What to Do If Your Cell Phone Gets Wet

Cell phones and water do not mix. I knew this little tidbit of information but I didn't experience it firsthand until just this week. We were at the pool, now that the temperature finally got above 80 degrees for a couple of days, and my six-year-old called me over to the edge to ask a question. Warning: DO NOT walk over to a pool's edge with your cell phone in your hand. I walked over and dropped my phone right into the pool. It was a stupid accident and I think the look on my face was that of pure astonishment. Do you know that cell phones don't float -- not even for ½ a second? There was no way to retrieve it from the surface so I resorted to diving in after it (luckily I did have my bathing suit on). The phone was under water for only a matter of seconds but that was long enough to render it completely useless.

If your cell phone gets dropped in a pool, toilet, bathtub, lake, spa, sink, bucket of water, or any other water-bearing vessel here's what you can do to try to salvage it.

If Your Cell Phone Goes Swimming: Step 1

Dry the outside of the phone off. Pull off the back cover and pop the battery out. Dry this area also.

If Your Cell Phone Goes Swimming: Step 2

Find some dry rice. I don't care if you have to borrow it from a neighbor, find the rice.

If Your Cell Phone Goes Swimming: Step 3

Put your phone in a zipper baggie and pour the rice over it. Zip the bag closed and leave it in there for 36-72 hours. Yes, it takes that long.

If Your Cell Phone Goes Swimming: Step 4

A friend suggested I try to blow compressed air around the edges to speed up the drying process. I did not do this but I have used compressed air on other items and noticed that it will also spray some condensation that evaporates quickly. I don't know if this would help the phone or hurt it even more.

If Your Cell Phone Goes Swimming: Step 5

Put your battery back in your phone and try to turn it on. If it doesn't work, wait another twelve hours and try again. The phone expert at the store said that if doesn't turn on after seventy-two hours in rice then chances are it will never turn back on.

What NOT to do if Your Cell Phone Gets Wet

Do not under any circumstances take a hair dryer to your phone. This will speed up the drying time but it will also fry the electronics.

Also, do not try to take your phone apart unless you are cell phone technician. The rice will wick the water away eventually, you just have to be patient.

What to do while You Wait for Your Cell Phone to Dry

Do you have an old phone lying around? If your contract is not up yet, you may be able to reactivate it with no additional cost. I was able to go into the store and reactivate an old cell phone. Two days later I was back in the store to reactivate my formerly waterlogged one. Total time for both trips: 20 minutes.

I was told that this technique does not always work. I guess I was one of the lucky ones. At the store, the phone expert did warn me that my phone may only last another month or two and then it could just quit working. I figure I'll take whatever I can get.