Has anyone tried this?

Silverfish

http://gizmodo.com/5331913/accidentally-take-your-gadget-swimming-rice-might-be-your-best-friend

I normally throw it in the hotpress or onto a radiator, I once had a nokia phone that fell into a glass of coke, worked fine for 6+ months afterwards but you could hear a crackling noise from it and a very funny smell, so I suppose it was corroding away nicely.


If nobody's tried this, I suggest we pick a volunteer!

Spocker

I can't remember if was on LH or not, but I've also seen cat litter as a suggestion as well... given it's absorbent qualities...

[edit]Yup, found it here[/edit]

ozzirt

The single most important step here, is to remove the batteries as soon as you realise that you have wet your phone, this will slow down or hopefully stop cathodic corrosion. They can be safely recharged and replaced once the phone has been dried for a day or so.

Then, if the water is chlorinated or not clean as in river or salt water etc., rinse the phone quickly in de mineralised water or clean fresh (drinking) water. Give it a good shake to remove as much water as you can prior to using the rice or a commercial product such as silica gel pads.

Very gentle warmth will help, do NOT put in the microwave, (Yeah,... it's been tried)

tony 2 tone

Ive used a hair dryer on electrical items that got water in them in the past. Dry them off with paper towel first and finish it off with the dryer. Handy for stuff you can't open up too easy. Have to be careful with the heat obviously.

jenny2hat

Wish I knew this when I dropped my just hours old mp4 in the toilet -_-

cynos

Hoover is your best friend here

Coheed

Never tried it but interesting enough to warrant a try the next time it happens. Just for the lols if anything.

emmetcummins

tried it and put the bowl of it in the hot press for the night, didnt work

Michellenman

I put my i pod through the washing machine by accident. It was grand. Also dropped my phone in the bath, blasted it with the hair dryer and it was grand the next day. Next time it happens (which is inevitable) I'll give the rice a go and see how I get on.

defence forces

remove the cover if there is one take out the batteries. use a .5mm TORX screwdriver to remove the screws. (most phones use TORX screws u can pick one up for 2 euro in McQuinlans on Caple st), anyway by this point you can remove the keypad from the chipboard soak in methalated spirits and wipe off, screw it all back together and your winner.

Capt'n Midnight

use isopropanol alcohol instead of meths

ozzirt

If your phone falls into water.

Firstly remove the battery as quickly as you can, to prevent cathodic corrosion of the printed circuit board. Quickly dry off the battery.

Then quickly rinse the phone well in clean fresh water, De-mineralised water if you have it. (Available at most supermarkets for use in electric irons).

Give it a good shake to remove as much water as possible (you can use any form of methylated or isopropyl alcohol at this stage as it will absorb the moisture which can be shaken or blown out if you have compressed air), then dry off with a clean towel or tissues and place in a warm dry spot. A hairdryer set on LOW will help.

Wait until it is completely dry before replacing the battery.

antodeco

Years of working in the mobile phone industry, i can tell you what you should and should not do! There are more professional ways of fixing things (namely taking them apart and cleaning them in pure alcohol), but lets just pretend everyone here needs something straight forward.

Dont-
Wrap a towel around it and leave it in the hotpress. Condensation can build up as the towel traps any escaping moisture.

Hoover the device. This can cause issues with the device. A large suction can knock out a cable or loosen components inside.

Hair dryer the device. This can cause the unit to heat up and you can warp components, damage screens etc.

Do-
Best advice? Take out the battery, and covers etc.
Place it in a lunchbox/air tight container or bag. Fill the bag up with uncooked rice.
Leave it for at least 72 hours. Resist the urge to turn it on. If you try turning it on when the device still has moisture in it, it will kill it. Hopefully this should fix the issue.

Gillo

I'm posting from a phone so can't insert the link, but take a look at hydrophobic coatings, they look amazing.

From experience the bag of rice seems to be best, although having worked in a phone store for years I did once get asked "how long do I boil it for?"!

If corrosion sets in, I've heard using rubbing alcohol can help clear it off.