Guys I need help to fix this keyboard

So I just cleaned my keyboard but o didn’t have isopropyl alcohol I just used a tiny bit of water on my keyboard and a q tip I put the keys back on the ones that needed cleaning and they are still sticky please help im new don’t know what To do

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And it’s not a gaming keyboard it’s like an office one so please let me know, but the keys I didn’t clean aren’t sticky more…please

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Maybe some pictures of the keyboard and the affected keys. I suppose it’s possible it’s some kind of grime that alcohol would have been better for, but it’s also possible that something is broken or reassembled not-quite perfectly. Also, the type of keyboard it is may affect how much help we can offer.

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This 100%, some pics of the KB itself & the offending keys would be what we need to see if we can help you. Also welcome to the site!

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Hello and welcome! I agree some more info would be helpful - but here’s one method:

Generally, warm (not hot!) water with a small amount of dish soap is a good thing to use. Submerge the keys and gently massage the gunk from the surface; just make sure they are dry first before re-mounting. Some short blasts from a compressed air device (not a hair dryer!) can help get water out of the stems.

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well my keyboard is like an office pc i can maybe put a photo and what i did it was really dirty with hair underneath i used cotton swab and tiniest bit of water (not dripping) and a paintbrush too with also tiny bit of water, then i used this air pump by hand to blow off debris and after i put the keys back on its harder to press them on the edges and sometimes at all. I did let it dry for a bit and underneath i checked its all clean so pls help ty

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This is what my keyboard is
Before photo was it so dirty

After I cleaned it up (it’s diff key ik but just to show)
I’ve tried talking to many keyboard and pc groups and nobody can seem to help it’s tricky

My keys worked better before I cleaned them. Also I only cleaned the wasd and c key and those are the only ones with this issue thanks

Should I try to clean the keys again and let,it dry again?

And someone online said to put something to lubricate it like wd 40 so it won’t be hard to press down?

So it looks like you’ve got a low profile board with a membrane of rubber domes making the electrical contacts. Very common, and honestly a damp q-tip would be unlikely to do any damage. It’s also a bit outside the expertise of the folks here. Not that we don’t know them, but most of us are actively trying to avoid using them more than necessary, as we don’t personally tend to find them very satisfying. That said, certain things translate, and if you like your keyboard, it’s a good keyboard for you.

Try something blunt to gently actuate the dome and make sure there’s no interfence. Then, I see some grooves molded into the sides of that slider plate. You’ll want to make sure that any corresponding tabs or rails in the slider part of the keycap are clean and in good repair; gouges or broken tabs could cause serious issues. Check the sidewalls and make sure they and the cap really are as clean as you hope. When you reinsert the caps, make sure to line it up very carefully.

Beyond that, I’m personally running out of ideas, LOL. Try a few things and let us know how they go.

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Okay thanks but yeah like I wish I can put the before photo it was not sticky before I cleaned but after it’s just becomes harder to press lol

And yes the keyboard came with my pc I had it for like 2 years and also idk what to do it’s confusing but when I clipped the keycaps on it did go on but it did take a little force but it went on no issues so I’m not sure

and also it’s not a keyboard issue when I type it still types like the letters so it’s not really a wireing issue I’m sure

But I might just buy a keyboard

I’m thinking about this one it’s 32 bucks on amazon

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Lemokey is Keychron’s budget brand. If that’s your price range, I’d say it’s likely to be a good choice. QMK/VIA compatibility will mean a better experience doing macros or remapping if you’re so inclined. If you’re an open-box gambler, Amazon Resale often has mainline Keychrons (mostly C series, with the occasional upgrade to K or even V) for under USD50.

The Lemokeys seem to come in several layouts as well. Now might be a good time to consider how you use a keyboard. Do you use the numpad? Even if yes, would you like just a touch more desk space? Do you want a volume knob? It’s a fun problem to have. All these mechanical boards will open up a world of different keycaps, as well.

Finally, think about your switches in a move to mechanical. If you really like your current chiclet board, there are “low profile” mech boards that get you a little closer to that feel. Also, membrane boards are inherently “tactile” in their style. The Lemokeys with brown switches will feel a bit more like that, while (IMHO) still feeling better. The reds will be a light linear. Linears in general are well loved, and even basic reds can be very smooth (especially if you come down the rabbit hole with us), but some people (i.e. me, but I’m weird) find them unpleasantly light, with other options being better for heavier typists (Black, if you’re not moving out of the Cherry clone colors/names). If you move just a bit up the price range, you can find “hot swap” boards that let you carefully replace the switches themselves without soldering, if you want.

As for your current board, yeah I’m just not sure. You could probably find its equivalent for less than ten bucks, and if you search up its exact model number on ebay, you might find someone else’s pack-in board, but while it’s all very personal, there’s not much for us to advise on, LOL.

Good luck and welcome to Keebtalk!

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Thanks and yes I’m thinking of getting this one I like full size even though I don’t use the numb pad and someone told me this one is a bit quieter then most keyboards for gaming and it would be easy to clean right? Lol and I also saw one at Walmart for like 28 bucks but it’s not this brand… but idk if it’s good or not

And yeah I don’t really want a office keyboard I’d rather have a gaming one for now because I mostly use it for gaming so yeah

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But yeah thanks and because I really like that one the red and black so yeah but I don’t need like special software for it? Cause I know some keyboards u need softwares but I just need it to do function keys like play pause and whatever my keyboard currently has but nothing special lol thanks again :smiling_face:

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Of the two, I’d definitely pick the Lemokey. I’m not entirely sure the Onn is mechanical, and I doubt it’s the real-but-rare example of a high quality membrane board. if limited to cheaper boards that have fixed colors per key, I (and I daresay most keeb people) would also prefer solid color back-lighting of any color to the “forced rainbow”.

All these boards will come with a default layout that usually includes most of the media keys you’re talking about, and generally they’ll be shown on the keycaps. In Windows, VIA can be used as a webpage in a Chrome-based browser, and would let you duplicate your old board if you liked.

Sound-wise, neither red nor brown switches will be super loud, though to be clear they’re still going to be a little louder than the average membrane board. What they won’t be is the intentional clicky sounds of blue (and similar) switches; more’s the pity if you like that (which I do). Cleaning should be about the same, but the switches are closer to being self-contained, so I’d say you’re less likely to run into an issue like you’ve hit with your current one, and the caps are easier to get on and off.

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Okay thanks and yeah the price difference isn’t major 32 and like 27 bucks I’ll go for the red and black one and should I buy like someone to take off the caps I heard about that and one of those plastic covers so I can’t get dirt or food in it

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And yeah the rainbow one it doesn’t even change colors or nothing it’s either flashing on or off so yeah😬 probably gonna get the red and black but I don’t really care if the colors don’t change or anything but rainbow is just too much for my eyes lol

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