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The Kitchen Table

Woops, How to dry a cell phone

16 years ago

I washed a load of jeans and ran my sons cell phone through the washing machine. It seems I remember reading about putting it in a bag of rice to draw out the moisture. Anyone hear of this? Any other ideas?

He's 16 and might as well be in a coma as live life without his phone.

Ron

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Comments (13)

kathi_mdgd
16 years ago
That's what i heard also,i think on this board and others.Good luck.
Kathi
petaloid
16 years ago
I would call a company store for the phone service (Verizon, ATT) and ask their advice.
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lisa_fla
16 years ago
Did you take the battery out of the phone-very important. I've heard great things about the rice in the ziploc bag.
Jasdip
16 years ago
The first thing you have to do is remove the battery immediately, and the SIM.
Then the cell can be submersed in rice for a couple days.
I had a friend do this, and it really works. Good luck Ron!
linda_in_iowa
16 years ago
When my new cell phone died a couple of weeks after I bought it, I took it back to the store and the first thing the guy did was take the battery out and check for moisture. Since their was no moisture in it, he gave me a new phone. Hope you get your DS's phone working again.
set4more
16 years ago
My coworker dropped hers in the toilet a couple of weeks ago. Took it to the Verizon store and they told her it was ruined. He husband put it on top of a lamp that night and the next day it was working fine! Yes...she cleaned it good!
janie_ga
16 years ago
Mine got washed a couple of days ago. It works or at least the phone part does. The LCD screen is shot. US Cellular offers used cell phones at a discount so I went and got a "new" today. Will keep the old one in case it finally finishes drying.
ronf_gw
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the tips.
We immediately opened it and removed the battery. I didn't think to take out the SIM card until now. I've placed the phone in a Zipolock with some rice and we'll see what happens.
Thanks again.

Ron
Coosie
16 years ago
My husband did the rice thing. I'm not sure if that is what worked or if just letting it dry out for a couple of days did it, but it does work again. There were some issues with his screen but I think they are nothing major and he just ignores it. He did take the battery out right away and tried blow drying the phone lol.
User
16 years ago
The lady at the phone store said if it gets wet its shot.
mary_c_gw
16 years ago
My DH has both washed his and fallen into the pool with it. Rice is not necessary, and might introduce dust into the phone.

Just remove the battery and the SIM card, wipe all visible moisture off, and let dry out for at least 24 hours.
kathy_
16 years ago
If the phone isn't good, your SIM card might still be good though and that will save you some money. When I accidentally dropped my phone in the horses muzzle (she wears in spring because she gets too fat), the horse chomped on the phone and gave it several baths in the stream (and made several garbled calls to the first person on the contact list - lol). Phone was shot, but the SIM card was still good. I borrowed a spare phone from a friend and put in the card to test it. I then ordered another phone off E-Bay and was soon in business again. It's when the SIM card gets damaged that costs a lot of money. Hope yours dries out OK. Kathy
liz
16 years ago
My son hopped in the hot tub with his phone in his shorts...

1. Take the battery and sim card as soon as you can..
2. Take a vacumn and run it around the back of the phone...not touching it...but enough to pull any excess moisture out...on the sucking end...DO NOT USE the blowing part of the vacumn...you want to pull the moisture out...not push it in farther.
3. Put the phone in a bowl of rice and leave it for a minimum of 24 hours...48 if you can..

I've done this with two phone and they both work great, including the screen!!

Good Luck!

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