If your phone gets wet, do you know what to do to save it?
As soon as you hear the splash, your stomach flips, your heart pounds, and your mind races thinking of all the important items on your phone that you haven’t backed up. If you’ve ever had a wet phone, you know this feeling all too well.
When faced with this situation, there is one crucial step you can take to help prevent disaster, and all it takes is something you probably have at home already – rice.
Please note the most important factor in saving your phone is time. The longer you wait, the more time the liquid has to penetrate the internal workings of your phone. To greatly increase your chances of success, you must act as soon as possible.
Disclaimer: This trick isn’t always guaranteed to work, and depends on the severity of the incident. However, I have seen rice perform miracles on a digital camera that fell into a river, so it can work if you act fast enough.
Once you realize your phone is soaked, follow these steps:
- Turn off the phone.
- Dry the outside very well, using a clean, dry, absorbent cloth.
- Remove any external connections, such as the charger.
- Open the case, removing as much of the cover as possible (take care not to break your case).
- Remove the battery.
- Remove the SIM card (if applicable).
- If possible, use a wet / dry vacuum to remove any excess moisture. DO NOT use a hair dryer to dry your phone, it could damage your device.
- Get a Tupperware container or plastic bag, and partially fill it with rice (any type works). Place the phone in the container, and then cover the phone completely with more rice.
- Let sit overnight. (24 hours is preferable, if you can go that long without your phone.)
Tip! Once in rice, rotate your device every hour or two, turning it different ways so that the water has a chance to escape your phone.
Once the phone has sat overnight, place the phone on a towel, paper towels, or something else absorbent, and then let it sit for a few minutes, allowing any excess moisture to be absorbed by the towel.
Clean and dry your phone, and put it back together. See if it works. If it does not, take the battery out and put it on the charger. If it works without the battery, you need to replace your battery.
The “rice trick” is a great quick-fix solution for dealing with a wet phone. However, if you are more accident prone, and tend to get your phone wet a lot, you may want to consider another option – Liquipel.
Relatively inexpensive, starting at around $59 per device, Liquipel is a lightweight, protective coating that covers your phone inside and out. With Liquipel, when your phone gets wet, the liquid beads-up and rolls off, protecting your phone because the liquid doesn’t have a chance to penetrate any parts or pieces.
For more information about Liquipel, visit their website, or check out this video.
Julie Strier is a freelance writer who enjoys finding new ways to help you with your technology woes. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.mybusinesswriter.com.