Dropping your phone into water would have to be one of the worst feelings, especially when you are heavily dependent on it for things such as work. However, dropping an electric device into water does not mean it will immediately be destroyed. What you do after you have dropped your phone into water is more important than you think. We have written this post today in hopes to help everyone better understand what happens when you drop your phone into water.

First of all, there is a massive difference between dropping your phone into saltwater and normal water. Believe it or not, it isn’t called salt water for no reason, IT HAS SALT IN IT. Crazy, right? Salt water can also contain lots of dirt, minerals and other content which can leave a mineral deposit behind after the phone has completely dried. Not only is salt water really good at conducting electricity, salt water can lead to corrosion which can cause some serious problems. We suggest that if you have dropped your phone into saltwater to bring your phone into a technician as soon as possible. Letting your phone dry when it has salt water inside is on of the worst things you could do for it. It needs to be cleaned immediately!

We all know the age old hack of putting your phone in a bowl of rice and letting the rice absorb all of the moisture, the only problem is that putting your phone into a bowl of rice isn’t going to completely dry your phone out. Rice does not possess the power to get inside the phone. Granted it will absorb as much moisture as it can, however water molecules will be left covering the inner components of the phone. What you should do for your phone instead is avoid trying to turn it on at all costs. Don’t try to use the touch screen, don’t press any buttons, and definitely do not plug it into power! Generally phones won’t die just because of water, especially if you get it cleaned and dried out by a professional before trying to turn it on. However when you run any electrical charge through any wet electrical circuit, there is bound to be some damaged caused. It will cause a short in the wiring which will fry any part that it has traveled through. What we suggest to do is to take off any removable parts. This includes the back of the phone, the battery, SD card, SIM card and the phone case (if you have one on). After doing so grab a tissue/towel and dry the outside of the phone as best as you can and then take it to a professional to be cleaned properly.

What is typically used is called Ultrasonic Cleaning, what is Ultrasonic Cleaning and how does it work though? Well, an electronic transducer is attached to a vibration-resistant metal tank. When the user fills the tank with water and cleaning solution, the transducer produces high-frequency sound waves that agitate the water, forming millions of microscopic bubbles. These bubbles reach into the narrow crevices and tiny holes that hand-cleaning methods can’t touch. When the bubbles implode they loosen and carry off the contaminating particles.
Ultrasonic cleaners are highly effective at remedying water damage to mobile phones. The process involves cleaning the components of the phone with a detergent solution, then rinsing with distilled water to remove any chemical residue. The components are left to air-dry and Isopropyl alcohol can be used as a final rinse to accelerate the drying process. The process usually takes 1-2 days, mainly because the phone will need to dry completely before putting it back together and attempting to turn it on.

If you have a water damaged phone or other damages that need fixing, our friendly technicians will be more than happy to help! We are located at 3/63 Torquay Rd, in Hervey Bay or give us a call on 07 4186 9626 for any inquiries.