Coffee belongs in a cup or in your mouth, not on your carpet or sofa and most certainly not on your laptop! Spilled coffee on a laptop can cause significant damage if not addressed immediately, but it could be nothing more than an inconvenient cleanup if you’re quick to act.
After all, you certainly want to be the type to say “I spilled coffee on my laptop but it still works” rather than be left with an expensive paperweight. To deal with liquid damage such as coffee spills on your laptop keyboard, try following the below steps:
Step-by-Step Emergency Actions
1. Turn Off & Unplug Immediately
Shut down your laptop immediately. Almost all cases where you might say “I’ve spilled coffee on my laptop,” can be mitigated by powering off the device and disconnecting it from the power supply as soon as possible.
Press and hold the power button until the screen turns off and unplug it, removing the battery as well if possible. Water and electricity aren’t a happy combination and they can wreak havoc on your device’s components whilst also keeping you safe against electric shocks.
2. Remove External Accessories & Dry the Surface
After you’ve turned off your laptop, disconnect any peripherals to contain the damage as much as possible. Remove any inserted USB drives, external monitors, your mouse, external hard drives, or anything else connected to the device.
Drying electronics is a little like drying a wine or coffee spill on upholstered furniture or a carpet - do not rub or wipe, blot it instead repeatedly until the surface is dry. Rubbing can help the coffee seep into the laptop even further and spread the liquid, so blot it with a paper towel or cloth and absorb it as much as possible.
3. Flip the Laptop & Let It Drain
If any liquid has penetrated inside of the laptop, you can drain out as much as possible by tilting it upside down and from side to side. Doing so quickly can help you to avoid keyboard malfunctions or damage to the internal components.
Once you’ve drained out the liquid, position it upside down, opened, and let it stay like this for a few minutes. When it’s in an upside-down V shape, liquid caught inside will gradually flow downwards without exposing the internal components to excessive liquid.
4. Disassemble If Possible (Optional for Advanced Users)
Provided you have the tools and a little know-how, you can deal with spilled coffee on your laptop that still works by taking it apart. Laptop disassembly could void your manufacturer’s warranty and you will likely need mini screwdrivers and some way of organising them all (there are usually many screws along the surface).
Carefully disassemble the laptop and any exposed components to dry individually. Leave them exposed to air dry before assembling the laptop again.
5. Use Absorbent Materials & Avoid Heat
You may have seen videos on social media where mobile phones are left inside a bowl of rice to dry out. This can often work because rice is quite absorbent. Silica gel packets can also work quite well if you have access to them.
Submerge your laptop in your preferred absorbent material and keep it away from excessive heat. Using a hair dryer or space heater might seem like a good idea to accelerate the drying but refrain from using these since they can damage the internal components easily.
6. Wait at Least 24-48 Hours Before Turning It On
While you might want to try turning on your laptop when it looks like it’s dry, it’s usually best to exercise patience and wait 1-2 days before trying to turn it on again. If left in absorbent materials in a cool, dry place, it should have completely air-dried by then.
The effects of spilled coffee on laptop keys sticking can usually be resolved with just a little time after you’ve blotted the coffee, but keep in mind that coffee drinkers that like their sugar might have stickier keys because of the sugar crystallising. You might need to disassemble the keyboard (if possible) or seek repairs if it still remains sticky.
7. How to Check for Damage & Next Steps
After your laptop has completely air-dried, you can try turning it back on again. It might be stressful, but it’s a surefire way to find out if the liquid damage has been resolved or if you need to seek out alternative solutions such as professional repairs or buying a new device.
Give your laptop a wipe with a dry microfibre cloth before turning it back on again and remove any leftover residue, then turn it on as you would normally do.
If your device is still under the manufacturer’s warranty, contact them for assistance. Otherwise, consider taking it to a nearby repair shop.
A Faster & Reliable Solution: Refurbished Laptops
If you’ve spilled coffee on your laptop keyboard and it is not working after trying the above steps, you may need to seek out laptop repair from a qualified professional. Liquid damage repair is somewhat common for mobile phones, but for laptops the issue might be a lot more expensive than anticipated.
A keyboard coffee spill is usually not the end of your laptop’s life, but a serious coffee spill on a MacBook Pro or Windows laptop could be. Sometimes, the only option is to accept that fixing a wet laptop that no longer works is impossible or cost-prohibitive.
When shopping for a replacement, one of the best ways to get great value is to shop for refurbished laptops instead. Refurbished electronics such as Refurbished Laptops and Refurbished MacBooks are often much cheaper than buying brand new, provide you with all of the modern features you want and need, and they’re 100% sustainable.
Shop at Wisetek Market EU
Spilled coffee on a laptop can leave you without access to your device for hours, days, or permanently. When you need a new laptop at great prices, you can’t go wrong with certified refurbished laptops and MacBooks from a reputable platform such as Wisetek Market EU. Get access to refurbished electronics at competitive prices by shopping with us today.