Can shampoo mess up my computer

[bmoore2500]

I got shampoo in my usb drives on my labtop....can it screw it up j really don't wanna pay to fix it

 

[darkbreeze]

Yes, it can. ANYTHING you get inside ANY electronic component, aside from air, can "mess it up". Shampoo contains liquids and solids, and is likely to flow beyond just the point where you can see. However, I don't think I'd recommend that you try to fix it yourself and you'll likely just make it worse. If you were inclined to try doing so anyway, 90% isopropyl alcohol would be the medium you'd want to use to clean it up but without the unit apart you may just thin the shampoo and cause it to reach further inside the unit. Either try it as is or take it for repair.

Since you stand to create further complications it might simply be a good idea to allow it to completely dry before you attempt to use any of those USB ports. After the shampoo is completely dry, which could take a week or more, it probably wouldn't short anything out but the risk remains anytime you introduce any foreign substance. Shampoo contains water and in some cases may also contain very small metallic components. If you do attempt to clean them out using isopropyl alcohol, and do not first take the unit apart, be sure to tilt the unit so that any thinned shampoo flow down out of the port. I really don't recommend it though if you are unfamiliar with cleaning or working on computer hardware.

 

[darkbreeze]

Yes, it can. ANYTHING you get inside ANY electronic component, aside from air, can "mess it up". Shampoo contains liquids and solids, and is likely to flow beyond just the point where you can see. However, I don't think I'd recommend that you try to fix it yourself and you'll likely just make it worse. If you were inclined to try doing so anyway, 90% isopropyl alcohol would be the medium you'd want to use to clean it up but without the unit apart you may just thin the shampoo and cause it to reach further inside the unit. Either try it as is or take it for repair.

Since you stand to create further complications it might simply be a good idea to allow it to completely dry before you attempt to use any of those USB ports. After the shampoo is completely dry, which could take a week or more, it probably wouldn't short anything out but the risk remains anytime you introduce any foreign substance. Shampoo contains water and in some cases may also contain very small metallic components. If you do attempt to clean them out using isopropyl alcohol, and do not first take the unit apart, be sure to tilt the unit so that any thinned shampoo flow down out of the port. I really don't recommend it though if you are unfamiliar with cleaning or working on computer hardware.

 

[dudio]

I would not even power on the laptop until you fix it.
Being that shampoo is a liquid, if there's enough of it in just the wrong spot, it could short the USB out, potentially damaging the motherboard.