What should I do after spilling rubbing alcohol on my laptop trackpad?
Asked by
CuriousCactus29
I accidentally spilled rubbing alcohol on my laptop's trackpad. It's a bit of a dramatic story involving a toddler and glue, but that's beside the point. The trackpad is still functional, although it's acting erratically and moves on its own. I can't afford a repair right now because I need my laptop for work. Is there a chance I can fix this, or am I looking at a replacement? By the way, I've started using a USB mouse I found, and it actually works better than the trackpad!
Answers
You're really fortunate it was rubbing alcohol. It’s less likely to cause major damage compared to other liquids. After a good drying session with some airflow, keep your fingers crossed that everything will return to normal. In the meantime, keep using that USB mouse—you might find you prefer it!
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Let it dry for a good chunk of time, ideally overnight. You could also set up a fan in front of it for even better airflow. If it doesn't fix itself after a while, you might need someone skilled to take a look inside and check it out.
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Definitely power it off first and remove the battery if you can! Then try to fan it and make sure air circulates around it. If there's still a lot of moisture, consider putting it in different positions to help everything dry out evenly.
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Turning off your laptop right away is the best move! Rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly on its own, so if you let it dry out, that could help a lot. The main issue is combining liquid with electricity, but since rubbing alcohol is safer than most liquids, you might be in luck. Just give it some time to air out before turning it back on.
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Rubbing alcohol is actually one of the better liquids to spill on electronics since it dries fast and doesn’t usually leave behind residue. If you follow the drying advice, you should be fine. Just don’t turn it on too soon or you might cause more problems.
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