Clean keyboard in dishwasher? Experiment in progress.

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Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Has anyone actually tried it? The Internets provide many varying opinions.

I have an old one that the teenage boys have declared DOA and has been replaced with a new one. The old one is filled with a primordial soup that I can't even begin to describe.

It's headed to a landfill so I figure what the hell.

I just convinced myself, I'm chucking it in using the median of all the website advice I read. I'll report the results.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:46 am

There was a well known prank that was played by a "phone technician" who called a number and had the subscriber perform various experiments to "clear" the line. The final one was dunking the hand piece into a bucket of water.
I think it may have been one of Barry Humphries (Dame Edna) early pranks, but no doubt replicated by other pranksters.
I reckon you should get away with it...after all the KB stuffed anyway.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 12:52 am

Don't know about keyboards, but the theory seems to be sound. I wouldn't recommend the heat-dry cycle. Might want to use an air compressor for that process. Thumbs up

During my college days, we washed our jeans in the dishwasher (used our quarters for beer money). Cascade works wonders on a pair of Wranglers, but you have to flip them 1/2 way through the cycle if you want both sides sparkling clean. Laundry detergent in a dishwasher is not advisable. Trust me. Laughing

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

It is out of the washer and some minor OCD kicked in. I decided to strip it and blow some air through it to hasten the drying time.

The chief complaint was that the space bar did not work on a consistent basis. After a brief post-mortem I discovered that space bar has a small metal rod that distributes pressure so it only depresses one actuator in the center of the bar. This metal bar is held on it's axis by 4 TINY hinges molded into the physical space bar it's self. Two of these hinges, on the left side of the bar, were broken, causing the intermittent malfunction.

I have no doubt that the dishwasher method will work, but I would suggest separating it into two components, a simple task by only removing a few screws, and only placing the "key" side in the dishwasher.

I have several other old keyboards in the junk closet. I'm going to try it again.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:37 am

Omg PF, I can't believe you're taking the time to do this.

So do you take your dirty dishes to the Geek Squad?

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:39 am

^^^
My apologies, I thought that YOU where going to get a Lad to do this... Razz

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:51 am

Waiting for the final verdict.!
My and the neighbor have a few left after an intense COD battle Laughing

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

bohigal wrote:

Omg PF, I can't believe you're taking the time to do this.

You wouldn't believe the silly little experiments I perform. I once attempted to determine the optimum cooling device for my lunch cooler. I used frozen liquids of different specific gravities (salt water and other chemical compositions). This included a thermometer in the cooler and a graph of temperature drop and rise over time, for each different substance.

I also used different sizes of containers for the frozen liquids and attempted to gage the effect of the surface area of the vessel.

In the end, I use bog standard commercial ice packs.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:19 am

I put one of my old dell laptop keyboards in the dishwasher once after I spilled a coke on it..

It worked! I let it dry in the sun for a whole day before I powered it up, to make sure it was bone dry. Smile

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:23 am

With all due respect, PF, you're insane. Very Happy

In a good way, of course.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

^^ Please understand that for every test I had to factor in the ambient air temperature and the effect it had when opening the cooler for the measurements. There was also the volume and mass of the food contained within. The variables became insurmountable.

BTW, No offense taken.

Edit: After thinking about it I could have drilled some holes in the cooler and inserted temperature probes and eaten the same thing every day, but that might be considered over the top. But there is also the issue of the temperature of the cooler not being the same when loading, and the temperature of the food as it is loaded. These are things that keep me up at night.

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 4:04 am

^^^Aren't you reinventing the wheel? The Thermos company already spent millions on research just like yours, to develop your SpongeBob lunchbox PF.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

bohigal wrote:

Aren't you reinventing the wheel?

It's a hobby of mine. Wink

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:13 am

Hey PF, I have always wondered if the light stays on in the dishwasher. While you are in there would you please check it out. It really bothers me...

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 6:19 am

Have you considered dry cleaning?

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 8:29 am

what I usually do is taking the letters out with a screwdriver and then use a dry piece of cloath

I see you like making experiments too, have you ever tried thermite?

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:05 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3uP15-jYK8

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:53 am

^^^ don't you just love kids? How else could they assist a maga???

Posted: Thu Sep 29, 2011 7:12 pm

Great vid! HI DW!!! Mmm, chocolatey..

PF you're a genius...remmeber Gallileo was can a nut as were most discoverers of important things such as speed of falling object and physics and such.

This could result in "keyboard detergent" being marketed. You're gonna be rich PF.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Badgerbait wrote:

This could result in "keyboard detergent" being marketed

Funny you should mention this. Keyboards are bacterially more active than a toilet seat.

Used the he "mask" tag to hide some this from the Google. And, if any of you devious bastards cut into my action, well, at least send me 20%.