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[dellmodelm]

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[Muirium]

Tear out the membrane. That’s the smelly bit. The rest will wash easily, but you’ll need a new membrane from Unicomp to replace it. I had a curried Model M, so I know what you’re up against.

Naturally, all of this is bolt mod territory. An invasive op.

[dellmodelm]

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[kbdfr]

I remember I got rid of (most of) the similar smell of an old keyboard by spreading a pound of ground coffee in a box, placing the keyboard on top with two small pieces of wood to avoid direct contact between the coffee and the keyboard, and then hermetically closing the box.
After two weeks or so, the smell was still perceptible but not so disgusting any more.
I did not drink the coffee, by the way

[Muirium]

Ground or instant?

Ugh. Sounds like a chore. Actually this keyboard was screw modded before I received it, with machine screws. I assume I could undo the screws, disassemble the whole thing, replace the membrane sheets and reassemble it?

Yes. You’ve dodged the bullet! Opening it up will be much easier, and putting it back together much easier still.

Open it up and inspect the parts for yourself. My experience was that the “mat” which lies between the membranes and the flippers was the horribly smelly bit. I cleaned everything and only it remained stinky. Fortunately, you can buy nice clean new ones from Unicomp which should be entirely compatible with your existing membrane sheets.

[JP!]

I have a Model M that smells weirdly like beef jerky and looks like it is stained with tobacco residue. I think it is a lost cause but maybe a nice warm, soapy bath would help. Also maybe a good soak in a water / vinegar solution to clean and deodorize might help.

[Muirium]

Such a soothing bath for the smelly membrane mat, sure. But first it’s best out of the keyboard.

I’ve heard tales of dishwasher washed AEKs since before I even got into keyboards. I suspect they are hit and miss to say the least. Buckling springs aren’t made for water, let alone the membranes. And you can ruin Alps switches by breathing sometimes, let alone flooding.

[JP!]

Such a soothing bath for the smelly membrane mat, sure. But first it’s best out of the keyboard.

I’ve heard tales of dishwasher washed AEKs since before I even got into keyboards. I suspect they are hit and miss to say the least. Buckling springs aren’t made for water, let alone the membranes. And you can ruin Alps switches by breathing sometimes, let alone flooding.

I think you need to stick the Model M in rice to wick away the residual moisture after washing.

Spoiler:

But seriously, you do not want water trapped inside a Model M so do not fully submerge . The most thorough method of cleaning is a full teardown followed by a bolt/screw mod