How to Save a Wet Cell Phone

Ever dropped your cell phone in the sink, or even worse, the toilet? Did you ever leave it in your pocket and run it through the washer? It usually means you have to replace your phone, but sometimes if you're fast, you can save the phone.

1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible. The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can enter the phone over time, 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly!
   
   
2. Remove the battery. This is one of the most important steps. Don't take time to think about it; electricity and water do not mix. Cutting power to your phone is a crucial first step in saving it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive immersion in water provided they are not attached to a power source when wet.
   
   
3. Remove your SIM card. Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well, but some of the following steps are unnecessary i.e. don't heat it. Just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network. Note that many phones by specific providers, such as Verizon, do not use SIM cards.
   
   
4. Dry your phone. Obviously you need to remove the water as soon as possible. Use a towel or paper towel to remove as much of the water as possible.
   
   
5. Allow the phone to dry. Since you do not want to ruin your phone or lose all of the numbers in your phone book, you need to let the phone dry. Ringtones and graphics stay with the phone, not the SIM card. Don't try putting the battery back on to see if it works as this would risk damaging the phone with a short circuit. Leaving your phone in a bowl of dry rice will help to expedite moisture evaporation.
   
   
6. Heat your phone. One of the best things you can do to save a cell phone is to set it on the back of your computer monitor or TV screen, over the heat vents. This is usually the perfect amount of heat to fix your phone. The convection action of the heat vents will help carry away the moisture in your phone. Leave the phone on the heat for at least 2-3 days.
   
   
7. Test your phone. After you have waited 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 repeat step 4. If it still won't work, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it.

If this method doesn't work, try the Alcohol Method below.

1. Soak in Alcohol. Alcohol is hydrophilic (attracts water), and it will dissolve all the water in the phone, which will pour out of the phone with the alcohol. Any remaining alcohol will evaporate. Alcohol will not harm your phone but may mess up glue (from stickers and the like). Use 95% alcohol, not the regular 70% rubbing type. Do it outside! Be sure to remove your battery first. When done, leave your phone outside for a day or two to dry.
   
   
2. You can use denatured alcohol, which you can buy at any hardware store. This alcohol can be used on electronics and it evaporates quickly. This is commonly used to clean remote controlled cars that have electronic components, but get dirty frequently. Spray it on or rinse and let it evaporate. If you can open the phone, even better.

Another way to dry out your phone is to place it in front of an air conditioner or air conditioning vent. Cold air won't damage your phone (hot air can warp or, in extreme cases, even melt plastic), and air from an air conditioner is dry, and will evaporate water faster than you might think. This is why a car air conditioner will defog the windshield so effectively. Warm air from a reverse-cycle air conditioner works even better, of course. If you dry your phone in this way overnight, it should be fine by the morning.

An alternate drying technique is to seal the phone (battery, SIM card, SD card all removed) in a plastic bag with a few of the silica packs that come packed with shoes, coats, electronics. Leave the phone in the bag for a day or 2, and the silica packs will absorb the moisture.

One other way to assist in the drying process is to put your cell phone in a disposable baby diaper. Works for babies and can work for the cell phone as well.

Don't heat the battery or it could leak acid. If you use an oven or hair dryer, make sure to remove the battery first.

If you use alcohol make sure to do so outside, and do not apply heat in any form, not even the gentle heat of a monitor. Do not hook up the battery till the alcohol smell dissipates.

Even if all these steps are followed, minerals dissolved in the water can precipitate on solder and component pins, causing corrosion or shorting. Component pins are packed so closely together in a modern cell phone that even a small encrustation can create a short, rendering the phone inoperable.

Do not put the phone (or any electronic or metal-containing object) into the microwave. You will destroy electronic components and potentially the microwave.