Everyone with a cell phone encounters a situation where their device gets wet. The phone might fall into a hot tub while relaxing or it could be drenched by a sudden downpour. A waterlogged phone can sometimes be saved. Here are five tips that might revive your soaked phone.
Keep the Phone Off and Remove Components
The first thing to do if a phone gets wet is to pull the battery out. This will prevent damage to the battery that the water might cause. It will also stop the water and electricity from interacting to cause problems inside of the phone. Any accessories should also be removed. The phone should then be shaken to get as much water out of the case as possible.
Absorb the Moisture
One of the best ways to fix a waterlogged phone is to place the device in some type of desiccant for one or more days. A desiccant is a material that absorbs moisture. Some good choices are dry oatmeal, white rice or silica gel packs that are used in packaging. The phone should be placed in the desiccant after the battery and accessories are removed. The material should cover the phone completely. It is important to leave the phone in the desiccant for at least 12 hours if not 36 hours or longer.
Air Conditioning
A waterlogged phone should never be placed near heat sources or under hot air since this can cause damage to the internal parts. An effective way to dry the device is to place it directly in front of an air conditioner. The air coming out of the unit is very dry because of the internal coils. This dry air will draw moisture out of the phone over time. This process is best done after removing the phone from a desiccant that has absorbed most major water deposits.
Wash the Phone Properly
Many phones fall into a pool or hot tub. If you find your hot tub was just cleaned or the pool has high levels of chlorine, then it might be necessary to rinse the phone. Chlorine and hot tub water cleaners will have a detrimental effect on the circuitry in the phone. Washing the phone quickly under running water will prevent more severe damage. The most effective option is to rinse the phone under distilled water since most damage to circuitry will occur because of the impurities in tap water and not because of the actual liquid.
Alcohol Bath
A last resort for phones that are waterlogged and that have not been sitting around for very long is to submerge the device in an alcohol bath for 15 to 30 minutes. This involves filling a container with isopropyl alcohol that is at least 80 to 90 percent pure. The alcohol is not like water. It will displace the harmful water and might actually clean and preserve some of the circuits. The alcohol also dries much quicker than water. The drawback is that the alcohol has a chance to dissolve some adhesives that could shorten the life of the phone.
This article was written by Dixie Somers on behalf of bullfrogspas.com.
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Good “post mistake” cautionary steps to try to revive your precious possession. Sounds effective and worth trying to save your cell phones when they are soaked. Even presence of strong sunlight can work too.
Interesting post. Worth recommending my friends, it will be help to save our expensive cell phones
Thank you Mariya.