How to Rescue OR Save a Wet Gadget

You go to the beach and your gadget also takes a dip, or you’re enjoying a drink and your gadget also manages to get a slip or two. Just like first aid, you can follow some simple steps to save your gadget. First of all, don’t keep your gadgets near liquids (or vice versa), because electronics and liquids don’t mix very well anyway. And when they do, the results are usually disastrous.

But in the eventuality that your gadget is dowsed with any kind of liquid, immediately turn it off, or better yet, take out the battery if you can, and get the liquid out of it. Draining it may be a difficult task, depending upon the type of gadget, and the amount and type of liquid. Water is relatively easy, but if it’s any liquid with sugar content, that will cause stickiness. If the victim is a laptop, take out the battery, open the lid and flip it over so that the liquid doesn’t reach the internal parts.

Wipe the gadget clean (and dry) with a paper towel. Now quickly dry it using a hair dryer. But don’t keep the dryer on a hot setting; you just need simple (unheated) air to dry the liquid. After that, another trick would be to fill a jar with rice, and bury the gadget in the rice. The idea is that the rice will absorb any moisture from the gadget, and it might start working again.

After all this treatment, don’t turn the gadget on for at least 24 hours, let it dry completely, and then switch it on. If you’re lucky, it might work just fine, but don’t expect miracles. It really depends on luck, and the most important is timing to determine if you’ll be able to salvage your gadget.