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Saving a Cellphone That Got Wet

April 29, 2010

Smart Phone with large drops of water on and around itEver dropped your cell phone in a puddle, or worse, the toilet? If your cell takes an unexpected dunking, follow these steps to avoid a trip to the gadget graveyard.

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  1. Turn off the phone and remove the battery. And no matter what, do not turn it back on. The circuits may survive if the power is cut off quickly.

  2. Dry it off as much as possible to prevent more liquid from seeping in. Get into as many nooks as you can, inside and out.

  3. Put the phone and the battery in a dry, warm spot with good ventilation (say on top of the cable box or windowsill) so the remaining water evaporates.

  4. Let the parts dry for two days and not a minute less! It will be tough, but resist the urge to test your phone during this time. You may short-circuit the system if any wires are damp.

  5. After two days, reattach the battery, turn it on (and fingers crossed!) make a test call. With luck, your phone is back in working order.

Unfortunately, if your cell mixes with other liquids, these steps won't work - a technician should clean with distilled water and alcohol as soon as possible. Juice, coffee, soda or a grimy puddle will corrode the inside of your cell. The longer it dries, the more concentrated the substance will become.

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Source:I don't know. It was passed on to me as a magazine clipping but no identifying source

By leanne chaisson from Williams Lake, BC

 

Comments

April 29, 20100 found this helpful
Top Comment

I second the rice trick. I put my husband's phone in rice for 3 days after a trip in the washing machine and it worked like always! We did have to get a new battery, but it sure beat getting a new phone!

 
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More Solutions

This page contains the following solutions.

September 26, 2008

I have saved my cellphone three times from certain death and I wish to pass along the technique. I dropped it once into a puddle under a vacation home I had rented, a fluke happening as I was looking at the rainwater puddling under the home.

 
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6 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

September 8, 2011

Help! I just unloaded my washer and found my cell phone in a pants pocket. Is there any saving it, my whole life is in that thing? Thanks.

By FloraDee from TN

Answers

September 9, 20110 found this helpful
Best Answer

Do NOT try to plug in the phone or turn it on. Take it apart and put each piece in raw rice completely covering every part of the phone. Yup, that's right, rice! Leave the parts in the rice undisturbed for 48 hours.

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The rice will help draw the moisture out of the components. After a few days, reassemble the phone, say a prayer, and try to charge it. Hopefully it will turn on again.

 

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September 9, 20110 found this helpful
Best Answer

My son has dunked his cell phone; he dried it out by placing it in front of a hot fan (the fan from his PS3). The phone worked just fine after it dried out. I know of others who have not only washed their phones, but run them through the dryer, and they have continued to work. I wouldn't run it through the dryer, as I am sure the tumbling wouldn't be good for it, but put in in front of some warm blowing air, and that should do the trick.

 
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September 10, 2009

How do I dry out a wet cellphone? My grandson dropped mine in a glass of water and it no longer works.

By Sonya C Swain from Athens, GA

Answers

September 12, 20090 found this helpful
Best Answer

Take the back off and let dry, after put one of those silicone packets in a plastic bag with the phone to absorb the rest of the moisture.

 
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Archives

ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.

September 10, 2009

My husband dropped his cellphone in a mug of coffee. Has anyone experienced this, and is there any hope for it working?

 
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