Have you ever dropped a drink on your laptop

The feeling of spilling a drink on your expensive laptop is so unique that Cindy Jacob can see it on your face before you even say a word.

Ms. Jacob, co-owner of the MacPros repair shop in Victoria, says the feeling is a mixture of sheepishness and helplessness – and it’s one she’s become increasingly familiar with since the start of the coronavirus lockdown.

“Right now we’re doing more liquid damage than anything, since about a week after everyone got sent home,” she said. The lockdown has doubled the frequency with which she has customers racing in with dripping laptops.

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The reason for the sudden rise may be the environment itself: Homes are fraught with danger for electronics in a way offices are not.

“People are using their computers as food tables these days,” marvelled Ahmad Jabar, a tech at Apple Experts, a Calgary shop that has seen “unprecedented” demand for repairs lately.

In ad hoc home offices, laptops are precariously balanced on stacks of books next to a glass of wine for Zoom happy hours; cats are constantly on the prowl next to half-consumed coffees; and children – well, children are doing what they do best.

“The kids seem to be the big story,” Ms. Jacob said. Her partner, Jay Cissell, agrees. Even the computer sitting in front of him was the victim of a kid-related juice spill. “They’re trying to maintain their kids while they’re at work,” he said, and the result is the kind of chaos that laptops aren’t built to withstand.

When it comes to their destructive power, not all liquids are created equal. Water is the least dangerous. It doesn’t leave a sticky mess, and it doesn’t conduct electricity as well as liquids with more impurities, like coffee, tea or a whiskey sour, so it is less likely to short circuit the electronics within the computer. The presence of a liquid – any liquid – can also create a sort of “electrolysis” effect, causing corrosion.

On the other end of the spectrum is beer.

“I don’t know what’s in beer, or if it’s just because it foams,” Mr. Cissell says. But whatever it is, when laptops drink beer, “they don’t often do very well.”

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Those alcohol-related spills seem to be increasing with more time spent at home. One customer has come in two different times for wine spills; another has returned enough times with rye and Coke spill damage to require three full computer replacements [although, not all of them during the coronavirus lockdown.]

I have a confession: my own interest in this story began with a spill in my home. The advice I gave then for dealing with the spill, without the information I’m about to share, was dead wrong.

First, and most importantly, rice is absolutely not helpful. Urban legends have proliferated around its helpfulness in pulling moisture out of electronics, and even today that advice shows up in Google search results, but the last thing you should do is put your computer in rice.

“If you put it in rice the chances of it recovering are pretty low,” Mr. Cissell says. The starch in rice combines with the liquid to make a paste “like a car battery,” he says, which spreads throughout the computer and wrecks everything it touches.

Turning the computer off and unplugging it is the first step once the problem starts. Next, disconnect the battery. That’s often easier said than done – with MacBooks, for instance, which have tiny screws that require specialized screwdrivers preventing any access – but by bringing it as soon as possible to a repair shop that can disconnect the battery, you can likely spare the laptop the worst damage.

In the meantime, don’t flip it upside down. When the liquid entered the computer, it likely only came into contact with the top side of the logic board, but flipping it over lets the liquid access the underside, too. Mr. Cissell recommends just tipping it back, into a V shape, so that the liquid can drain out the back.

Even once no more liquid is dripping out, though, don’t turn it on. Even if it appears to be working flawlessly, the remaining liquid could corrode the machine’s insides; the process could take weeks but the damage could get much more substantial over time.

It may be embarrassing, but bring it to a shop for a cleaning. Ms. Jacob says she’s gotten used to consoling the fretting owners.

“I have to tell them, don’t worry, you’re not the only one.”

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What to do after you’ve spilled coffee on a laptop

Switch the laptop off

Shut down the laptop. Pressing and holding the power button for five seconds is quickest. Remove the power cord, unplug any peripherals and remove the battery. The biggest danger at this time is the device shorting out.

Remove excess liquid from the laptop

Blot up excess liquid with a soft lint-free cloth or paper towels. Do not use a wiping motion as that just spreads the liquid further.

Turn the laptop over

With the laptop facing away from you, tilt it from side to side and from front to back in a gentle rocking motion to help the liquid to escape from all four sides.

Use compressed air to dry the laptop

Make sure that you have removed all excess liquid. Then, if you have one, use a can of compressed air to help dry the laptop. Alternatively, use a hair dryer on its coolest setting: keep the dry moving all the time and hold it at least 20 cm above the laptop.

Leave laptop to completely dry out.

Leave the laptop opened in an inverted “V” shape in a warm area, to completely dry out. Do not leave it in direct sunlight or on a radiator. Wait for 24 hours or longer, making sure the keyboard is completely dry, before reinstalling the battery and peripherals.

If you must replace your laptop keyboard

Most laptop keyboards can be replaced by a technician, or you can purchase a new USB or wireless keyboard to use with the laptop.

Now that you know what to do when you’ve spilled coffee on a laptop, find out the 13 mistakes that shorten your laptop’s life.

Originally Published: April 15, 2021

So, you've accidentally doused your laptop in liquid. As you watch it seep into the crevices, your chest tightens. What do you do now? Well, the first thing is to take a deep breath. Whether it's water or soda, there are a couple of ways you can save your machine. The trick is this: The type of liquid matters just as much as the amount.

For large spills

So you've just spilled an entire glass of water on your laptop. As the water makes its way down into the inner chambers of your machine, you panic, your heart smashing against your rib cage. What do you do now? Well, for starters, you need to act fast. While your data is safe, the your hard drive might be in trouble.

• The first thing you need to do is a hard shutdown. That means holding the power button until the screen goes black. This is useful, especially if your keyboard isn't responding.
• Unplug your mouse, AC adapter, and any other cables. Remove flash drives and external network cards as well.
• If there's a removable panel on the back of your machine, open it and dislodge the battery. If water gets in the battery, it may short out.
• Clean the outside of the laptop with toilet paper or an absorbent cloth. Dab the liquid, don't wipe it down.
• Open the laptop as far as you can [it should be in a "V" shape] and turn it upside-down on a towel. Use a flat surface so the liquid drains out evenly. This prevents the liquid from reaching your hard drive. Don't try to shake the laptop.
• Leave your laptop in this position for at least twenty-four hours.

For small spills

Say you accidentally splashed your keyboard with water or plain tea. If there's only a few water droplets on the keyboard, don't worry, it's not the end of the world. While your computer probably won't short out, you should still act with haste and take the appropriate precautions. Here's what you need to do for small spills:

• I know I'm beginning to sound like a broken record, but the first thing you'll want to do is power down your laptop. If your keyboard isn't working, hold the power button until the screen goes black.
• Use toilet paper or a microfiber cloth to blot up the liquid. Try not to wipe, as that'll spread the liquid around. For those hard-to-reach areas, use a cotton swab.
• We'd recommend turning the laptop upside-down or on its side for a couple of hours [at least]. This will drain out any excess liquid.
• Boot up your computer and try running a few programs. If your keyboard works and performance is as usual, you're probably good to go.

For sticky spills

Like many of you, I have a love-hate relationship with soda. Though the taste is heavenly, it'll wreak havoc on your laptop if you're not careful. Sugary drinks are more problematic than water because sugar will stick to the components. This makes it much harder to clean. So, here are a few things you can do in the event of a soda-spill disaster:

• Turn off the laptop and unplug it from the wall. If your keyboard isn't working, hold the power button for a few seconds.
• If your laptop has a removable panel on the back, open it and take out the battery. The battery should never get wet. If it gets wet, put it in a dry place.
• Use warm distilled water or alcohol to dissolve the sugar. For those nooks and crannies, use a toothbrush or cotton swab.
• Turn the laptop upside-down or on its side and let it sit for at least twenty-four hours.

Credit: Reviewed.com / Jackson Ruckar

Additional tips

If nothing works, your best bet is to call a technician. If your laptop is under warranty, you can always phone the manufacturer and they'll send someone out. But if you're determined to fix it yourself and need a few extra tips, we've got you covered.

• Unless you're a professional, don't try to diessemble the case yourself. Bring it in for repairs.
• Use a hair dryer [cool settings please] to blow air into the device.
• Do not clean the battery or display with alcohol or water.
• If you have to crack open your laptop, save all the screws. If messing with the guts freaks you out, take pictures of the damage and consult a professional.
• If the battery gets wet, try sticking it inside a bag of rice.
• If your keyboard is a total loss, wireless keyboards are widely available.