Have you ever accidentally dropped your cell
phone in the sink, or even worse - the toilet? Did
you leave it in your pocket and run it through the
washing machine and at times it's possible that
your friends dunked you in a swimming pool just
for the fun of it? Did you get beaten by the rain or
did you forget and go swimming with your cell
phone in your pocket? Or perhaps it fell out of
your pocket and into the pet's water bowl?
Getting your cell phone wet usually means you
have to replace it, but sometimes if you're fast
enough, you might be able to save the phone!
Follow the steps outlined in this article to try to
save your wet cell phone.
.
Steps
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Take the phone out of the water as soon
as possible.… Ports for hands free kit,
tiny hole for microphone, charging, usb cable
connectivity and the plastic covers on cell
phones even though tight can freely allow
water to enter the phone in a just a few
seconds of time. Grab your phone quickly,
and turn it off immediately, as leaving it on
can cause it to short circuit – if it has been
in water, assume it is waterlogged whether it
is still working or not.
.
Your phone may not be too damaged if
you take it out of the water right away.
A longer period of immersion, such as being
in the washing machine cycle, is more cause
for alarm. It is still worth trying the following
steps to attempt saving the phone, before
giving up.
If the phone is connected to a wall
charger and is also submerged in
water, do not attempt to remove it from
the water. Seek a professional
immediately to ask the proper steps to
do this safely (as in turning off a main
power switch, or similar action).
Electricity and water do not mix and
can result in electrical shock.
However, if your phone was NOT
connected to a wall charger but fell into
water, remove the phone from the
water as quickly as possible, and
proceed with the next few steps.
Acting quickly can make all the
difference in being able to save your
phone from water damage, however
don't panic.
.
Maintaining a level head is
key to working more efficiently under
pressure.
.
After removing the phone from water,
quickly gather some paper towels or
soft cloths to lay the phone on while you
remove the battery cover and battery. This
is one of the most important steps to saving
it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive
immersion in water provided they are not
attached to a power source (battery) when
wet.
.
To find out if the phone is truly water
damaged, check the corner near where
the battery is – there should be a
white square or circle, with or without
red lines. If this is pink or red, your
phone has water damage.
.
Quickly read the manual to your phone
if you're not sure how to remove the
battery.
.
Remove the SIM card if your phone has
one. [/b]Some or all of your valuable
contacts (along with other data) could be
stored on your SIM. For many people, this
could be more valuable and worthy of saving
than the phone itself.
SIM cards survive water damage well,
but getting it out immediately makes
good sense. Pat it dry and set it aside
to dry out until you reconnect your
phone to your cell network again. (If
your phone does not have a SIM card,
skip this step).
.
[b]Remove all other peripherals such as
ear buds, memory cards, as well as any
phone cases or protective covers. [/b]Remove
all plugs that cover the gaps, slots, and
crevices in the phone to expose them to air
drying.
.
[b]Dry your phone with a soft rag or towel.
If there is even one drop of water left
inside, it can ruin your phone by corroding it
and making the circuits corrode or short out.
Obviously you need to remove as much of
the water as quickly as possible, to prevent it
from easing its way into the phone:
Gently wipe off as much water as
possible without dropping the phone.
Avoid shaking or moving the phone
excessively, so as to avoid moving
water through it.
Wipe down using a towel or paper
towel, trying not to clog the paper in the
gaps and grooves of the phone. Keep
wiping gently to remove as much of the
remaining water as possible.
If you pulled the battery out in time,
cleaning the inside of your phone with
rubbing alcohol will displace the water
which alone could remedy the problem.
.
Use a vacuum cleaner. [/b]If you want to
try to suck the liquid out of the inner
parts of the phone, try using a vacuum
cleaner if there is one available. Remove all
residual moisture by drawing it away with a
vacuum cleaner held over the affected areas
for up to 20 minutes, in each accessible area
(take turns with a friend).
This is the fastest method and can
completely dry out your phone and get
it working in thirty minutes. However,
unless the exposure to water was
extremely short, it's not recommended
to attempt to turn your phone on this
soon.
Be careful not to hold the vacuum too
close to the phone, as a vacuum can
create static electricity, which is even
worse for the phone than water.
.
[b]Do not use a hair dryer to dry out a
phone. Contrary to common advice, it is
not recommended that you use a hair dryer
(even on the "cold" mode). Using a hair dryer
may force moisture further inward toward
the crevices, reaching the electrical
components deep inside the phone. And if the
hair dryer air is too warm, it could .
If moisture is driven deeper inside,
corrosion and oxidation may result
when minerals from liquids are
deposited on the circuitry which could
eventually cause component failure
inside the phone.
While avoiding blowing air into the
phone, conversely, using a heater, fan
or other air-flow device to blow air
ACROSS the phone's openings will aid
drying. The Bernoulli principle states
that as the warm, dry air moves fast
over the phone, the decreased air
pressure will gently pull or suck
moisture out of the phone. The best
part of this option is that you can leave
a phone in front of a warm, moving air
for hours on end without effort.
.
[b]Use a substance with a high affinity for
drawing out moisture. [/b]An inexpensive
option is to place the phone in a bowl or bag
of uncooked rice overnight, Rice Krispie
cereal, or just cover the phone in paper
towels. The rice might absorb some
remaining moisture. [2]
If available, it is preferable to use a
desiccant instead. Desiccants may
absorb moisture better than rice.[2]
You can also try slipping the cell phone
inside a plastic bag that can be sealed
or a plastic container (airtight). Add a
desiccant packet, such as silica gel —
often found with new shoes, purses,
noodle packets, etc — in with the cell
phone. The downside of this method is
the packets packed with shoes has
usually already reached its absorption
capacity. Desiccants for flower drying
can usually be purchased at most craft
stores. Leave the phone with the
desiccant or rice as long as possible (at
least overnight) to absorb the moisture.
Rotate the phone to a different position
every hour until you go to sleep. This
will allow any water left inside to run
down and hopefully find an opening to
escape.
.
Put your phone on a sunny spot to
help the phone get rid of any water in
very small places.
Let the phone sit on absorbent
towels, napkins or other paper. After
removing the phone from the rice or
desiccant (or if you were not able to use
either method), place the phone flat on an
absorbent material. Remember that the goal
is to evacuate all of the moisture and
humidity from the device.
Check the absorbent material every
hour for 4 to 6 hours. If moisture is
evident, repeat the vacuuming step and
desiccant steps.
.
Test your phone. After you have
waited at least 24 hours, or longer if
needed, check to see that every area of your
cell phone is clean and looks dry. Check all
the ports, compartments and in between
crevices for any moisture or dirt. Wipe away
any dust and dirt from the device and covers
and insert the battery into the phone. Attempt
to power on the device, listening for odd
noises and observing to see if the phone
appears to function correctly.
Plug it into its charger without the
battery if your phone is completely
dried out, but still does not work. If this
works, you will probably need a new battery.
.
Take your cell phone to an authorized
dealer. [/b]Sometimes they can fix it.
Don't try to hide the fact that it has been wet
- there are internal indicators that prove
moisture - and the repair people are more
likely to be able to help you if you explain
exactly what has happened to the phone.
.
[b]Unless you are trained and skilled to
do so, never take a phone apart.
Leave that to the professionals, since doing
so could potentially cause shock or exposure
to harmful chemicals or components.
If your phone is powering up but
doesn't operate correctly after you've
dried it, then it's likely that you've
missed some liquid, or that corrosion
has already occurred. Remove all the
covers, battery, cards and other
extraneous attachments again, and rub
it gently with a clean dry paintbrush or
toothbrush. Look on YouTube for
instructions on how to properly go
about this process.
.
Buy a protective case for your phone.
It will help protect it from falls and
drops. For touchscreen phones, a screen
protector is a must!

Ok

Put a wet phone in a bag of rice. Rice is a dessicant. leave it for some hours, and it will be as if it never touched a drop of water.

Nice article, but too long. Next time be concise..