Cure for the Common Wet Phone

One of the most common ways to instantly wreck your phone is to get it wet.  Whether you’ve dropped it in a toilet, been thrown into a pool or take part in an impromptu water gun fight, there are steps you can take to save that phone if you act quickly.

 

The first thing that you should do is to immediately power your phone off.  Electronics and water do not mix and if the phone is still working you’re increasing the chance of damage.  If your phone is a model with a removable battery, you should pull it out.

 

Next you should remove any cases, accessories or removable battery covers and dry the phone off as much as possible with paper towels.  Water can be hiding in any crevice so make sure you dry out the memory card and SIM slot as well.

 

This is where it gets funny but I am not joking.  Get a small dish or plastic bag and fill it with rice and put your phone into it along with the battery if it was removable.  Rice is very absorbent and will pull the remaining moisture and humidity out of the phone.  Seal up the phone and the rice and do not touch it for at least 24 hours.

 

Avoid turning your phone on to check it for the next 24 hours to make sure it is completely dry before powering back on.  If you’re in luck after 24 hours, your only concern will be cleaning the rice out of your phone!

 

If you’re unlucky and your phone is still not working, there are a couple of other costlier options.  First I would recommend contacting support from your phone’s manufacturer.  Water damage is never covered by a regular manufacturer’s warranty but they may be able to repair your phone or replace it with a refurbished one for a price.  If that price is too expensive, you can try calling your carrier next.  The carrier can offer you a cheap replacement phone to bide your time left till the end of your contract.  It won’t be the same phone most likely but it might be better than nothing.