I have an Apple wired (external) keyboard (model A1242). Some small amount of water was spilled on it, and the Z, X, C, V, B, N, M, and left command keys were rendered unresponsive. All other keys work without issue. I have spent days to sufficiently dry the keyboard, but with no luck.
esc F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 ⏏
` 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 - = delete
tab Q W E R T Y U I O P [ ] \
*caps A S D F G H J K L ; ' return
shift Z X C V B N M , . / shift
fn ctrl optcmd cmdopt← ↕ →
Affected keys in bold. Adapted from a stone arachnid. Feel free to improve.
It's possible that I can open up the keyboard and repair the traces. I'd prefer to wash the keyboard, in the dishwasher, or in a liquid bath, possibly in alcohol, because that's much easier. But I don't know if the washing is generally safe, or if there's some risk for damage. I also don't know if washing would even do anything, since the corrosion may not dislodge/dissolve in a washing liquid.
Question: Is washing/soaking safe, and what method would you recommend?
N.B. This answer on ifixit.com says that any liquid could dissolve the traces on the keyboard's plastic sheets (the key matrix)!! However, other people are clearly soaking/washing their keyboards in water without issue, so it seems possible. Is it a matter of luck/chance? Maybe there's no way to know if it's safe...?
Further explanation:
There are numerous internet sources saying that water contacting the internal plastic membrane can cause corrosion of the metal traces when the keyboard is electrically active. I have spent a few days drying the keyboard, even in the oven for a few hours at about 140 °F (60 °C).
There are also numerous sources showing that some models of wired keyboards can actually be cleaned in the dishwasher (without soap, other dishes, or heated dry), as long as they aren't electrically active (e.g. a battery). There are other sources saying that certain electronics, including keyboards, can be soaked/washed in very high concentration alcohol (rubbing alcohol and possibly ethanol, as long as it doesn't have other ingredients/adulterants). Acetone is bad, however, as it can dissolve adhesives and damage plastics.
For any future reader, this may be useful for removing Macbook keys: https://www.thebookyard.com/images/manuals/keyreplace.pdf