I accidentally spilled a large iced coffee inside my entire PC, and now it's dripping out everywhere! I quickly unplugged everything, took out the GPU, and I'm taking it apart. The monitor shut off instantly after the spill. I wish I could share pictures to show the damage, but it's not allowed here.
I'm in a bit of a bind since I live near Micro Center and have less than $200 to work with. Please help me figure out what to do next!
5 Answers
You should really douse everything in isopropyl alcohol; make sure to dry it as best as you can. And don’t turn your PC back on for at least a week! If you keep it dry, there's a chance it will work again. Just be patient!
First things first, you need to unplug everything! Head to your local store and grab some high-percentage isopropyl alcohol. Gently wipe away any visible coffee residue with a lint-free cloth soaked in the alcohol. After cleaning, leave all parts unplugged to dry for a couple of days. Oh, and don't forget to make an offering to the PC gods – maybe a chicken or something funny would do the trick! 😂
Absolutely, unplug everything ASAP! If you happen to have silica gel packets, use those and put the wettest components in a sealed container with them to absorb moisture. Just a heads up, don’t put your stuff in rice—it’s a myth! Silica gel is way more effective.
Keep everything unplugged and remember that drying it out will take longer than you expect. After cleaning with alcohol, let each part sit upside down so any remaining liquid can escape. Give it extra time to dry, and don't rush to power it back up!
Coffee can definitely cause some issues since it can grow mold. Make sure to unplug all of your components and soak up as much liquid as possible with paper towels. Then rinse everything with 91% isopropyl alcohol to clean off any sticky residue. Let the parts dry overnight in front of a fan to make sure all moisture is gone before putting anything back together.
Nah, they really need to clean everything first; just drying it out won't cut it, or they'll risk mold forming.