - not a single screw! How layered cake, it consists of glued to the bottom using films and foil printed circuit board and aluminum frame.
However, you can even unstick it with a hairdryer:
But in the final form it will be an unattractive sight.
Autopsy Apple keyboard aluminum
Believe the sad experience of all those who have tried this path on themselves, final result It's not worth it. And then there are no guarantees that everything will be put back together in its original form.
Of course, to simply clean dirt under the keys, simply remove them and remove the dirt. But removing each of the 110 keys one by one seemed too tedious to me.
In short, I decided to take the clumsy and neat route at the same time - just bathe in water and then dry well.
So, how did I restore functionality? Apple keyboards after exposure to liquid:
PS: I don’t pretend to be the only correct method for washing/cleaning/drying the keyboard - I did everything intuitively. I'm pleased with the result.
I believe that if the keyboard is filled with tea, coffee, milk, juice, cocktail, mineral water, beer (underline as necessary), the recovery algorithm will be the same. The only exception is carbonated drinks: they must be washed off immediately with any clean water, before the acids they contain begin to corrode the contact pads, otherwise you will probably have to say goodbye to your push-button friend.
There are tips for the really lazy - put the keyboard in the dishwasher. I would not unequivocally recommend this method - adding various detergents is unlikely to have a positive effect on electronic components and contact pads of the printed circuit board. But the taste and color...
Photos of disassembled devices are taken from here.
