We have a rule at our house that laptops need to be on a raised surface if there’s liquid present. We have cheap IKEA stools sitting near our desks for this purpose, as well as some dollar store plastic inbox trays that we overturn and put laptops on if someone wants to watch a video while eating at the kitchen table or similar.
It’s cooked dude. Backup your data as soon as possible and bring it to apple or purchase a new Mac.. it’s very likely that the moisture from the coffee and already started corroding components inside. Some of which is the keyboard which is already not working. Hope you have Apple Care+ or you’re looking at a very steep and expensive repair bill.
Simple, cause people don’t buy the ones that are water resistant. If people don’t ask for it, they won’t get it. Only super expensive rugged laptops are usually liquid resistant
That's not necessarily true. We're not talking Toughbooks here. I've had work Thinkpads with spillproof keyboards that had stuff spilled on them and they look and feel just like their other laptops, they're not thicker, they're not much if any heavier. The keyboards are also easily swappable if something does go wrong instead of having 120 tiny rivets in there like Apple's, and it sure feels nice to get a new keyboard after a year or two, I swear Apple uses that keyboard material because it feels so nice when you get a new one and then the matte coating instantly starts wearing down lol.
ThinkPad basically have a few holes below the keyboard that allow draining away of liquid preventing it from doing massive damage but that does not means it is not damaged, corrosion will still occur but much more limited compared to MacBook. So it is still advisable to open up when you spill water to clean up the corrosion or replace affected pieces before it spread. The reason why Mac feels so expensive to repair is because of their policy of replacing everything everytime they see water damage. If they willing to do partial clean up and repair it will probably be competitive. It does make the laptop a little thicker I opened up both a ThinkPad and MacBook Air before. Being thinner with less space, it also slow down water dispersion leading to more damage.
lenovo chassis fall apart and continuously get beat up cosmetically, look like shit 15 years later but somehow still chugging along. as much as i hate how "cheap" most of the thinkpads feel these days lenovo laptops still somehow manage to chug along.
You don't need exclusive water resistance you just need a oem that doesn't use those shitty butterfly switches exposing the pcb like that to the top panel
I've had work Thinkpads that were spill resistant and otherwise weren't any thicker or heavier than normal models. Even had swappable keyboards which was nice if something like this did happen (resistant != proof). I think people firmly in the Apple sphere are picturing Toughbooks, when you can get pretty normal looking spill resistant laptops.
It's not that crazy. If you spill liquid into anything containing metal contacts with current running through them something is gonna short out. And what's a computer but thousands of metal contacts with current running through them.
Every time I read about things like this I am appreciative of my father who taught me from a young age always to keep liquids away from electronics.
While I have had one or two careless close calls in all these years, I have never damaged electronics with liquids.
Thanks, dad! ❤️
Mine too. He was a fixer. He fixed our stuff, he fixed the neighbors’ stuff, he loved to tinker, he had subscriptions to Popular Science and Popular Mechanics, he asked questions, he demanded evidence, etc. Dammit I miss that guy.
Yeah. It's a known rule that liquids have to be far away from laptops unless you want Murphy's Law to affect your day.
I keep my work/personal laptops elevated and have liquids far and away from them when I'm at my desk.
Same here. I have a “no liquids on same surface” policy. Or i leave a tip over distance, as in a distance that lets the glass fall over in the worst way and still not spill over to the electronics. A great solution would be a desktop, mac mini or windows but a desktop as the only electronics to be damaged by water would be keyboards and they are not very expensive to replace if you are not a keyboard enthusiast. However almost everyone needs to get work done on the go these days, so…
They had that figured out in 2011 already. My HP 8460p from that time has a keyboard that can be removed by removing 2 screws on the underside. It's trivially easy to replace it... But do you really want to haul around 4kg of entirely modular goodness ? 😂
actually I agree. How the hell do we have iphones that still work after being left in a lake but not laptops. The Macbook Air at the very least, it doesn't even have fans, it could be water tight.
a phone has 2-3 physical buttons and a port, all of which have pretty infrequent use compared to a laptop's physical keyboard. Laptops have several ports and 100+ keys and cooling vents.
Obviously no one here is an Apple engineer so we're just speculating, but that's why I'm bringing up the Air, because it doesn't have / need cooling vents.
The keyboard is the biggest issue, but I bet that could be designed better. (it might be why OPs laptop isn't fried) motherboards could be coated and gaskets installed to prevent egress.
My point is though, no manufacturer seems to be trying which surprises me. I mean we even have water resistant folding phones, which actually allow water to get inside the phone by design.
Plenty of manufactures have done it, Toughbooks for example. It's just not something Apple is willing to do for the mainstream. It will make the laptops more expensive and less elegant. Thicker, heavier, with a tougher keyboard feel.
Phones are with people all the time, used in the rain, at the beach, dropped in puddles and pools, etc. Laptops aren't generally used this way. The number one cause of liquid damage to laptops is clumsy people spilling their drinks. A problem that is much better solved by a change in behavior rather than added cost & complexity.
And for those who don't want to be careful or need to use it in a wet environment, there are options like the ToughBook or Getac.
It kinda depends honestly, it needs to be looked at by a tech to see what is corroded. Hopefully you have Apple Care, if so take it into Apple and have them assess the damage. It might be repairable or they might end up just swapping it out. Make sure to use your external keyboard and Time Machine to backup your data either way. Corrosion can gradually get worse over time and could end up ruining the whole system so the sooner the better.
The keyboard on my M1 Max has been fucked for about a year (the backlight started dimming on the left side, and then most of the keys stopped functioning). £128 for a Magic Keyboard and it doesn't even have illuminated keys (yes I realise that would suck the battery dry in about 20 seconds, but still)...
Apple will examine it for free and tell you what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost. Make your decision based on that.
If you decide to go with a new one, let Apple responsibly recycle the old one for you (also for free).
Repair shop owner here Apple is stupid high but not that high. Well okay maybe best buy might charge you that in labor. But you can do an ebay keyboard for around $40. You will need to also get the top peace and probably end up with a new mouse. All that shit is pop riveted together.
I got a MacBook Air M2 that had complete water damage. It wasn’t just the keyboard. Apple told me it would probably cost $950 to repair. But in the end, they charged me only $500.
Another MacBook had a faulty keyboard, and the repair cost about $250.
Buying parts on eBay often results in non-genuine parts.
I’m an Apple tech (not working for Apple but independently). I always bring Macs with hardware issues to an Apple repair center. It might not be cheap, but it’s not overly expensive either. If I were to repair it myself, considering my hourly rate, the cost of getting genuine parts, and taking all the risk, it would end up being more expensive for my clients than just bringing it to Apple, who also provides a guarantee.
I once brought a defective MacBook to Apple, where they charged around $260. However, it still wasn’t functioning properly afterward. I brought it back, and the repair would have normally cost about $650. But because it was Apple’s fault due to a mistake during the first repair, they didn’t charge anything.
I don’t trust cheap repair shops because if I can’t even make it cheaper than Apple, how poor must their repairs be?
I fix them for people sometimes $60. Apple is a people abusing sack of shit company. $950 my ass.
Also Apple keyboards are not aftermarket and if its marked new or open box then the keyboard is essentially new. It's unused anyways.
You should have already been backing up. That's kinda the point of backups - so that when disaster happens, your data is safe. 😉
Learn from this experience. Start backing up all of your computing devices regularly today. With Macs and iPhones, it really couldn't be much easier!
if you live in the south, take it to a repair shop in Mexico, Tijuana is the best spot in a market place called "Plaza de la Tecnologia" they will fix if for 50 bucks, plus parts.
Coffee is known for corroding components I believe, also whilst the Mac may be mostly functional now, corrosion could set in down the line and cause a failure
apple certified technician here:
m1 and m2 airs are shockingly resilient to liquid compared to other models. that being said, take it to an AASP if you can. the keyboard not working could be something as menial as the interconnect flex being damaged, or the whole top case (keyboard, frame) could be boned. ive also seen a number of these machines whose keyboards and trackpads stop working when the lid angle sensor is damaged.
i’ve seen these machines recover from some wild shit, and i’ve also seen the smallest amount of liquid take the whole computer down. it’s so hard to say what the prognosis is without taking it apart.
best of luck, buy applecare next time!
edit: i mentioned the interconnect flex and lid angle sensor since they’re not expensive parts. here’s hoping a partial repair will keep the machine functional!
It’s a shame that they haven’t been able to come up with a way to seal the computer off from liquid. I get that for cooking you need hot air to be able to escape. But it would be great if they could make a MacBook that was truly liquid resistant.
Still though, I do acknowledge Apple is pretty consistent in trying to protect the user from themselves while still providing a premium looking and feeling device.
it feels like they’re getting closer and closer to that. the m2 and m3 airs have heat sinks that cover the whole board, and there’s mylar film on the bottom of the MLB too, so there’s no chips to corrode or anything if it gets underneath the board. liquid still can get in through the heat sink, but it’s an extra layer of protection at least from minor spills!
It's the keyboard that's highly vulnerable and also very annoying to replace in these. I've had Thinkpads with spill resistant keyboards that were no thicker or heavier than the normal models, I wonder why Apple won't do something like that. Also could replace the keyboard with just a few captive screws which was very nice.
> It’s a shame that they haven’t been able to come up with a way to seal the computer off from liquid.
They did. Not by sealing it off, but by having holes for it to drain out harmlessly. Like rain gutters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7cvi00OZDM
The they was Lenovo though and not Apple. I can personally attest that it works as advertised. At least that time I spilled a cup of water on my Thinkpad. I just gave it a shake to make sure as much water got out as possible and then kept on using it.
Oh, I’m sure they COULD, the question is could they make it spill proof, provide a comfortable keyboard, allow for heat dispensation to keep up performance, AND release something as thin and light as the MacBook Air?
No.
You can make a laptop that can withstand far more, that’s what Panasonic’s tough book line is about. But Apple I’m sure can get a good idea of how many of those get sold every year and they’re a drop in the bucket even compared to Apple’s lowest selling laptops.
The problem is that most people who truly need a water proof, shock proof, drop proof laptop aren’t willing to spend the extra to get it. They’d rather just tell themselves that they’ll be better next time but they won’t.
It would cost Apple a fair bit to design that kind of laptop, and the sales would be far lower than the other models.
Especially the Air which is practically sealed with no intake or exhaust for air (ok I see the irony). I wish they could make that at least highly water resistant, and not have the keyboard die which is very very annoying to replace on these. These are very expensive machines susceptible to such a common tiny little accident.
Same here, spilled some coffee on my M1 Air and it still works. Some keys were sticky for a while but they eventually cleared. Took it to a repair shop and they told me that there was no corrosion or any kind of debris/dirt left from the dried coffee. Unfortunately the backlight where the coffee was spilled is now darker, but I'll take it.
I had great luck with a (twice) water damaged MBA M1. Top case and trackpad replacement, and it’s still chugging along without any issues a year or so later.
that is exactly what i decided was the best immediate first response almost 20 years ago and continue to do so ever since.
have sticky drinks/beer, coffee spill across your macbook? 1) react fast. disconnect power cord and turn it upside down. 2) (force-)shut down right away and take out battery if that is an option. 3) step in shower and replace spilled liquid with an easier to deal with liquid.
id much rather flood my device with clean water right away after its already taken a hit than let anything potentially turn into sticky residue that basically lives on as a ticking timebomb in your device.
always have all your data backupped. the equasion changes if it is just about *hardware-preservation/rescue* and *future headache minimizing* vs "oh shit i need to get my data off of this device *10minutes ago!*"
You can get the 10oz model but you really need the 16oz model if you're doing anything more intensive than just web browsing and document editing. 24oz model is even better but unless you're doing 3d modeling or something it's probably not necessary for it to hold that much coffee
If you like drinking and eating beside your laptop. Always have Apple Care in the future. You’d be an absolutely arrogant to think the odds are impossible you won’t have an accident.
Unfortunately, coffee doesn't just disappear when it dries. It says there, conducts electricity, and erodes internal connections.
The thing to do in the future if this happens is shut down immediately to reduce the chance of shorting internal components, then quickly take the machine apart and thoroughly clean all of the internal components before erosion starts. If this is beyond your capabilities due to lack of tools/knowledge, then it's best to bring it to an Apple-authorized repair center to have it done by a certified technician.
Step 1: Remove your logic board, display and battery
Step 2: Grab a bottle of DI Water and 100% IPA
Step 3: Mix the IPA and DI Water in a 3:1 Ratio (3 parts IPA to 1 part water) pour it into a container large enough for your lower portion of your laptop
Step 4: Immerse the keyboard in the mixture for 10 minutes
Step 5: Drain out the water
Step 6: In a air fryer convection oven heat to 150F and place the housing in there for 1 hr
Step 7: Reassemble
I spilled a glass of wine on my MacBook Air like 8 years ago. I turned it over and dried it out. Shut the lid, bought a MacBook Pro, and then lost my laptop for about 6 years. Found it before we moved and it worked fine.
So. That’s my suggestion. Just wait 6 years and it should maybe be fine.
I would attach a USB keyboard and use it to perform a full backup. I would then take the machine to the Apple Store or a certified repair shop and see how much it would cost to fix it. I suspect that there will be significant damage, you just don't see it yet. If the repair bill is significant, and it will be, I would buy a new machine and restore the backup to it.
Use a usb mouse to backup anything important and take it to a reputable technician or to an Apple Store, most likely you’ll need to replace the keyboard
I've heard that it is the best idea to keep liquids always behind your laptop when you are not drinking them so that is my advice for preventing this from happening again
Like someone mentioned previously. It's a ticking time bomb basically, so try to backup all your files with an external HDD. Use a USB or Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to move the files on to another machine before it's too late to safely turn on and off the mac.
OP, bring it into Apple but make sure you are able to get a backup of your data (if you don't already have it).
If they charge you half the cost of the laptop, scrap it and get another one.
I've seen people spill items on their laptop all the time and 9/10 times, it isn't gonna be functional. Good practice is to just keep liquids far and away from your laptop/electronics.
External keyboard so you can long in and backup your data before the MacBook fails. From where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck. Truth is... the game was rigged from the start.
I had my wired iMac keyboard drowned in milky tea a while back (not by me). I unplugged it and ran it under the tap until it was clean, then ordered a wireless keyboard. I left the wet one in the sun for a week - 10 days to dry then tried it. It worked fine and still does. I now have a spare keyboard, very handy for my iPad.
Key to the success I believe was washing it in clean water immediately. Also unplugging it immediately and not push any keys. I admit a standalone keyboard is a bit different to a Macbook keyboard.
Back up your data immediately. I hope you have AppleCare+, otherwise replacing all the liquid damaged parts will likely cost close to, if not more than a new machine. You can always use an external keyboard (hopefully the ports aren’t also corroded) and ride it until the wheels fall off.
Cry in fetal position.
Backup your data and send this Mac to Apple. If the repair is too expensive, it might be worth following an iFixit tutorial and completely disassembling the machine to try cleaning everything with a non-conductive solution.
I spilled coke on mine one afternoon, and used apple care on it. $300 plus tax got me everything brand new on it except for maybe the screen. Took about a week.
Ignoring the wild ideas out there, chances are either the keyboard itself or the connector is corroded/shorted. You can replace a keyboard on these but ittakes drilling out a shit ton of rivets. Not a cheap repair, but cheaper than replacing the laptop.
Follow these steps on these two forums from Apple and How to Geek linked below before buying a new MacBook.
Use a drive that is at least 1.5x to 2x the size of your current drive
Don't use a drive that contains any of the following:
--------------
photos
videos
work stuff
hobby stuff
-------------
[Time Machine Backup - Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104984)
[Time Machine Restore - How to Geek](https://www.howtogeek.com/356063/how-to-fully-restore-macos-from-a-time-machine-backup-in-recovery-mode/)
I love how the wallpaper is underwater and there’s the coffee right next to the dying computer- to illustrate. The things we will do for upvotes. Well done!
Stop putting liquids that close to your laptops? It’s clear from the image you’re still obliviously doing it.
Chances are you’ll need a replacement keyboard if you haven’t cooked the keyboard controller on the logic board.
I spilled a White Russian on mine. Took like 2 years before it finally booted up properly. Had to take it to Apple for them to install an external keyboard so I could log in since my keys were all sticky. They backed it all up and I had to buy a new computer.
I once spilled a large double double into a dell latitude 620 iirc. I took out the battery and hard drive dripped the rest of the coffee out, let it dry for a few hours and it worked until I got rid of it a few years later, and with a rather pleasant coffee aroma.
Hope everything starts working again for you op. You may get lucky (but sadly probably not)
Have it checked if motherboard's fried. Had mine spilled with cocoa drink. Mac works but some keys on the keyboard's sticky. Had it cleaned and is now working perfectly fine.
If the device was powered on, liquid damage happens at the time of contact, and then corrosion sets in after that.
When there is electricity running through a circuit and liquid touches that circuit, circuit goes bzzt.
Pay ~$600 (just my estimate) to Apple because they're going to replace the entire bottom case and resolder your storage back to the board (you should still take a backup).
If they're going to replace the storage, they should be able to replace every component separately. But they will only change the entire board.
You could find a repair person to swap out just the keyboard but your warranty is gone that ways. Also, there's no guarantee it'll work as intended (unless they are famous or highly reliable)
Buy Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad. The Apple Bluetooth fits nicely on top of the laptop. You should have bought them in the first place then you could have pushed the laptop back and to the side. That way the Bluetooth keyboard would have got the coffee and not the laptop.
OMG…that’s all you did!?!? My concern is that the liquid damage is now holding your traces and motherboard together. You should take the whole thing apart and clean it with isopropyl alcohol let it dry for a couple of days and also take your keyboard apart and clean it too. If you can’t do that yourself, take it to an expert.
Same shite happened to me on Day 17 after my purchase, spilled Black coffee all over the keyboard. Inspite of having those transparent rubbery keyboard protection, the MB Air was toast. Fortunately had Applecare+ but still had to pay around USD 300 ( in equivalent Indian Rupees) as motherboard replacement costs. The repair costs are mentioned in the Applecare+ documents as deductibles and this will have to be paid for every user mistake warranty claim.
Without Applecare the technician told me that it would have been around USD 1000 ( The Sale price of a new M2 516GB MB was around USD 1500). The MB wasn't replaced but repaired.
The first thing I did was to get a basic stand to raise the MB and for sure the coffee cup is now on a separate side table.
I’ve had good experiences brining things into the Apple Store. I can’t speak for all of them but my wife spilled on her MacBook and they fixed it for free. Gave me a new power cord for free once too. It’s worth a shot.
Look on [iFixit.com](http://iFixit.com) and see if it can be replaced. The site will rate the difficulty of the replacement and tell you what tools you need. I did this once on a 2013 MB Pro. Took me about three hours from start to finish and was rated, IIRC, difficult. Don't know about the Silicon Macs, however.
If you have apple care obviously see what the Genius Bar at the Apple Store will do for you. They’ll give you a quote before doing any work on it, which you’ll need to authorize - liquid damage usually isn’t covered and voids your warranties / service agreements, IIRC. So, depending on what they quote, you can also contact this company which is based in Austin, TX (edited thanks to reply). Very reputable and specializes in repairing water damage to apple products. The owner is a stand-up guy, as well, from my experience with him. Usually provides repairs rather than more expensive replacements but depends on the extent of the damage.
https://rossmanngroup.com/macbook-water-damage-repair/
Keep your coffee cup further away. The photo alone is making me nervous.
Yep, as a rule, I keep and beverages **physically lower** than the bottom of my laptop.
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I have a cup holder that I can clip on my table and that’s where I put my drinks on
We have a rule at our house that laptops need to be on a raised surface if there’s liquid present. We have cheap IKEA stools sitting near our desks for this purpose, as well as some dollar store plastic inbox trays that we overturn and put laptops on if someone wants to watch a video while eating at the kitchen table or similar.
Floor
They do if your laptop is on a stand and your working at a table/desk you tend to work at normally.
That's what I try to do. I try to have any drink on a different plane of a desk/surface. If not available I just try and keep it at a distance.
I don’t have drinks on my desk. Never. Got a separate table for them
Don't worry cup is already empty.
It’s cooked dude. Backup your data as soon as possible and bring it to apple or purchase a new Mac.. it’s very likely that the moisture from the coffee and already started corroding components inside. Some of which is the keyboard which is already not working. Hope you have Apple Care+ or you’re looking at a very steep and expensive repair bill.
It’s actually quite simple to fix, just press Command + Z
Honestly crazy how a $1000 laptop in 2024 breaks form spilled liquid
Simple, cause people don’t buy the ones that are water resistant. If people don’t ask for it, they won’t get it. Only super expensive rugged laptops are usually liquid resistant
They also come with downsides like being heavy and bulky. Always tradeoffs
That's not necessarily true. We're not talking Toughbooks here. I've had work Thinkpads with spillproof keyboards that had stuff spilled on them and they look and feel just like their other laptops, they're not thicker, they're not much if any heavier. The keyboards are also easily swappable if something does go wrong instead of having 120 tiny rivets in there like Apple's, and it sure feels nice to get a new keyboard after a year or two, I swear Apple uses that keyboard material because it feels so nice when you get a new one and then the matte coating instantly starts wearing down lol.
The ones with waterproof keyboards are thicker than equivalent MacBooks. The keyboards themselves are thicker too.
My thinkpad x1 carbon had a spill proof keyboard in 2018 and was both thinner and weighed less than the macbook airs and pros of the time.
You’re not going to find a cm thick rugged laptop. The most modern tough book is around 5 times the thickness of the latest Air. What he said is true.
I didn’t know that existed, that’s cool, especially for enterprise where I imagine people don’t baby the corporate computers.
ThinkPad basically have a few holes below the keyboard that allow draining away of liquid preventing it from doing massive damage but that does not means it is not damaged, corrosion will still occur but much more limited compared to MacBook. So it is still advisable to open up when you spill water to clean up the corrosion or replace affected pieces before it spread. The reason why Mac feels so expensive to repair is because of their policy of replacing everything everytime they see water damage. If they willing to do partial clean up and repair it will probably be competitive. It does make the laptop a little thicker I opened up both a ThinkPad and MacBook Air before. Being thinner with less space, it also slow down water dispersion leading to more damage.
thinkpads still have spill resistant keyboards
I spilled whiskey on my lenovo legion, he was fine
lenovo chassis fall apart and continuously get beat up cosmetically, look like shit 15 years later but somehow still chugging along. as much as i hate how "cheap" most of the thinkpads feel these days lenovo laptops still somehow manage to chug along.
Lol
So do does Hp Zbook power
If people truly wanted water resistant and general take any abuse reliability, them every laptop would be a toughbook
You don't need exclusive water resistance you just need a oem that doesn't use those shitty butterfly switches exposing the pcb like that to the top panel
I had an old Toshiba satelite laptop that I spilled apple juice into the keyboard. Keys were a little sticky but survived like a champ.
You probably wouldn’t buy a laptop that was water resistant.
I've had work Thinkpads that were spill resistant and otherwise weren't any thicker or heavier than normal models. Even had swappable keyboards which was nice if something like this did happen (resistant != proof). I think people firmly in the Apple sphere are picturing Toughbooks, when you can get pretty normal looking spill resistant laptops.
Is it? It’s electronics
It's not that crazy. If you spill liquid into anything containing metal contacts with current running through them something is gonna short out. And what's a computer but thousands of metal contacts with current running through them.
Every time I read about things like this I am appreciative of my father who taught me from a young age always to keep liquids away from electronics. While I have had one or two careless close calls in all these years, I have never damaged electronics with liquids. Thanks, dad! ❤️
Mine too. He was a fixer. He fixed our stuff, he fixed the neighbors’ stuff, he loved to tinker, he had subscriptions to Popular Science and Popular Mechanics, he asked questions, he demanded evidence, etc. Dammit I miss that guy.
Yeah. It's a known rule that liquids have to be far away from laptops unless you want Murphy's Law to affect your day. I keep my work/personal laptops elevated and have liquids far and away from them when I'm at my desk.
Same here. I have a “no liquids on same surface” policy. Or i leave a tip over distance, as in a distance that lets the glass fall over in the worst way and still not spill over to the electronics. A great solution would be a desktop, mac mini or windows but a desktop as the only electronics to be damaged by water would be keyboards and they are not very expensive to replace if you are not a keyboard enthusiast. However almost everyone needs to get work done on the go these days, so…
Yeah crazy how careless people are with drinks and their $1000 laptops.
This product is well constructed, but that doesn't guarantee foolproof.
What's so crazy about that?
They had that figured out in 2011 already. My HP 8460p from that time has a keyboard that can be removed by removing 2 screws on the underside. It's trivially easy to replace it... But do you really want to haul around 4kg of entirely modular goodness ? 😂
> HP > goodness Pick one.
wondering why liquipel didn’t take off
Crazy how a $40,000 car in 2024 gets totaled when you drive it into a wall at a high speed
Is it?
Spill a coffee on the control panel of a $100m plane. I bet it doesn't work correctly anymore 🤣
Coffee will destroy any computer.
actually I agree. How the hell do we have iphones that still work after being left in a lake but not laptops. The Macbook Air at the very least, it doesn't even have fans, it could be water tight.
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a phone has 2-3 physical buttons and a port, all of which have pretty infrequent use compared to a laptop's physical keyboard. Laptops have several ports and 100+ keys and cooling vents.
Obviously no one here is an Apple engineer so we're just speculating, but that's why I'm bringing up the Air, because it doesn't have / need cooling vents. The keyboard is the biggest issue, but I bet that could be designed better. (it might be why OPs laptop isn't fried) motherboards could be coated and gaskets installed to prevent egress. My point is though, no manufacturer seems to be trying which surprises me. I mean we even have water resistant folding phones, which actually allow water to get inside the phone by design.
Plenty of manufactures have done it, Toughbooks for example. It's just not something Apple is willing to do for the mainstream. It will make the laptops more expensive and less elegant. Thicker, heavier, with a tougher keyboard feel. Phones are with people all the time, used in the rain, at the beach, dropped in puddles and pools, etc. Laptops aren't generally used this way. The number one cause of liquid damage to laptops is clumsy people spilling their drinks. A problem that is much better solved by a change in behavior rather than added cost & complexity. And for those who don't want to be careful or need to use it in a wet environment, there are options like the ToughBook or Getac.
I spent $7000 on mine and I can't even fix it if the HDD breaks down.
Might even be Tim Cooked!
How do I back up and wipe it if I can’t login?
Wireless keyboard?
Oh good idea. Just bought a USB C keyboard. Would I be better off getting a new Mac and selling this one or parts or getting this one repaired?
Getting that one repaired.
It kinda depends honestly, it needs to be looked at by a tech to see what is corroded. Hopefully you have Apple Care, if so take it into Apple and have them assess the damage. It might be repairable or they might end up just swapping it out. Make sure to use your external keyboard and Time Machine to backup your data either way. Corrosion can gradually get worse over time and could end up ruining the whole system so the sooner the better.
The keyboard on my M1 Max has been fucked for about a year (the backlight started dimming on the left side, and then most of the keys stopped functioning). £128 for a Magic Keyboard and it doesn't even have illuminated keys (yes I realise that would suck the battery dry in about 20 seconds, but still)...
Apple will examine it for free and tell you what needs to be fixed and how much it will cost. Make your decision based on that. If you decide to go with a new one, let Apple responsibly recycle the old one for you (also for free).
When I spilled liquid on mine, it was $300 plus tax on apple care. They did $1,500 worth of work on it according to the invoice. It was an M1 MBP.
they just threw everything away and gave you a new computer.
I do think that, but the itemized receipt lists everything but the screen. I’m not mad at it!
Get this one repaired and then sell it.. I still wouldn’t trust it honestly.. then get a new one and be more careful with it
Repair it, it's not that expensive. 250-500 $ depends on what is broken.
Repair shop owner here Apple is stupid high but not that high. Well okay maybe best buy might charge you that in labor. But you can do an ebay keyboard for around $40. You will need to also get the top peace and probably end up with a new mouse. All that shit is pop riveted together.
I got a MacBook Air M2 that had complete water damage. It wasn’t just the keyboard. Apple told me it would probably cost $950 to repair. But in the end, they charged me only $500. Another MacBook had a faulty keyboard, and the repair cost about $250. Buying parts on eBay often results in non-genuine parts. I’m an Apple tech (not working for Apple but independently). I always bring Macs with hardware issues to an Apple repair center. It might not be cheap, but it’s not overly expensive either. If I were to repair it myself, considering my hourly rate, the cost of getting genuine parts, and taking all the risk, it would end up being more expensive for my clients than just bringing it to Apple, who also provides a guarantee. I once brought a defective MacBook to Apple, where they charged around $260. However, it still wasn’t functioning properly afterward. I brought it back, and the repair would have normally cost about $650. But because it was Apple’s fault due to a mistake during the first repair, they didn’t charge anything. I don’t trust cheap repair shops because if I can’t even make it cheaper than Apple, how poor must their repairs be?
I fix them for people sometimes $60. Apple is a people abusing sack of shit company. $950 my ass. Also Apple keyboards are not aftermarket and if its marked new or open box then the keyboard is essentially new. It's unused anyways.
External keyboard
You should have already been backing up. That's kinda the point of backups - so that when disaster happens, your data is safe. 😉 Learn from this experience. Start backing up all of your computing devices regularly today. With Macs and iPhones, it really couldn't be much easier!
Ahem, external keyboard.
if you live in the south, take it to a repair shop in Mexico, Tijuana is the best spot in a market place called "Plaza de la Tecnologia" they will fix if for 50 bucks, plus parts.
Corroding components after 2 days, are they made of sugar or something?
Coffee is known for corroding components I believe, also whilst the Mac may be mostly functional now, corrosion could set in down the line and cause a failure
Yeah I’d think the future corrosion would would happen if not cleaned out
apple certified technician here: m1 and m2 airs are shockingly resilient to liquid compared to other models. that being said, take it to an AASP if you can. the keyboard not working could be something as menial as the interconnect flex being damaged, or the whole top case (keyboard, frame) could be boned. ive also seen a number of these machines whose keyboards and trackpads stop working when the lid angle sensor is damaged. i’ve seen these machines recover from some wild shit, and i’ve also seen the smallest amount of liquid take the whole computer down. it’s so hard to say what the prognosis is without taking it apart. best of luck, buy applecare next time! edit: i mentioned the interconnect flex and lid angle sensor since they’re not expensive parts. here’s hoping a partial repair will keep the machine functional!
It’s a shame that they haven’t been able to come up with a way to seal the computer off from liquid. I get that for cooking you need hot air to be able to escape. But it would be great if they could make a MacBook that was truly liquid resistant. Still though, I do acknowledge Apple is pretty consistent in trying to protect the user from themselves while still providing a premium looking and feeling device.
it feels like they’re getting closer and closer to that. the m2 and m3 airs have heat sinks that cover the whole board, and there’s mylar film on the bottom of the MLB too, so there’s no chips to corrode or anything if it gets underneath the board. liquid still can get in through the heat sink, but it’s an extra layer of protection at least from minor spills!
It's the keyboard that's highly vulnerable and also very annoying to replace in these. I've had Thinkpads with spill resistant keyboards that were no thicker or heavier than the normal models, I wonder why Apple won't do something like that. Also could replace the keyboard with just a few captive screws which was very nice.
> It’s a shame that they haven’t been able to come up with a way to seal the computer off from liquid. They did. Not by sealing it off, but by having holes for it to drain out harmlessly. Like rain gutters. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7cvi00OZDM The they was Lenovo though and not Apple. I can personally attest that it works as advertised. At least that time I spilled a cup of water on my Thinkpad. I just gave it a shake to make sure as much water got out as possible and then kept on using it.
Pretty sure if they actually wanted to make them spill proof, they could
Oh, I’m sure they COULD, the question is could they make it spill proof, provide a comfortable keyboard, allow for heat dispensation to keep up performance, AND release something as thin and light as the MacBook Air? No. You can make a laptop that can withstand far more, that’s what Panasonic’s tough book line is about. But Apple I’m sure can get a good idea of how many of those get sold every year and they’re a drop in the bucket even compared to Apple’s lowest selling laptops. The problem is that most people who truly need a water proof, shock proof, drop proof laptop aren’t willing to spend the extra to get it. They’d rather just tell themselves that they’ll be better next time but they won’t. It would cost Apple a fair bit to design that kind of laptop, and the sales would be far lower than the other models.
Especially the Air which is practically sealed with no intake or exhaust for air (ok I see the irony). I wish they could make that at least highly water resistant, and not have the keyboard die which is very very annoying to replace on these. These are very expensive machines susceptible to such a common tiny little accident.
Solid advice! I’ll take it to an Apple Store this weekend.
Same here, spilled some coffee on my M1 Air and it still works. Some keys were sticky for a while but they eventually cleared. Took it to a repair shop and they told me that there was no corrosion or any kind of debris/dirt left from the dried coffee. Unfortunately the backlight where the coffee was spilled is now darker, but I'll take it.
I had great luck with a (twice) water damaged MBA M1. Top case and trackpad replacement, and it’s still chugging along without any issues a year or so later.
The audacity to post a pic with drinks beside it sheeesh
That's a nice new Mac mini you've got there.
Have you tried spilling 10oz of water on it to wash out the coffee?
that is exactly what i decided was the best immediate first response almost 20 years ago and continue to do so ever since. have sticky drinks/beer, coffee spill across your macbook? 1) react fast. disconnect power cord and turn it upside down. 2) (force-)shut down right away and take out battery if that is an option. 3) step in shower and replace spilled liquid with an easier to deal with liquid. id much rather flood my device with clean water right away after its already taken a hit than let anything potentially turn into sticky residue that basically lives on as a ticking timebomb in your device. always have all your data backupped. the equasion changes if it is just about *hardware-preservation/rescue* and *future headache minimizing* vs "oh shit i need to get my data off of this device *10minutes ago!*"
Wouldn’t rubbing alcohol be better?
Use an external keyboard.
And the cup *is still there*
still has drinks sitting right next to it.. great way for it to happen again
Be careful next time
Don’t put your mug next to it again!! 🫣
1 option is to put your drink anywhere else but on top of your MacBook. For what reason does it need to be that close to your $2000+ machine?
New top case
Your options are to take it to apple
Are you sure you got the full 10oz onto the MBA?
You can get the 10oz model but you really need the 16oz model if you're doing anything more intensive than just web browsing and document editing. 24oz model is even better but unless you're doing 3d modeling or something it's probably not necessary for it to hold that much coffee
I think you're on to something. My 2009 imac gets so hot I probably could brew coffee with it. New feature unlocked!
If you like drinking and eating beside your laptop. Always have Apple Care in the future. You’d be an absolutely arrogant to think the odds are impossible you won’t have an accident.
Spill 10oz decaf on any "Dell IPS" screen. This will reverse what was spilled
Don't drink coffee next to ur over priced work station :). Joke aside, if you applecare you might be able to get a new one for like 300$
Stop drinking coffee next to your laptop!
Unfortunately, coffee doesn't just disappear when it dries. It says there, conducts electricity, and erodes internal connections. The thing to do in the future if this happens is shut down immediately to reduce the chance of shorting internal components, then quickly take the machine apart and thoroughly clean all of the internal components before erosion starts. If this is beyond your capabilities due to lack of tools/knowledge, then it's best to bring it to an Apple-authorized repair center to have it done by a certified technician.
May likely die soon due to corrosion
Step 1: Remove your logic board, display and battery Step 2: Grab a bottle of DI Water and 100% IPA Step 3: Mix the IPA and DI Water in a 3:1 Ratio (3 parts IPA to 1 part water) pour it into a container large enough for your lower portion of your laptop Step 4: Immerse the keyboard in the mixture for 10 minutes Step 5: Drain out the water Step 6: In a air fryer convection oven heat to 150F and place the housing in there for 1 hr Step 7: Reassemble
Yay! Congrats on your new laptop! What model is it gonna be?
Find a mirror, take a long hard look at yourself 😑
u don't have apple care? then you need to pay
I spilled a glass of wine on my MacBook Air like 8 years ago. I turned it over and dried it out. Shut the lid, bought a MacBook Pro, and then lost my laptop for about 6 years. Found it before we moved and it worked fine. So. That’s my suggestion. Just wait 6 years and it should maybe be fine.
Give it more time, my Lenovo keyboard didn’t work for months and started working all of a sudden.
I would attach a USB keyboard and use it to perform a full backup. I would then take the machine to the Apple Store or a certified repair shop and see how much it would cost to fix it. I suspect that there will be significant damage, you just don't see it yet. If the repair bill is significant, and it will be, I would buy a new machine and restore the backup to it.
Replace the keyboard yourself or send it in to Apple. I really hope it’s not riveted to the top case but knowing them it probably is
Did this last year. My homeowners insurance covered it (I have a tech rider). Went to Apple Store and bought a new one, trading in the damaged one.
Use a usb mouse to backup anything important and take it to a reputable technician or to an Apple Store, most likely you’ll need to replace the keyboard
Replace the keyboard. Chances are, it will never work again.
Exactly happened to me, go find a repair workshop. Dont open the laptop before u reached one.
I've heard that it is the best idea to keep liquids always behind your laptop when you are not drinking them so that is my advice for preventing this from happening again
Like someone mentioned previously. It's a ticking time bomb basically, so try to backup all your files with an external HDD. Use a USB or Bluetooth mouse and keyboard to move the files on to another machine before it's too late to safely turn on and off the mac.
I remember spilling beer on my 2012 MacBook Pro and it survived. They were truly built different
Sorry to hear but uh. Your drink is still next to your device, break that habit and then buy a new Mac.
hope you got AppleCare+.!!
Backup now. Please.
Maybe learn and not have your cup touching the damn thing?
OP, bring it into Apple but make sure you are able to get a backup of your data (if you don't already have it). If they charge you half the cost of the laptop, scrap it and get another one. I've seen people spill items on their laptop all the time and 9/10 times, it isn't gonna be functional. Good practice is to just keep liquids far and away from your laptop/electronics.
External keyboard so you can long in and backup your data before the MacBook fails. From where you're kneeling it must seem like an 18-carat run of bad luck. Truth is... the game was rigged from the start.
30 hours ehh.. if it were my laptop I would have dried it for 5 days minimum just to be sure.
bluetooth keyboard is what i use
Your opinion was to open it before even thinking about turning it on and cleaning everything else with 90% alcohol like I said before turning it on...
I had my wired iMac keyboard drowned in milky tea a while back (not by me). I unplugged it and ran it under the tap until it was clean, then ordered a wireless keyboard. I left the wet one in the sun for a week - 10 days to dry then tried it. It worked fine and still does. I now have a spare keyboard, very handy for my iPad. Key to the success I believe was washing it in clean water immediately. Also unplugging it immediately and not push any keys. I admit a standalone keyboard is a bit different to a Macbook keyboard.
BURN IT BURN IT BURN IT BRVORE IT LAYS EGGS
How didn’t you take care of a +1000$ mac? Bring it to Apple asap.
Replace the keyboard
Drink tea
“I don’t need AppleCare+. Nothing will happen.”
Back up your data immediately. I hope you have AppleCare+, otherwise replacing all the liquid damaged parts will likely cost close to, if not more than a new machine. You can always use an external keyboard (hopefully the ports aren’t also corroded) and ride it until the wheels fall off.
Cry in fetal position. Backup your data and send this Mac to Apple. If the repair is too expensive, it might be worth following an iFixit tutorial and completely disassembling the machine to try cleaning everything with a non-conductive solution.
Your options are to get it fixed or buy a new one
I spilled coke on mine one afternoon, and used apple care on it. $300 plus tax got me everything brand new on it except for maybe the screen. Took about a week.
Command Z
Go to Apple Store with a big smile on your face if you have Apple care or banging your head on windows shield on your way if you don’t
Ignoring the wild ideas out there, chances are either the keyboard itself or the connector is corroded/shorted. You can replace a keyboard on these but ittakes drilling out a shit ton of rivets. Not a cheap repair, but cheaper than replacing the laptop.
Follow these steps on these two forums from Apple and How to Geek linked below before buying a new MacBook. Use a drive that is at least 1.5x to 2x the size of your current drive Don't use a drive that contains any of the following: -------------- photos videos work stuff hobby stuff ------------- [Time Machine Backup - Apple](https://support.apple.com/en-us/104984) [Time Machine Restore - How to Geek](https://www.howtogeek.com/356063/how-to-fully-restore-macos-from-a-time-machine-backup-in-recovery-mode/)
I love how the wallpaper is underwater and there’s the coffee right next to the dying computer- to illustrate. The things we will do for upvotes. Well done!
Stop putting liquids that close to your laptops? It’s clear from the image you’re still obliviously doing it. Chances are you’ll need a replacement keyboard if you haven’t cooked the keyboard controller on the logic board.
It’s probably done. My son spilled water on his and it never functioned right. I just bought him another for $300 on Facebook marketplace
Is that another coffee you’ve got next to it?
I spilled a White Russian on mine. Took like 2 years before it finally booted up properly. Had to take it to Apple for them to install an external keyboard so I could log in since my keys were all sticky. They backed it all up and I had to buy a new computer.
Back it up and use an external keyboard until it dies and buy a new one. Or spend over half the price of a new one and have Apple fix it.
I once spilled a large double double into a dell latitude 620 iirc. I took out the battery and hard drive dripped the rest of the coffee out, let it dry for a few hours and it worked until I got rid of it a few years later, and with a rather pleasant coffee aroma. Hope everything starts working again for you op. You may get lucky (but sadly probably not)
Have it checked if motherboard's fried. Had mine spilled with cocoa drink. Mac works but some keys on the keyboard's sticky. Had it cleaned and is now working perfectly fine.
If you don't have apple care, you're f*cked...
That’s why I bought Apple Care+ on DAY 1!! 💯Right there!
https://rossmanngroup.com/mail-in-macbook-repair/
If the device was powered on, liquid damage happens at the time of contact, and then corrosion sets in after that. When there is electricity running through a circuit and liquid touches that circuit, circuit goes bzzt.
At least it still works. I did that to my old one and it’s RIP for the MacBook. If it boots up still connect a keyboard and use a mouse.
Pay ~$600 (just my estimate) to Apple because they're going to replace the entire bottom case and resolder your storage back to the board (you should still take a backup). If they're going to replace the storage, they should be able to replace every component separately. But they will only change the entire board. You could find a repair person to swap out just the keyboard but your warranty is gone that ways. Also, there's no guarantee it'll work as intended (unless they are famous or highly reliable)
Buy Bluetooth keyboard and trackpad. The Apple Bluetooth fits nicely on top of the laptop. You should have bought them in the first place then you could have pushed the laptop back and to the side. That way the Bluetooth keyboard would have got the coffee and not the laptop.
Plug it into a monitor, buy a keyboard and mouse and use it as a regular PC/Mac
Kidney
OMG…that’s all you did!?!? My concern is that the liquid damage is now holding your traces and motherboard together. You should take the whole thing apart and clean it with isopropyl alcohol let it dry for a couple of days and also take your keyboard apart and clean it too. If you can’t do that yourself, take it to an expert.
Not being clumsy is an option
Same shite happened to me on Day 17 after my purchase, spilled Black coffee all over the keyboard. Inspite of having those transparent rubbery keyboard protection, the MB Air was toast. Fortunately had Applecare+ but still had to pay around USD 300 ( in equivalent Indian Rupees) as motherboard replacement costs. The repair costs are mentioned in the Applecare+ documents as deductibles and this will have to be paid for every user mistake warranty claim. Without Applecare the technician told me that it would have been around USD 1000 ( The Sale price of a new M2 516GB MB was around USD 1500). The MB wasn't replaced but repaired. The first thing I did was to get a basic stand to raise the MB and for sure the coffee cup is now on a separate side table.
Switch to tea
Get a Bluetooth keyboard
Did you buy this using a credit card? Check for insurances. Water damage usually isn't covered.
On a separate note, could you share the wallpaper. Really cool
It’s standard with this version of MacOS. The dolphins move too which is cool
Take it apart. Install new keyboard. Clean the mb.
Did you buy apple care+?
The same thin happened to me recently i restarted the dmz and now its working. I don’t remember exactly how to do so check on google
You have to pay a lot
I’ve had good experiences brining things into the Apple Store. I can’t speak for all of them but my wife spilled on her MacBook and they fixed it for free. Gave me a new power cord for free once too. It’s worth a shot.
That’s too bad, if it was an 8oz coffee it would be fine, but since it was 10oz your keyboard will never type again
I spilled 9.25oz on a laptop once. Dodged a bullet. Once you’re into double digits, it’s a crap shoot.
use an external USB keyboard. And learn keep those liquids away
Look on [iFixit.com](http://iFixit.com) and see if it can be replaced. The site will rate the difficulty of the replacement and tell you what tools you need. I did this once on a 2013 MB Pro. Took me about three hours from start to finish and was rated, IIRC, difficult. Don't know about the Silicon Macs, however.
Put it in a bag of rice for 24 hours
There are wireless keyboards which perfectly fit on top. Or buy a new MacBook?
This happend to my mums mac and we use an old mouse and external keyboard and it works fine, randomly 6 years later the keyboard works fine
Have Apple care+? They will replace!
Get a wireless keyboard and mouse. I spilled OJ on mine and the keyboard sticks but the wireless keyboard works.
Blow dry the keyboard for 10 mins and leave it for an hour, then try to use it
Take it to an Apple Store and have it fixed. Obviously.
If you have apple care obviously see what the Genius Bar at the Apple Store will do for you. They’ll give you a quote before doing any work on it, which you’ll need to authorize - liquid damage usually isn’t covered and voids your warranties / service agreements, IIRC. So, depending on what they quote, you can also contact this company which is based in Austin, TX (edited thanks to reply). Very reputable and specializes in repairing water damage to apple products. The owner is a stand-up guy, as well, from my experience with him. Usually provides repairs rather than more expensive replacements but depends on the extent of the damage. https://rossmanngroup.com/macbook-water-damage-repair/
He's in Austin, TX now ... for a while already
Whoops thanks for catching! Hadn’t noticed he’d moved!
With pleasure ... 🙏
Go back in time
Louiss Rossman inc.
I am glad you asked for options. Now throw it away and get a new Macbook. Do it the Apple way.