Dropped your Mobile Phone or iPod in Water? Rush to the Kitchen
What is the next step that you would take if your expensive mobile phone or iPod gets wet in the rain or your drop it in a wash basin?
Such accidents are not very uncommon. Adam Curry once dropped his iPhone in the toilet. Venadium went for a swim while the iPod was still in his pocket. Leo Laporte did something similar to his cell phone. Virgo soaked his iPod when a bottle of Diet Coke fell over his trousers.
Since the warranty for most electronics does not cover water damage, what can you do to revive that wet gadget ? The answer is in your kitchen.
Power off the device (if it’s not off already) and try to completely cover the iPod or iPhone in a bowl of rice. Rice being a natural desiccant will help absorb the excess moisture. Let it try for at least 24 hours and DO NOT try to charge the device.
If your gadget has a removable battery, dry it separately to speed up the whole drying process.
This home-remedy is cheap and worth giving a try before you rush to the Apple store for a replacement.
Ernesto Londoño successfully managed to fix his wet BlackBerry phone after he left the device soaked overnight in a bowl of uncooked rice.
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Even after seeing this written up a hundred times over the past year, I still don’t believe the rice has anything to do with getting the water out of the device any faster. If rice could just absorb water out of the air, then here in the south I wouldn’t have to cook it in the summer. I could just set it out on the porch on a hot, humid day and wait for it to absorb the humidity.
I won’t believe it until someone does this side-by-side with a control and other moisture absorbers to see if there is a difference.
Prop to the Chinese rice farmers.
Amit, you beated me :-) When I saw the title the first thing that came to my mind was CONDOM :-)
http://www.instructables.com/id/Dual-Waterproof-Consumer-Electronics—the-condom-/
Thanks - great read. Would keep in mind next time I drop my iPod in water :)
iRice, anyone?
A simple and very useful tip. Let the occasion come for me to try out.Thanks.
Another way is to remove cover , battery, keypad i.e. all the removable parts and put the parts in a polybag under sun. ( don’t make the polythene air proof, switch it on after two days )
This one is tried and tested formula on Nokia / Sony K900i handsets
Thanks Amit for the usefull tips.
Just drying it out won’t help if contaminates are dissolved in the water( sugar etc.). First you should get some distilled or de-ionized water and soak the thing overnight. Then let it dry for 24 hours or use the rice method to help dry it.
I’ve been in electronics for a lot of years, and
the distilled water method works.
does this actually work cuz im trying it rite now my touch went thru the wash:( i cried.
This may work well, but for quicker results I suggest powering down, removing all removable parts, and then dip it into an alcohol bath. The rubbing alcohol will displace the water and then evaporate quickly. Simple, quick, and effective.
i droped my blackberry in the sink and that happend friday do you think it will still work if i put it in rice or is it too late >?
mine works fine now i just left it in the rice for three days and then plugged it in works perfect all i can say now is i believe in god:)
I honestly think it all depends on HOW MUCH WATER. If it is just a little, do what i did. I was scared at first, but then i took a look on what my bottled water also spilled on… COPY PAPER….. well it soaked it right up! NO DAMAGE DONE!
I just dropped my 80GB Ipod into the toilet! Don’t ask cuz I can’t tell ya how it happened.
Everything is working fine except the darn thing won’t shut off. I guess I’m lucky because most people wouldn’t be able to turn theirs on. I just stuck it in rice. God I hope you’re right. I just got like 4 months ago. I’m a clutz. Excuse my while I go have a good cry! :(
Hi good ideas, but i would like to share my experience that is i dropped my nokia 6600 in my fish tank which has saline water (basically sea water). I had to remove all the removable parts then dip it into distilled water and then dry all the parts with the help of a hair drier. Trust me it worked 4 me. My phone is now working fine.
hi,mobile dropped in a bucket of waer immediately i removed it & took it to repair centre damit he made me fool by charging it & still im having trouble i will try out with the rice receipe hope it works well.
wow. this really works!
i dropped my 8Gbipod in the pool and at first i was freaking and blow dried it but then i saw this and tried it out and its good as new…kinda lol