It is a common problem that people drop their phones into water or they spill liquids on there gadgets. Just recent I received a HP laptop from one of my friends which was well soaked into water. It is no secret that people often drop handsets into pools, bathtubs and urinals (ironically it is the most popular type of phone damage). Sometimes your phone gets into water if you travel by boat.
Now the question is how should you react to increase the chances of survival for your beloved gadget?
Rule No 1. No power supply and batteries. First take a battery out of the device if it is possible (with Apple iPhone or similar objects you cannot do it at home or in the field). Water and electricity are ideal for corrosion of conductor strips, so take the battery out.
Rule No 2. How to dry the gadget? Do not use the fan or water the gadget from dirt! Take the excessive water away with a tissue and wave it for water drops to come out of slots, but after 40 minutes under water your phone will have lots of aqua inside. Open all jacks, slots and technological openings. Take the battery cover off and dry everything with a tissue.
If you are sure that spirit will not damage the screen of your device (phone or player as this approach cannot be used with cameras optics) put the handset into a glass of spirit for an hour. Water from the phone will get into spirit, which you can easily dry when you take the model from the glass (minimum drying period is 24 hours or more if the room is cold). It is an ideal solution if the service centre is far from you.
People with access to silica gel believe they can put it inside, but it is not a perfect idea, because it is an uphill struggle to clean the phone from the substance then.
When you get home place a damp or wet device in the draughty area far from direct sunlight. In a day or two the phone will be dry. Only then you can put the battery inside and check whether the gadget works or not, otherwise you can facilitate the corrosion.
No radiators please! In 24 hours your phone should start well and should keep on working as if nothing had happened. I think the phone will not work long as 40 minutes under water is a serious issue. The battery may offer slightly less time and the charging may take longer. You cannot expect the phone to last long and it can let you down any time. Technicians call such phones drowned for a reason. They can give you one year or several weeks of operation. It is the question of luck.
You can often come across such phones when shopping for a preowned handset. Owners are anxious to get rid of dried models until they stop working. It is easy to detect such a model if a test strip on a battery is red or violet instead of white. The absence of the strip is also suspicious, while its exact location must be determined individually in every particular case.
I hope you will not need my advice, but if the water damage happens be quick and sensible. If you have your own magical tricks feel free to share them with us.
