Digital scale is not working

Wife put a package of strawberry's on the digital scale and it leaked juice down inside. Scales no longer worked. I took the case apart and the only thing inside is an aluminum strain gauge, circuit board and 3 rubber push buttons. It looks like the juice ran down into the on/off switch. I ran clean tap water through the switch then let it dry for 3 weeks. The scales will not work. How are these rubber push buttons made they appear to work like a keyboard? Am I wasting my time or will this switch work again?

The plastic case is glued together really good I will have to cut it apart with a hacksaw. I am sure I can unsolder the wires on the switch then attach them to a different try push button switch. A jumper wire across the switch should turn the scale on if I could only get to the contacts. Am I wasting my time or what?

If you can identify where the buttons connect to perhaps you could connect a switch there.

The rubber that makes contact with the PCB is a conductive elastomer. If it's not destroyed, then it will measure a small resistance. There is a kit available that will restore the elastomer contacts.

In general, you will find a gold plated interdigitated grid under the button that makes contact with the Elastomer. What's I'm describing is a typical remote control keypad.

A tact switch is something else entirely.