Soaked Your Mobile Phone? It May Still be Salvageable! Learn How Today

Sometimes accidents happen. Whether you’ve accidentally spilled soda on your phone or you’ve dropped it in the toilet, nothing compares to the horror of watching the event occur in slow motion and realizing you may have ruined a very expensive phone. However, if you act quickly, you may be able to save your phone with minimal damage. Here are a few suggestions. Turn off the phone and remove the battery and the SIM card as soon as the accident occurs. This will prevent information loss as well as keep your batteries and SIM card from becoming unusable.

1.If you spilled liquids such as salt water, soda, or coffee, you’ll need to rinse off your phone thoroughly before drying. This may sound like you’re only worsening the problem, but in the long run it helps flush out any salt or sugar crystals that can damage the interior of your phone.

2.Pat the phone dry with a soft cloth or paper towel. Be sure to open any crevices normally protected by rubber seals, such as headphone jacks or charger plug-ins. While the phone dries out, keep it on a paper towel to help in absorbing everything.

3.Once your phone has dried out for a little while, you can help the process along a bit by gently running a vacuum hose along the phone. Just be careful not to accidentally suck it into the vacuum cleaner!

4.Canned air is also a nice alternative for blowing stubborn droplets out of crevices, though some avoid this, as the chemicals found in canned air can be dangerous. If you decide to use canned air, stick to areas on the phone’s exterior.

5.If vacuuming or using canned air on your phone isn’t effective, denatured alcohol is another alternative. This substance is known for absorbing water. It also evaporates gradually. However, it’s not a good idea to use this on the inside of your phone, as it may become trapped there. Once your phone is dry, be sure your phone is alcohol free before putting your batteries in.

Now that you have a better idea of what to do with a soaked phone, here are some methods that you should decidedly NOT try:

1.DO NOT turn your phone on after it gets wet. Checking to see if your phone still works may seem like a smart thing to do, but turning it on will actually damage it more. It’s best to keep it off and do your best to dry it off as thoroughly as you can before checking.

2.DO NOT blow dry your phone. Even the lower settings can potentially damage your phone’s delicate interior, especially as each blow dryer has different heat settings.

3.Similarly, do not put your phone in the oven, even on lower settings. Doing so may damage your oven. Worse still, there’s always the risk you may accidentally melt your phone, which will leave you with a very unpleasant mess to clean up.

4.DO NOT microwave your phone. This will render your phone into a sparking mass of melted plastic, and you will ruin your microwave as well!

Keep in mind that even if you manage to salvage your phone from the watery depths, your screen may have a few dead pixels or wonky glitches. Other times, your battery may not survive. If you find yourself unable to fix your phone, it’s time to face the music and look into recycling your mobile. Additionally, be sure to get rid of your batteries in an eco-friendly way. You can learn more about how to ditch your waterlogged phone by reading our previous entries on how to recycle your electronics.

If you want to prevent this from happening again, there are preventive measures you can take, such as purchasing a waterproof case such as the one featured here. These are especially useful if you plan on taking your phone to the beach or out on a boat. They’re great for preventing dirt or sand from getting inside your phone as well.

All else failing, try investing in a waterproof or water resistant phones. The Samsung B2100 Solid is a prime example of a phone that won’t keel over and die if splashed or dunked. Buying a replacement can be cheaper through mobilephone cashback deals.