Instead of beating your head against the wall, and cursing yourself, take the necessary measures to keep your cell phone from getting ruined. Read the Techspirited article to find tips and steps on repairing a wet cell phone.
Cell phones have revolutionized the world of communication and with that said, it has made some of us more susceptible to damages. People who have smartphones can’t imagine their lives without them. No matter where we go, a bar, restaurant, shower, work, or school, our phones are right there with us. But at times, we can be a little careless with them as well, like dropping them from time to time. Let’s say for instance, dropping the cell phone in the sink, bathtub, beer mug, or worse… in the toilet. When the phone is wet and on at the same time, it can pose a huge issue for you. So if you can, try turning your phone off before the short circuit.
How to Fix a Wet Cell Phone
It’s no surprise that replacing a fried phone can be a pain and like me, most you may not even be able to afford this. So instead of waiting and losing your chances in saving yourself money and your phone, take a look at the following steps.
- Remove your phone from water (sink, toilet, bathroom, wherever) immediately. Acting quick is the most critical part.
- The next critical part is to save the battery. Immediately remove the cover on the back of your phone and take the battery out. Doing so will ensure as little damage as possible to the battery.
- Once the battery is out, hold the phone in one hand and shake it vigorously to get the water out. Take few sheets of paper towel and press them down over the phone. If your phone has a cover on top (accessory), remove it as well.
- The next step is to remove your phone’s SIM card (if it has one). You need to do this before your phone dries. Perhaps some information may be lost, you can at least save some of it by taking the SIM card out.
- Even though we used paper towels to suck the water/moisture from the mobile phone, we need to be thorough. Cover your phone in desiccant gel pack or a bowl of rice (yes, this is not a typo). Both these techniques can easily help absorb excess moisture from your phone. Just keep it completely covered with either one for about 3 hours.
- Place the vacuum cleaner hose at least 4 inches away from the phone and turn it on. Although vacuuming won’t completely dry a wet phone, repairing it in such a manner will eliminate big spots of water damage.
- Let your phone sit for a couple of days before you turn the power back on. Hopefully, following all these steps will be enough to bring your phone back to life.
Some people often make a mistake by using a hair dryer, or place the phone in the microwave to dry. The hair dryer can fry your phone, if the water didn’t do the job already. And if (you’re struck with bad luck) your cell phone won’t turn on, you will have to buy a new one.