Cell phone fell in water - is it a goner?

[lisams]

I won't say where it fell earlier today, but let's just say it has been wiped down thoroughly with several Lysol wipes. It's been a day, lol. As of now, it's still not working. Is there any hope or should I just head out and get a new one? I don't like being without one - it's like a safety net for me.

[linsei]

I would take it apart and allow a few days for it to completely dry before writing it off. That is, if you can get past where it has been. GL!

[Pennylane]

My friends DS dropped hers in the toilet about a month ago. She forwarded this to me in case it ever happened at my house!

1) IMMEDIATELY REMOVE THE BATTERY. VERY VERY IMPORTANT! 60 seconds later and it may be too late. The battery is usually the source of damage, not just the water alone. Water+Battery = Short Circuits! So REMOVE the battery! And DONT TEST the cellphone after it's been dropped in water!
(2) As soon as possible (preferably within 20-30 minutes). dissassemble the phone using Torx T6 screwdriver. (Get this off eBay or service depots, etc) Make an emergency trip to Sears/RadioShack/ACE/service depot/etc.
(3) Clean/dry as much as you can, using Q-Tips
(4) Dry the electronics components under a desk lamp on a paper towel for 24 hours. A drop of water may have gone under chips and components where you cannot dry, so you need to dry under a 40/60w desk lamp, or 24 hours under a desk fan pointed down at the disassembled components.
(5) Reassemble the phone
(6) Put back together
(7) Only now it's safe to put the battery back in.
(8) Phone may be good as new.

She said hers starting working again but it had lots of static.

Good luck,
Ann

[hez]

Yup-- take everything apart that you can take apart.

I dropped mine into tea (fully submersed for about a 1/2 a second) when I was pg with DS. I was picking up DH on the way to a doctor's appointment, so he immediately pulled everything apart that he could get apart & we left it to dry on the car seat while we were in the appointment. And then left it apart all night to dry. He put it back together after he thought everything was as dry as it was going to get.

It worked decently well for another year (as long as I had left on my contract), though it did get fritzy dialing on occasion. My friends got used to the 'tea incident' excuse for my occasional misdials.

[lizajane]

sorry to rain on the parade... but yes, it is a goner. mine was in milk for a short time, i took the whole thing apart, i let it dry, it pretended to work when i tried to turn it on the next day... but nope. never worked again.

[SnuggleBuggles]

My dh's got soaked in a rain storm and for several months the screen was weird. At first there was nothing but blank white then a distorted image now it is normal. Very odd.

Beth

[hillview]

I dropped mine into a Beer at Fenway Park. I let it dry and it worked next day -- keys were a TAD sticky. What can I say Ortiz hit a homerun!!
/hillary

[bubbaray]

Nope, not necessarily. A friend of mine dropped his in a toilet (ewwww) and his still worked (after being dried and bleach-wiped). I dropped mine into the sink and it still worked. Take out the battery, and let it dry.

http://www.wikihow.com/Save-a-Wet-Cell-Phone

HTH

[ShanaMama]

DH fell into the lake with all his cell phones, beepers & junk on his belt. (Looong story!) He replaced them all but eventually they dried out & started working again. I'd recommend not turning it on until you are beyond sure that it's dry- inside & out. If there's any water left inside when you turn it on, that may just fry it.

[lisams]

Thanks for all the suggestions. I think it's a goner. Oh well, it's a pretty cheap one. It's just having to redo all of the stored numbers and such is a PITA.

At least I know what to do if it happens again! Mental note - do not keep your cell phone hooked to the waistband of your pants when you go potty. Whoops.

[kcandz]

If you still want to try to rescue it, I heard that letting it sit in dry rice overnight might work - the rice soaks up the moisture.