What to Do When Your Phone Gets Wet

What to Do When Your Phone Gets Wet. Have you experienced that dreadful moment in life when your iphone gets water damage and you feel as if your connections with the outside world are over?  Whether you spilled water on your phone, accidentally dropped it in the toilet, ran it through the washing machine, dropped it in your beverage, or any other way your cell phone came in contact with liquids, your phone can still be saved if you act quickly.

water damaged iphone

Your first move to saving your phone is to immediately remove the phone out of the water.  The longer the phone is in the water, your chances of your phone recovering are slimmed.  Turn your phone off after removing your phone from the water.

As soon as you take the phone out of the water, remove the battery in order to prevent short circuiting. If your phone has a SIM card or phone case, remove those as well.  Do this before even trying to see if your phone still works by turning it on.  Remember, acting quickly while remaining calm will be advantageous for your phone.  After removing the battery and other parts, dry them with a paper towel and set them aside to further dry.

The next thing to do is to dry your phone. Wipe your phone down with a cloth or paper towel to absorb as much of the water as possible.   Do this with speed, but also very carefully with trying to limit the shaking and movement of your phone.   You can also use a vacuum to try to suck up any liquid between cracks and inner parts of your phone.  With all of the efforts towards trying to dry your phone, do not use a hair dryer to do so or else you will cause more damage to your phone.  According to Wikihow, doing this will only force more moisture into your phone.

Ever heard of the rice drying method?  Well, if you thought that it was a myth, it actually does work a majority of the time.  Rice is a water-absorbent material, and using the rice method will help with the water damage.   After drying off the phone as much as possible, fill up a Ziploc bag or bowl with uncooked rice, and bury your phone within it.  Any extra water will evaporate from the warmth, where the rice then traps and soaks up the water. Place the bag in a warm environment and leave it there to dry for at least 24 hours.

Another alternative to rice is to use silica gel packages. These packages can be found if you kept your packaging from electrical devices or clothing.  This option will also keep dust away from your phone.

After waiting 24 hours—or more if needed—you can now test your phone.  Check to see if all areas on your phone are dry and clean before powering it on.  If your phone does not turn on, all hopes may not be lost.  Plug your phone in with your charger without the battery, and if your phone works, then all you need to do is replace the battery.

What if you could protect your phone from ever having water damage? Water damage could be prevented by buying waterproof phone cases.  This will ensure that if that time comes when you drop your phone in water, the event will not cause water damage.

Taryn Wong is a content writer for Wireless Emporium, the leading online retailer for cell phone accessories.

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