Popular Threads on Solosez

Soaking the Phone in Alcohol

Okay, my RAZR took a dunk tonight. Less than 5 seconds in the tub, but it's not working. I looked up some advice on the internet on how to save it, and I'm taking the long shot. Since the warranty is voided anyway, I'm soaking the phone in 91% alcohol. The theory is that the alcohol displaces the water and flushes out any sediments, then evaporates quickly. I'll let you know how it turns out. I may have already blown it though by plugging the battery in and out a few times and using canned air on it before trying the alcohol. Oh well.

David Tarvin

Sorry to here about your RAZR. I wish you all the best with your alcohol soaking remedy. I thought I would add something for you to throw around since something quite similar happened to my wife's RAZR recently. Instead of taking a dip in the tub, her phone fell in the toilet (empty and as clean as a toilet can be at the time, thank goodness) and she grabbed it in about 3 seconds. Immediately after being retrieved the phone was almost completely inoperable. We made the mistake of not checking the internet right away for things to do and most importantly what not to do, so we sat around for the next couple of hours with the battery still on and toggling the on/off switch. I didn't do anything as far as soaking it in alcohol or taking it apart, I simply took the battery off and left it alone for a few hours. Eventually it dried out and it slowly returned to full capabilities. By the next morning it was working just fine.

I'm not sure if any of that helps, but one thing I read online and that makes sense is that the battery should be the first thing taken out to stop any power to the devise. This will eliminate any possibility for shorts and what not. Good luck. I'm still holding out hope that your RAZR will survive.

Regards,

Nathan J. Dosch

For what it's worth, I took a hair dryer to a phone once after it got wet..Worked fine after. Let us know how the alcohol trick works out. Never heard of that before, but would be curious to know for the next time something happens.

Vonda K Vandaveer

I once spilled a big bowl of teriyaki sauce into my laptop keyboard. Computer instantly died. Opened it up to expose the 'guts', sticky sauce all over electronics, I sopped up what I could with tissues, tried it and it didn't work. Called customer support and got laughed at, which in retrospect, is pretty funny. Two days later, laptop boots fine. Ran for about 3 years till other abuse claimed it. If alcohol doesn't work, maybe you should try teriyaki sauce

Steve O’Donnell

Years ago I dropped my Nokia in a toilet (clean). When it dried out, it worked fine, except for the #7 button, that you had to press down extremely hard. Used it for years after that.

Michelle J. Rozovics

A geek in my office who makes his living as a computer systems support guy, etc., recommends:

1. immediate removal of battery,

2. dry as best can outside of the device and battery,

2. place device and battery in a baggie with bags of desiccant, and

If you are a packrat, you may have bags of desiccant going back years. (You know who you are.) If not a packrat you may not have any. I do not know if the stuff is sold anywhere.

Another site suggests using a bowl of rice. If you think cooked rice, you need help.

3. bring out the prayer rug, and

4. make use of prayer rug.

Rob V. Robertson

One of my close friend's sons dropped his iPod into water. They called customer service for advice, and after being placed on hold for some time, were told to put it in a bowl of uncooked rice for several hours. It started working the next day, so I guess there's something to the rice trick, in absorption of the water.

Nancy DuCharme

That is funny about the no. 7 key not working. Steven Wright had a joke about a phone he had not having a certain key on it. I don't remember it, but it was one of his funnier jokes.

Robert W. "Robby" Hughes, Jr.

Speaking of funny and 7 keys (sort of), my family has never let me live down the time I came running into the kitchen seeking help from the more tech-savvy members of the family (which is all of them) because my shift key wouldn't work. It turned out my whole keyboard was dead, but I had only needed the shift key at the moment. They thought it was hilarious.

Shell Bleiweiss

I actually have bags of desiccant, but not because I'm a packrat (well I might be just a smidge, but never mind that), but because I needed to buy some. And where did I get it? Ebay! Actually though, I bought it because our fireproof safe was causing our important papers to mold. Seems the wet-pack safes can cause a build-up of humidity within the safe. The packs of desiccant keep it from flourishing, though my passport does smell mildly musty now.

Sarah Gold

Isn't that why you put rice into salt? So that it won't stick together and block up the little holes in the shaker? Andria Sandoval

Many times with expensive electronics the solution is to simply let them sit until dry in an arid but not sunny location.

Three days minimum.

Best regards, Arthur B. Macomber

The alcohol, the rice, and the desiccant (silica gel) can all work (have personal experience with all three). FWIW...If you have sufficient mechanical aptitude, take the "innards" of the phone (or any other electronic device) out of the case and treat just the innards without the case in the way. If using alcohol, "absolute" (laboratory-grade reagent) works the best. If using rice or silica gel, make sure it is fresh, i.e. as dry as possible. In all cases, take the battery out first thing...the longer it remains in the wet gadget, the greater the chance of damage to the gadget. All a battery needs to salvage it is drying with some absorbent cloth...almost all batteries are sealed, so water can't actually get into them to do any damage.

Alan L. Inglis

The lower the voltage, the lesser the chance of damage, BUT batteries should be removed at once. Desiccant packets are available from hearing aid suppliers. They can be renewed in microwave. If you have a way to put the device in a fairly heavy vacuum, the water droplets will "boil" quickly. A/C techs have suitable vacuum pumps. Your problem to contrive a suitable chamber.

John Page

I've been following this thread with interest because I spilled coffee on my keyboard a few days back. I drained the coffee off, then put the keyboard under the faucet. It got clean but no longer worked because it was waterlogged. So I took the batteries out, set the keyboard in one of the cars and let the sun dry it for a couple days. Works like a charm - and it's really clean, too.

Jimmy Verner

I am really disappointed in this message thread title. I thought someone was about to describe their intended wild weekend activities.

I recommend going to your closest electronics or computer store and buying a couple of new gadgets. Maybe a DVR or a new DVD burner. This has two benefits. 1) You get some desiccant in bags for "free" and 2) you have something to play with while your phone is drying for three days.

Happy Weekend all

Jim Calloway

My husband washed my cell phone once. When he discovered it he took the battery out and let it dry for a couple of days. It worked fine after it was dry.

Marion J. Browning-Baker

Back to Popular Threads

Books

Click on the book for more info