How to Save a Wet Cell Phone

• 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?
• 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 and save your wet cell phone

Things You'll Need

• Desiccant such as rice, or desiccant packet (found with new shoes, noodle packages, backpacks, etc.)
• Towels, paper towels
• Vacuum cleaner
• Bowl
• Airtight bag or container (optional)
• Cotton cloth

 STEPS

1 - Take the phone out of the water as soon as possible.
The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can 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 waterlogued whether it is still working or not.

2 - 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, battery and sim card if it has one. 
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.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.

3 - Remove all other peripherals such as ear buds, memory cards, as well as any phone cases or protective covers.

Remove all plugs that cover the gaps, slots, and crevices in the phone to expose them to air drying.

4 - 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.

• Note: 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.
• Note: 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.
• Note:(Optional): 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.

 5 - Use a vacuum cleaner.
If you want to try and suck the liquid out of the inner parts of the phone, try using a vacuum cleaner if there is one available.

Note: Contrary to common advice, it is not recommended that you use a hair dryer (not even on the "cold" mode) to dry out the phone. Using a hair dryer may force moisture further inward toward the crevices, reaching the electrical components deep inside the phone. 

 6 - Use a substance with a high affinity for drawing out moisture.
An inexpensive option is to place the phone in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice overnight. The rice will absorb any remaining moisture.But block any holes of the phone i.e: earphone jack, charging jack and data cable.So that rice could not enter into phone.
Note: If available, it is preferable to use a desiccant instead. Desiccant will absorb moisture better than rice. You can also try slipping the cell phone inside a plastic bag that can be sealed or a plastic container (airtight).

7 - 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.

Note: Check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours. If moisture is evident, repeat the vacuuming step and desiccant steps.

8 - 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.

Note: If your phone is completely dried out, but still does not work, try plugging it into its charger without the battery. If this works, you will probably need a new battery.

9 - 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.

Note: 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 extraneious 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.

10 - If you are an Apple user, you can probably save your device by drying it with a paper towel.
There are waterproof iPhone cases to purchase for your phone if you own an iPhone 4 or 4S.

Warnings

• Do not leave your phone wet for an extended period of time. Dry it out as soon as possible.
• If you use alcohol make sure to do so outside, and do not apply heat in any form, not even the gentle heat of a monitor. Do not hook up the battery until the alcohol smell dissipates.
• Don't heat the battery or it could leak or explode. Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive. If you use a hairdryer, make sure to remove the battery first. Note that it is not recommended to apply heat to the phone.
• Do not put your phone in an oven or microwave to dry it out.
• Do not switch the phone on. This is important as it will prevent a charge from running from the battery to the phone which may subsequently cause the phone to short circuit.
• Be warned that manufacturers of most modern cell phones place liquid damage indicator stickers that will change colors in the presence of a liquid inside their phones.