Liquid Damage and the Online Keyboard Tester Recovery

So you spilled coffee, soda, or water. It happens. But how you react in the first 30 seconds determines if your keyboard survives or becomes trash.

Step 1: The Disconnect

Yank that USB cable out. If it's wireless, turn it off and pull the batteries. Every second current flows through a wet PCB increases the chance of a short circuit.

Step 2: Gravity is Your Friend

Flip the keyboard upside down immediately. Do not press any keys (this pushes liquid further into switches). Shake it gently to drain as much liquid as possible.

Step 3: The Waiting Game

This is the hardest part. You must wait.

• Water: Wait at least 24 hours.
• Soda/Coffee: These leave sticky residue. Consider a distilled water rinse if you are tech-savvy, then wait 48 hours.

What NOT To Do

• Do NOT try to dry it with a hair dryer. Heat warps plastic keycaps and melts internal membranes.
• Do NOT put it in rice. Rice dust gets inside switches and creates a mess that is harder to clean than the water.

Step 4: The Final Test

Only when you are 100% sure it is dry, plug it in and immediately go to the Online Keyboard Tester.

Press every key. Watch for:

• Phantom Inputs: Keys lighting up green when you haven't pressed them. (Short circuit).
• Sticky Keys: Keys that physically stick, crunch, or return slowly when pressed. (Residue).

If the damage is done, check out our guide on When to Replace Your Keyboard.