“Have you ever dropped your cell phone in the fish tank or even worse… the toilet? Have you ever forgotten it in your pocket and run it through the washing machine or maybe you went for a swim and it was still around your neck? Usually, getting your cell phone wet means that you’ll have to buy a new one. But if you are quick enough you just might be able to save it so if you ever drop your phone in water here is what you have to do.

Take the phone out of the water as soon as you realize that you have dropped it. The plastic panels of phones are fairly tight, but water will eventually find its way to the inside. If the phone was submerged for several hours I don’t think that any water damage repairs will be possible. If the phone was turned off by itself do not switch it back on because this may cause a short circuit. Assume that it needs to be dried as soon as possible whether or not it is working. Don’t panic now, it’s just a phone plus it won’t be too damaged if you take it out of the water on time. Even if the phone went through a washing machine cycle it is still worth trying the next few steps. The next important thing that you must do is to remove the battery. Don’t think about it too much, electricity and water don’t go well on things so cutting the power to your cell phone is a crucial step if you want to save it. Most of the circuits in the phone will survive if they are not connected to a power source while being wet. To find out if the water truly suffered water damage, check the place where the battery connects to the phone. There must be a tiny white circle or square. If that particular spot is red or pink your phone was water damaged.

Your next action should be to remove the SIM card. Probably all your valuable contacts (and possibly other data) is stored on your SIM card. For a lot of people, saving the SIM card is far more important than saving the phone itself. SIM cards often survive water damage but the next few steps in trying to save the phone might actually damage it so that is why it is important to remove it. So just dry it with a napkin and put it aside for now. It is time to do some actual water damage restoration. Remove the plastic panel of your phone along with any other peripherals and covers that can be detached from the main body. You must do this in order to open as many gaps and slots as possible. Now use a cloth or a napkin to mop the excess moisture. Even if a drop of water is left inside it can ruin the phone by making a wrong contact or corroding it. Now leave your phone on a moderately warm place. Refrigerators are often warm on top so you can place your phone there and wait for the water to evaporate.

Contrary to popular believe, it is not recommended to use your hair dryer in order to try to dry out your phone. Using the hair dryer will only cause the water to go deeper into the small components of the phone and thus it will actually damage it even more. However, you try to use the vacuum cleaner if it is a powerful one because it will suck out all the water. Hopefully, when you put back all the parts of your phone together it will work.”