Apr 15, 2008
What to do with a wet phone
The electronics will not be harmed by the water. What WILL harm them is
trying to turn them on while circuits are shorted by the water. So
DON'T try to turn the phone on until you have done this.
Scientific fact: Pure water does not conduct electricity. It's the
impurities in it that conduct. Salt is an excellent conductor, and so
is saltwater. So if your phone got wet with saltwater or water with
bleach or chlorine in it (ie.- municipal water... chlorine is a
"salt"), the first thing to do is remove the battery and SIM card and
immerse the phone in distilled water to get the salt out. Distilled
water is available in any drugstore and most auto parts stores.
Not only is salt conductive, it's also corrosive and will eat up
microcircuits, so this should be done ASAP. This also applies if the
battery is overcharged and leaks inside the phone. Battery "juices" are
conductive and even more corrosive than salt. You can leave the phone
in the distilled water without any damage till you get the silicone or
WD-40 for the next step.
You don't have to do the distilled water thing if your phone got wet in
fresh water, but it wouldn't hurt just in case there were alot of
minerals in the water. Second step is to get a big can of either
electronics cleaner, Brake Kleen (available in auto parts stores), or
WD-40. Electronics cleaner is pure liquid silicone, and it's the better
choice (it won't leave a smell) but in a pinch WD-40 will work (but
your phone will smell like it forever). Brake Kleen is a solvent that
leaves no smell or residue. Turn the can upside down and push the
button till all the pressure is out. Then take a can opener and pop the
bottom of the can and pour the stuff in a bowl or something (you want
some depth here, so use a small diameter bowl, and make sure you get a
big can). Take the phone and put it in the silicone/WD-40 and turn it
over and around in the stuff. You want to get the stuff through the
whole inside of the phone so turn it in every possible position.
The silicone/WD will drive the water out of the phone, so you want to
also turn it so the water can run out of the various openings (like the
battery cover) It would be helpful to disassemble the phone as much as
possible before doing this, but I realize most people don't have the
tools to do it or are afraid to try it. This will work anyway. You may
see beads of water at the bottom of the bowl when you are done doing
this. That's the water that was in your phone. Leave the phone in the
silicone/WD for about 15 minutes and then take it out and let it dry on
some paper for about 24 hours. Then it's safe to put your battery back
in and charge it.
The electronics will not be harmed by the water. What WILL harm them is
trying to turn them on while circuits are shorted by the water. So
DON'T try to turn the phone on until you have done this.
Scientific fact: Pure water does not conduct electricity. It's the
impurities in it that conduct. Salt is an excellent conductor, and so
is saltwater. So if your phone got wet with saltwater or water with
bleach or chlorine in it (ie.- municipal water... chlorine is a
"salt"), the first thing to do is remove the battery and SIM card and
immerse the phone in distilled water to get the salt out. Distilled
water is available in any drugstore and most auto parts stores.
Not only is salt conductive, it's also corrosive and will eat up
microcircuits, so this should be done ASAP. This also applies if the
battery is overcharged and leaks inside the phone. Battery "juices" are
conductive and even more corrosive than salt. You can leave the phone
in the distilled water without any damage till you get the silicone or
WD-40 for the next step.
You don't have to do the distilled water thing if your phone got wet in
fresh water, but it wouldn't hurt just in case there were alot of
minerals in the water. Second step is to get a big can of either
electronics cleaner, Brake Kleen (available in auto parts stores), or
WD-40. Electronics cleaner is pure liquid silicone, and it's the better
choice (it won't leave a smell) but in a pinch WD-40 will work (but
your phone will smell like it forever). Brake Kleen is a solvent that
leaves no smell or residue. Turn the can upside down and push the
button till all the pressure is out. Then take a can opener and pop the
bottom of the can and pour the stuff in a bowl or something (you want
some depth here, so use a small diameter bowl, and make sure you get a
big can). Take the phone and put it in the silicone/WD-40 and turn it
over and around in the stuff. You want to get the stuff through the
whole inside of the phone so turn it in every possible position.
The silicone/WD will drive the water out of the phone, so you want to
also turn it so the water can run out of the various openings (like the
battery cover) It would be helpful to disassemble the phone as much as
possible before doing this, but I realize most people don't have the
tools to do it or are afraid to try it. This will work anyway. You may
see beads of water at the bottom of the bowl when you are done doing
this. That's the water that was in your phone. Leave the phone in the
silicone/WD for about 15 minutes and then take it out and let it dry on
some paper for about 24 hours. Then it's safe to put your battery back
in and charge it.
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