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MB cleaning.

T

tomh21

n00b
Joined
Nov 7, 2004
Messages
20
Hello, I've spilled soda into my laptop. Toshiba p25s607. its working ok except for the keyboard. I've ordered a new keyboard but want to cleanup the laptop before i install it. I've taken it apart, now I'm wondering what i should use to clean the sticky mess off my motherboard. just a cloth damp with water? or should i use some kind of cleaning solution? thanks for any help, tom.
 
never use water to clean any circuit board. Your best bet would be alcohol. Get a lent free cloth and apply the alcohol directly to the cloth not the motherboard.

Be very gentle!
 
bushdiverq said:
never use water to clean any circuit board. Your best bet would be alcohol. Get a lent free cloth and apply the alcohol directly to the cloth not the motherboard.

Be very gentle!
Click to expand...


Why not? I do it all the time In fact, I've done three motherboards, a video card, a microwave control board, and various other things in a sinkful of soapy water. Just make sure it's good an dry before it's powered back up. Oh yeah, and remove any batteries before hand.
 
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Spartacus said:
Something like this should work well.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Electronic-Cleaner-11-ozs-Spray-Can_W0QQitemZ8023279808QQcmdZViewItem

You could also use warm distilled water and dish soap with a toothbrush. Dry the board with a clean rag and then use compressed air to thoroughly dry it. It's best to set the board at an angle against something (like propped on a book at 45 degrees) to air dry for a day or two before reassembling and testing.
Click to expand...

I just prop it up overnight in front of a big 25" WindTunnel fan.
 
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I'd think that distilled water wouldn't be a problem, as long as it's not got power.
 
Distilled water is the only viable water that would not cause corrosion on your motherboard. But if its not properly stored it will also cause corrosion.

If you use any water besides distilled water your severely shrinking the life of your board.
 
ryan_975 said:
Why not? I do it all the time In fact, I've done three motherboards, a video card, a microwave control board, and various other things in a sinkful of soapy water. Just make sure it's good an dry before it's powered back up. Oh yeah, and remove any batteries before hand.
Click to expand...

I would not want any of those parts in my machine.

1. soap doesnt evaporate. So it will be on your board forever.
2. your board are probably has severe corrosion.

It doesnt matter how good you dry it, you will still leave contaminates on your boards.
 
I'm not saying anyone here is wrong, but like ryan, I too have used water to clean circuit boards more than once. My current mobo took a dunk in the bathtub about 2 years ago after a beer got spilled on it, and I have been running it 24/7 since with no problems.

Just my experience.
 
Like digital_exhaust and ryan say, water works fine. I've used on several mobos that had encounters with pepsi at a lan party. I just made sure that they got nice and dry before I did anything with them.
 
It is possible to leave residues on your motherboard from using tap water or even well water. Though, you're more likely to upgrade your computer before the residues cause any damage, if they potentially would at all.

Distilled water, however, should be fine.

Rubbing alcohol is predominantly what I use, though... More expensive, but dries quicker.
 
For bad spills, use the top rack of the dishwasher, no soap, no dry cycle (160 degree water cleans everything :)). Dunk in distilled water or rubbing alcohol to remove residual salts and let it dry.
 
Zamboni said:
For bad spills, use the top rack of the dishwasher, no soap, no dry cycle (160 degree water cleans everything :)). Dunk in distilled water or rubbing alcohol to remove residual salts and let it dry.
Click to expand...

If you do this make sure the MB is secure as you don't want those powerful jets of water knocking the board back and forth in the rack.
 
Zamboni said:
For bad spills, use the top rack of the dishwasher, no soap, no dry cycle (160 degree water cleans everything :)). Dunk in distilled water or rubbing alcohol to remove residual salts and let it dry.
Click to expand...

That's pretty brutal for motherboards. I would think it's possible for steam to get into chip packages and possibly between layers in the circuit board.

I'd only use a limited amount of water to clean up the spill on the board. Hot steaming water jets blasting the board is a bit much. :eek:
 
Nine years ago I spilled a coke on my then brand new key board. I cleaned it in the shower and let it dry for a couple of days. I'm typing this post with it.

I've never spilled anything on a mobo, but if I did I'd clean it with water.
 
Dishwasher...I never thought I'd see the day when someone would recommend that :)...lol.
 
you people who are saying to dunk it in water, or put it in the shower or dishwasher...

WTF

i never expected that you could do that... all the ports will still work fine? RAM ports PCI? CPU port? NB SB?

weird as hell. so i guess the only problem with wetting (contaminants aside) is it the wetness so as long as everything is completely dry everything should work great...

awesome
 
InCogneato said:
you people who are saying to dunk it in water, or put it in the shower or dishwasher...

WTF

i never expected that you could do that... all the ports will still work fine? RAM ports PCI? CPU port? NB SB?

weird as hell. so i guess the only problem with wetting (contaminants aside) is it the wetness so as long as everything is completely dry everything should work great...

awesome
Click to expand...

yep, absolutely dry is a necessity. :)



which reminds me, years ago I dropped my Motorola Startac phone in a bowl of water while is was on. I thought I'd killed it, but my dad set it on top of his TV over night and the next morning my $250 phone was working again.
 
ryan_975 said:
Years ago I dropped my Motorola Startac phone in a bowl of water while is was on. I thought I'd killed it, but my dad set it on top of his TV over night and the next morning my $250 phone was working again.
Click to expand...

Well, don't try that with a Razr, my wife had hers fall in a cup of coffee and it died, we tried everything. We went as far as taking the thing apart (not fun) and cleaning everything and letting it dry for two days and nada, it was dead. :mad:
 
Besides corrosion, I'd worry about having charged capacitors, and senstive electronics shorted together by water.
 
BladeVenom said:
Besides corrosion, I'd worry about having charged capacitors, and senstive electronics shorted together by water.
Click to expand...

Capacitors don't USUALLY stay charged long enough to hurt anything

That being said, I would NEVER EVER wash a PSU's or a CRT's circuit board.
 
throw it in the wahing machine. gentle cycle... tumble dry on low. Cool iron as needed... j/k

I'd go with alcohol, personally.
 
bushdiverq said:
never use water to clean any circuit board. Your best bet would be alcohol. Get a lent free cloth and apply the alcohol directly to the cloth not the motherboard.

Be very gentle!
Click to expand...
You've never been in a PCB factory have you?

We wash and dry thousands of stuffed boards a year.
 
digital_exhaust said:
Well, don't try that with a Razr, my wife had hers fall in a cup of coffee and it died, we tried everything. We went as far as taking the thing apart (not fun) and cleaning everything and letting it dry for two days and nada, it was dead. :mad:
Click to expand...
I think the coffee is the problem, it's about the second worse thing you can spill/dunk stuff, after coke.

I'm not sure I'd put my mobo in a dishwasher, but I've done it to keyboards before. It works better if you pop all the keys off first, and take a photo so you know where to put them back on. After a year or two, keyboards get be pretty funky.
 
I use Car Quest Quick Dry Electronic Cleaner. Spray it down and it will dry very quickly, reassemble and you good to go
 
Hi, what you want to use is IPA(isopropyl alcohol) and a toothbrush. Firmly scrub the board, watch out for any caps, be gentle around those. To drain the caps(which never really hold a charge) just reattach the fan with no battery and power on, it usually does the trick.

If you cant get near any IPA, the stuff you use for cleaning cd's is the same thing, just a little weaker. The cleaning kits only cost around £2. IPA evaporates fairly quick, so 4-5mins with a hair dryer will dry it off ready to be re-installed.

As for the guy who dropped the V3 in his coffee, same trick but drown the board in IPA and throw it in an ultrasonic cleaner(jewelery cleaner, cd cleaner, other stuff) and hope for the best. Liquid damaged V3's only have around 60% survival after the swim. Also, clean the membrane connector, or if possible, replace the membrane.

Im a mobile phone technician, along with everything else electrical.

Thanks, Philip (woo, first post)
 
as a last ditch effort before i RMA a board, i through the fucker in the dishwasher, and let it dry for a couple days
 
MD_Willington said:
You've never been in a PCB factory have you?

We wash and dry thousands of stuffed boards a year.
Click to expand...

Probably cause alcohol would be too expensive.

I'm a Diebold ATM tech and we ONLY use alcohol. On the card readers, on the boards, on the rubber wheels, on everything (except of course the screens!) .Like previously said, it dries instantly and doesn't leave any residue.

I'm sure many people have used water and soap without any problems but it's better to be safe than sorry. Use alcohol and take your time. And when you're done you can drink some alcohol (beer) too!
 
I believe I would only do the alcohol I can't see myself using water or the dishwasher, just my 2cents worth though.
 
jackofalltrades said:
I believe I would only do the alcohol I can't see myself using water or the dishwasher, just my 2cents worth though.
Click to expand...

Yeah I think my Jet Dry would get in the way of my mobo being completely useful after the endeavor. :D
 
Well I tried washing my keyboard in my dishwasher - it no longer works even though it's dry :D

I sure wouldnt want to try washing anything more expensive than that in the washer.
 
I've never run into this problem, but shouldn't automotive brake/carb cleaner work as long as nothing has power?

Brake cleaner dries almost instantly, and if it works on auto grease, it would definitely work on a soda spill. The only thing I'm not sure of is how corrosive it is to such sensitive electrical componets.
 
Hypo said:
I've never run into this problem, but shouldn't automotive brake/carb cleaner work as long as nothing has power?

Brake cleaner dries almost instantly, and if it works on auto grease, it would definitely work on a soda spill. The only thing I'm not sure of is how corrosive it is to such sensitive electrical componets.
Click to expand...

If you'll notice the label on those products says to keep it from coming on contact with paint. It'll also dissolve the laminate on PCBs and maybe the substrate too.
 
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