Liquid spilled on a laptop or MacBook

Tea, coffee, wine or water: what you do in the first minutes decides whether this is a clean or a new laptop. Speed matters more than anything else.

Likely causes

• Short circuits. Liquid bridges contacts while the laptop is powered.
• Corrosion. Starts within hours and carries on for weeks, even when the laptop seems to have survived.
• Sticky keys. Sugary drinks set under the keyboard.

Try this first

1. Switch off at once by holding the power button, and unplug the charger.
2. Stand the laptop open and upside down, like a tent, on a towel.
3. Do not use a hairdryer, do not put it in rice, and do not switch it on to check.

What it costs

A bench diagnostic is £54, deducted from the repair if you go ahead, and you get the price before any work starts. The earlier it reaches us, the smaller the repair. Cleaning within a day or two saves most machines. Send an enquiry, or see the price list.