Question...SD card gat washed...

[ChrizJen]

Not sure if this is the place for such a question, but I figured maybe someone would know.

I have a 2G SD card for my digital camera, and it has about 200 pics on it right now (which I've already backed up, so I could really delete them from the card at this point...But that's not part of my question)

I accidentally left it in my pants pocket, and it went through the washer and the dryer. It seems to be fine. It's still got all of the pictures on it that it had before, and it seems to take new pictures just fine.

Is this something to worry about? I'd hate to be using it on vacation and have it stop working...

TIA!
Christal

 

[dr_zero]

Not sure if this is the place for such a question, but I figured maybe someone would know.

I have a 2G SD card for my digital camera, and it has about 200 pics on it right now (which I've already backed up, so I could really delete them from the card at this point...But that's not part of my question)

I accidentally left it in my pants pocket, and it went through the washer and the dryer. It seems to be fine. It's still got all of the pictures on it that it had before, and it seems to take new pictures just fine.

Is this something to worry about? I'd hate to be using it on vacation and have it stop working...

TIA!
Christal

I would replace it before using it for pics from like a vacation that are important to you. Use it for just trying out different techniques and knocking about when you are not serious about the shot would hate to see it fail with alot of good photos on there.

So yes I would get a new one to be on the safe side it might be fine but they are cheap enough now days just get a new one.

 

[saturndb]

you should always have a back up card when on vacation just in case your card goes bad. sd cards are real cheap now. So i'll carry 3 or 4 with me.

 

[handicap18]

For the cost of a new SD card, I'd buy another one. Probably 2. You can find 2GB SD cards for less than $15 online (some places less than $10) and 4GB SD cards for less than $25.

 

[Gdad]

Memory cards are inexpensive- especially SD- no way I would take a chance on loosing important family pictures on a card that may be damaged.

 

[Coach]

It's funny you should ask...

A few years ago I read an article in one of the more popular Photo magazines where they asked the same question.

What they did was conduct a test using a pair of pants, the various types of storage media and a cloths washer and dryer. They put the cards in the pocket of a pair of pants and put the pants in the washing machine and then run the machine through its full cycle, they then took the pants out of the washer and ran them through the dryer...full cycle.

When all was said and done all of the cards came out working flawlessly.

One word of caution... if the card has ANY moisture in it at all and you try using it in your camera it will damage the card and your camera.

Like everyone has suggested, media cards are not expensive and it’s always a good idea to carry a spare or two.

 

[Geoff_M]

Hey, it's not a problem at all.... It makes you whites whiter and your colors more saturated!!!

In all seriousness though, if the card still works after a couple of days of drying out in the open, it should be just fine. This actually happens all of the time in the world of photojournalism. Not only have lots of cards gone through wash, they've been dropped in mud puddles at football games, been run over by cars, etc. The worst problem would be corrosion. The best way to minimize that is to get it dry as quick as possible. Towel it off as good as you can (make sure the contacts are good and dry) and perhaps even use a hair drier (on low heat) to blow warm dry air over the card for a while.

I remember the Pop Photog article mentioned above. It found that the cards were pretty darn resilient. It even found one card that still worked (no joke) after it was nailed to a tree with a nail driven through the center if it!

 

[webshark3]

I washed and dried a generic before. No isses at all. Still in use today. But likethe others have said, if you're worried, just buy a new one.

I guess your milage may vary based on brand too. Really cheap ones may not have a good seal.