Macbook Experience 103 Spilt Milk

Monday, June 3, 2009

About 2 weeks ago I spilled milk on my laptop. One full Japanese glass of it (why I say Japanese? because if it were an American glass it would've been twice as much milk).
Instant. Wet. Macbook. Pro. Two thousand, five hundred dollars.


First, I picked up the disaster and raised it over my head to get the milk out ASAP. Now mind you I live on the 6th floor of my apartment building, and my window was wide open for any and all to see my performance from the streets below. I don't know how long I stood there with my mind going 2,500 dollars a minute, but as the dripping started slowing, I remembered a few miracle stories I read online. Computers and other electronics can come back to life from liquid spills after certain careful steps are taken.

I'm posting this now in the hope that whoever happens to run into the same problem, they too will know what to do. So remember the lesson! Just hope you'll never have to use it.

First, I unplugged the power and took out the battery. You want to stop all flow of electricity for the next 24 hours minimum. I would recommend 48 hours just for good measure.

Second, I took out the dryer and started drying whatever I could from the outside, holding the "Cool" button to keep the heat from damaging the computer. This was actually a dangerous step to take, because despite using the "Cool" button, you could accidentally melt the keys of your keyboard. Might be better to just get a dry cloth.

Third, I left my apartment and went to the nearest 100 Yen store (similar to 99 cent stores in the US). I grabbed a few sets of mini screwdrivers and a can of air duster spray and raced home.

From that point on, I started taking my computer apart very carefully, and very slowly. I made sure to place every part in a recognizable order so I'd know which part went where when I put it back.
When I got all the little screws out, I lifted the top cover and got a chance to peek into the notebook. The Macbook Pro has a tape connecting the keyboard to the computer, so be careful not to tear it!! I remember taking apart a mighty mouse to clean the stupid mouse ball (Apple's silly design flaw - there's no way to really clean the thing otherwise), and tearing a similar piece of tape, thereby rendering the mouse completely useless. You don't want to risk doing that to your computer.

With the air spray in one hand and a lint-free cloth in the other, I started cleaning and drying everything inside. Then I popped all the keys of my keyboard out and cleaned that too. Because mine was a milk spill, I had to do a bit more cleaning to get the solids out. If you spill soda or anything other than water, you'll have to do some extra cleaning as well - sticky residue and solids don't go well with machinery. But if it's just water, just get it dry as fast and carefully as you can.

Lastly, carefully put everything back together, screws and all.
Then you wait. At least 24 hours. DO NOT TURN ON THAT $2,500 MACHINE UNTIL THOSE 24 HOURS ARE UP.

I am very happy to say that my computer is still healthy and kicking to this day. (*knocks on wood*)

Some interesting and useful links:

• Take It Apart - Macbook Pro (VERY useful!)
• Milkbook - discussion on warranties and getting Apple to fix it
  There are a bunch of these if you just google for them. Interesting reads.

Posted by Jay | 1 Commented

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Highlighted Posts Current Projects WB Galleries Who is behind Dragonrain? My name is Jay Lee, and I am currently an undergraduate student at a University of California studying Fine Arts and Digital Arts, though I'll be the first to tell you I've learned more from working than from the classroom. My preferred art mediums include: digital on adobe products, corel, web; fine on oil-on-canvas or charcoal; photography in black and white, with a focus on portraiture and music; and classical music on piano. I work as a graphic and website designer with a primary interest in marketing and adverising. (Yes, the stuff you get spammed with - but I'll only claim credit for the prettier ones.) Read more about Jay