Who hasn't experienced the gut-wrenching sensation of seeing their cell phone fall in to the pool; or the sharp intake of breath when a cup of coffee is spilled over the phone! What do you do (other than panic) when that happens?
Look at the 10 suggested steps below - and maybe not all is lost after all.
1. First - and most important - get it out of the water!
2. Also urgent - remove the battery. Prevent any interactions FAST!
3. Remove your SIM card. All your vital information is here. Even if you don't rescue your phone, at least rescue your SIM card. For now, just put it to one side to dry out naturally.
4. Remove as much water as possible as quickly as possible. Just use an absorbent material (toweling or paper tissues)
5. An alternate drying technique is to seal the phone (with everything removed) in a plastic bag with a few of silica packs that you get with electronic goods etc. Leave the phone in the bag for a day or two, and it may be that the silica will absorb the moisture
6. Give time for the phone to dry. Don't experiment with putting the battery back on to see if it works as this would risk damaging the phone with a short circuit.
7. Be patient and wait. Yes - be patient! Let nature have its way; just leave it in a warm place and let the water evaporate.
8. Try replacing the battery if all else fails. They are not expensive and it may solve the problem
9. See if there is a loan phone available. That will also make the waiting process easier.
10. Test it out. After being patient for 3 days, make sure everything is clean and dry and re-attach the battery to the phone and see if it works. If your phone does not work, wait another few days. If it still won't work, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it.
Other ideas
* Place it on top of the vent of a cable box, monitor or TV for at least 24 hours (up to 3 days). The low heat emitted is enough to gently dry out the phone.
* If your phone falls in to salt water (like the ocean for instance), remove the battery and rinse with fresh water before crystals can form.
* Consider soaking your phone in distilled water to wash away any minerals it picked up from the original water.
Be careful
* Do not under any circumstances heat the battery - it could leak or explode. Lithium-ion batteries are sensitive. If you use an oven or hairdryer, remove the battery first.
* If you use alcohol for the drying process, only do so to the outside, and do not apply heat in any way shape or form, not even the gentlest of heat. Do not connect the battery until the alcohol smell goes away
* And, if it's not stating the obvious, do not put the phone into the microwave. You will fry the components and probably ruin the microwave!
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