Cell phone dropped in water .. Help

[kymmyk13]

I remember reading on here somewhere how to fix a phone that has been dropped in water. DD19 just dropped hers into a toilet and we have a month left until she can upgrade please help.

 

[Stacybaeasm]

I've heard that if you put it in rice, the rice will draw the moisture out. YOu just have to be sure the phone is completely covered by the rice. I've never tried this though, so try at your own risk.

 

[MMluvsWDW]

Yep, Rice is the answer! I did it about a month ago and I just let it dry out and it works great! Good Luck!

 

[mebfalcon]

separate the battery from the phone and put both in the rice. I'd leave it for 5-7 days. Don't try to turn it on. This worked on an ipod too!

 

[merekc]

Don't turn it on until after it has been in the rice a few days. Turning it on can zap it.

 

[disneybound08]

My husband dropped his in water too, the rice trick worked great!

 

[kymmyk13]

Great thanks will stop and get rice on way home

 

[cruella4me64]

I have droped 3 phones in the toilet. They fell out of my pocket! I now no longer take them in there. I have tried the rice and 1 of the 3 times it worked. I would try the rice and just hope for the best.

 

[Grumpy's Gal]

remove battery and put both in a bowl
of dry white rice and leave alone for a week. I just saw this in a magazine in the last week or so -- can't remember which magazine.

 

[digitalsiren]

When this happened to me, and mine sat in water for quite some time - it was not just a quick drop, I made sure not to try and turn it on. Then, I took it apart (found a youtube video) and placed the parts in a bag of rice for 1-2 days. I put it back together and it worked perfectly! (I was due for a "free" upgrade but I refuse to sign a new contract. )

 

[DisneyFan32WI]

I've heard that if you put it in rice, the rice will draw the moisture out. YOu just have to be sure the phone is completely covered by the rice. I've never tried this though, so try at your own risk.

YES! My hubby just dropped HIS in the toilet too! He had it soaking in a bowl of rice for a few days. It works again

 

[doggydoc]

DD left her cell phone in her jeans and it went through the washing machine. Rice trick got it working a gain.

 

[kaywoody]

I washed mine in the washing machine and the rice trick didn't work. I went to Walmart and purchased a At&T GoPhone prepaid cellphone for $20 and took the sim card out of my old dead phone and put it in the GoPhone. Worked like a charm for the 3 months until I was eligible for upgrade. I hated that cheap little phone, but I figured that was my punishment for forgetting to check the pocket of my jeans

 

[matusel3]

This rice trick may or may not work, depending on the situation. If the rice trick doesn't work, here is what you may be able to do:

the phone and battery have a sensor on them that turns red when wet. The sensors will not turn white again (as far as I know). Some phones have a photo cell that will let the phone turn on if white, or not allow it if red.

My wife's phone was wet, and after drying out, wouldn't turn on, so I took the red sensors off the phone and replaced them with a piece of white paper. White out may work as well, I'm not sure.

Here is a website regarding this:
http://consumerist.com/2007/09/cellphone-battery-designed-to-fail-at-first-drop-of-water.html

Again, there are a lot of posts about the rice trick with success, so I hope that works perfectly for you, but if you find that it doesn't, this might help you eek by a little longer.

Good luck!

-Matt

 

[alwaysmom]

The rice worked partially for DH's phone that fell in the dogs water bowl . It still had condensation in it so I put it in the oven, not turned on. The pilot was all that was on. Worked great! Just remember to remove it from the oven before you pre-heat for dinner . I almost forgot!

 

[bonoriffic]

the phone and battery have a sensor on them that turns red when wet. The sensors will not turn white again (as far as I know). Some phones have a photo cell that will let the phone turn on if white, or not allow it if red.

My wife's phone was wet, and after drying out, wouldn't turn on, so I took the red sensors off the phone and replaced them with a piece of white paper. White out may work as well, I'm not sure.

The red dot itself is the problem, not the color. Removing it altogether is all that is needed. Obviously having a photo cell inside a dark cell phone cover wouldn't work, and would add a huge expense to the phone. When wet that dot changes it's chemistry to allow current to pass through it, shorting the contacts out. Just remove it and it will work (if not otherwise damaged which it may well be)

 

[QueenDoOver]

And if you happen to be lucky enough to know someone that is deaf or hard of hearing and also uses equipment, there is a product called "dry and store" meant to keep the many thousands of dollars worth of hearing aids and cochlear implants dry and sanitized and working well. One lady dropped her ipod in the toilet and this equipment saved it. Apparently it is a large enough compartment for most phones and ipods.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I once put mine in the washer. After it dried out, I still had some water in the screen and it would flicker. I left it on the dashboard of my car on a sunny day for a few hours. That dried the screen right up! Got 2 more months out of it until I could get a new one!

 

[lurkernj]

DS went swimming with his in his pocket once. and didn't notice it for about 10 minutes. We put it in the bag o rice for three days and it worked perfectly.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

This may sound strange but you may want to try rinsing the phone with distilled water before you do the rice trick. It's already wet and the distilled water will help wash away any residue of whatever liquid it was in.