How-To: Save a wet cell phone

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By Sean Michael Ragan
Posted 2010/03/12 @ 2:18 pm
Category Electronics

The folks over at Geek Squad produced this helpful infographic describing a rescue method that might help save your phone if you accidentally dunk it in water.

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10 Responses to How-To: Save a wet cell phone

yamaha_yzf600 on March 13th, 2010 at 9:03 pm said:

I was using my Palm as my GPS navigation device while on a trip to Italy several years ago. I had it in my shirt pocket and bent over to inspect something at the beach. Plunk into the Mediterranean sea it went. I figured I was screwed since it wasn’t just any old water, but sea water.

After an emergency trip to the drug store for alcohol and to Auchans (Italy’s version of wal-mart) for a screwdriver kit, all was good. Had to clean a little bit of white looking substance (salt I assume) from some contacts. My Palm eventually gave up the ghost 6 months later.

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volkemon on March 14th, 2010 at 8:42 am said:

With fresh water disasters, I have had GREAT luck with rice. 2 cellphones in pools, and one laptop that a friends child dumped water on the keyboard.

I left the phones alone for 3-4 days, and the laptop for about 3 weeks, testing each week. Both worked after, and I still use the laptop occationally. So far so good!

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ppphhhh on March 14th, 2010 at 12:59 pm said:

Great tips, BUT:

- Step 1, I’d suggest skipping the graceful shutdown and just take the battery out ASAP.

Stupid me, I ruined an expensive camera because I powered-on to make sure it was okay. It was but not when I tried to power-on again. The repair shop said it would have not been ruined had it not been powered-on (and thus shorting out the electronics).

- Step 6, Drying time – I don’t think overnight is long enough to ensure complete dryness. I’d dry for a week or more to be absolutely certain.

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Alan on March 14th, 2010 at 1:12 pm said:

These are great tips. For saltwater-immersed electronics, try alternate washes with fresh water, then isopropanol, followed by a few days drying on rice. If that doesn’t do the job, the old sailor’s trick is to take the circuit boards out and submerge them in boiling water for a couple of minutes. That can dissolve salt you couldn’t get to with the other methods. It’s a last resort, but I’ve heard reliable reports of folks reviving their GPSs and radios while far from land this way.

The comment about yanking the battery is also spot-on. Get the power completely off as quickly as possible.

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beeseearr on March 14th, 2010 at 7:46 pm said:

Not all beef jerky packets are desiccant packs, and may just be oxygen eaters. Also check in shoes, purses, other leather goods or imported goods for silica.

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Matt S on March 14th, 2010 at 7:48 pm said:

One problem with the jerky part. First of all, one little packet if silica gel probably isn’t enough, I’d go with rice myself (actually I save silica gel and have a nice little baggie of it now).

Second problem is that jerky often does NOT have silica gel, it has an oxygen remover instead. Of the three packets of jerky I’ve eaten in the last couple months, all three have had oxygen remover instead of silica gel. Silica gel can dry out the jerky, which you don’t want. Removing oxygen is more useful. The packets look roughly the same, but when you read the packet, it is labeled differently. It also looks much different when you cut it open.

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- Sean Michael Ragan on March 14th, 2010 at 10:10 pm said:
  
  Thanks!
  
  One could also try that Damp-Rid stuff they sell at hardware stores for drying out closets before you paint. I think it’s mostly anhydrous calcium chloride, which is a fantastic desiccant.
  
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jeff-o on March 15th, 2010 at 6:18 am said:

I usually receive at least one packet of silica gel whenever I order something from Digikey or Mouser. I keep a small bin of them now.

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Jason! on April 22nd, 2010 at 2:28 pm said:

It’s an indicator of my age that I read this as “save a wet-cell phone” rather than “save a wet cell-phone”.

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Anonymous on March 14th, 2011 at 12:05 pm said:

Nice approach to save a mobile from water.Easy step by step procedures and easy to understand as well.Very good presentation.Its very useful for all mobile users.

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