I Washed My Cell Phone :( Help!

Updated on December 05, 2010
A.J. asks from Portland, OR
19 answers

Please tell me someone reading this washed a droid phone and were able to fix it. Ugh! I put it in a sealed bag merged in rice because my memory is convinced this worked for a friend but I thought I'd see if anyone else did this where the phone survived. Thanks for any helpful tips...there's no way we can afford a replacement.

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So What Happened?

Bummer...toast. New phone time:( I must say, however, it was kind of nice not having a phone for 3 1/2 days + however long it takes the mail to send me a new one. I realize we need phones in case of emergencies, but I never use mine in cases of emergency (thank goodness!), I just use it all the time for e-mail, texts, GPS, pictures, and internet. I sort of like not having access to those things. My time is lighter somehow.

Anyways, thanks for all the help anyways and in return, maybe someone will be inspired to go without their cell for a few days and see what happens for/to their psyche?!

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S.H.

answers from Abilene on

This worked for me! I don't have a droid, but I have a Pantech Ease with a touch screen. You take the battery and sim card out, and submerge it completely in rice. Leave it there for 2 days before you take it out and try to use it.

2 moms found this helpful

L.G.

answers from Eugene on

I dropped a phone in the sink and it dried out and worked roughly. So I called the company and they sent me a new one. I did not mention the sink dip only that it was not working. Okay so I left out a few important details when I called them but they did cover it.

What do you think it cost these companys to make the phones? How about under $10.

1 mom found this helpful

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R.J.

answers from Seattle on

I've washed my husband's droid a couple times. I just took it apart and left it in pieces to air dry all but one time (always worked after a couple days). The other time, it went through the dryer as well. Worked fine after that tumble adventure as well... but was a little glitchy. Old style phones could go through the dryer and come out better than new... but smart phones seem to get cranky. I think it's the touch screens that hate the heat+jostle.

3 moms found this helpful
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A.H.

answers from Fort Smith on

LOL, I'm so sorry, but I walked into a creek with my cell and my keys in my pocket and was in there for almost 30 mins before I realized what I did. I took my phone apart, took a hair dryer to it on low. After a couple of days it worked and I have had no problem. I can't promise that it will work, but it's worth a shot. After this, I would add insurance to your phone.

Updated

LOL, I'm so sorry, but I walked into a creek with my cell and my keys in my pocket and was in there for almost 30 mins before I realized what I did. I took my phone apart, took a hair dryer to it on low. After a couple of days it worked and I have had no problem. I can't promise that it will work, but it's worth a shot. After this, I would add insurance to your phone.

2 moms found this helpful
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K.P.

answers from New York on

I have abused my cell phones repeatedly and have found that the folks at the store can always tell when water damage is involved! Dropped one in the toilet... "watered" one b/c I forget it was on the front steps when I turned on the sprinkles... "juiced one" when my son poured his juice cup onto it.

The only thing that worked (on the juiced one) was to take it completely apart, wipe it down with a damp cloth (to reduce the stickiness in my case) and leave in the sun to air dry. The phone worked after that, but occassionally had "glitches".

Good luck- you may need to start saving-up b/c if liquid got under that touch screen you could be in trouble!

2 moms found this helpful

C.T.

answers from Santa Fe on

I'm so sorry! I had this happen to me twice and the third time I had to get a phone I got a waterproof cell phone. It has saved the day several times (once my toddler dropped it in the toilet and it works fine). With my past phones I tried putting it on a cookie sheet in the oven overnight (I warmed the oven up on a very low heat first and then turned it off). Nothing worked that I tried though. good luck.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.V.

answers from New York on

My son took his phone INTO THE OCEAN this past summer :( OOPS! I immediately googled what to do about it, and tried the following suggestion:
take out memory card immediately, dry off exterior of phone and place under a lamp overnight (the low heat generated by the lamp may help to dry it out). Replace memory card and try to turn on phone. We also tried the rice method and low heat with a hair dryer. Unfortunately, because the phone was in salt water, it was beyond help and started corroding. When I took it to Radio Shack (where we purchased it) they said that water damage was not covered. I hope you're able to salvage your phone - good luck.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Seattle on

This is the tip from a gadget website in England - good luck

Mobile phones Let’s say it’s your unlucky mobile phone that’s gone for an untimely splash. The first step is to remove covers, attachments and any other removable components, and dry each part with a cloth or ear bud. Never shake a gadget to clear the water – you could just as easily be sending the water further inwards, causing more damage. From there, one of the most common approaches is to use heat to dry your gadget. Just as we use the sun to dry wet clothes, so leaving a sodden gadget under a lamp should see the heat produced by the light bulb evaporate the moisture over time. Patience is the key here – too close to the lamp and you could end up with a melted mobile.

2 moms found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Portland on

My cell phone, generation before the Droid, stopped working. It would turn on but not stay on. I took it to the store and they said that it looked like it had gotten wet. It was dry at the time. They could tell by the color of a strip a long the side inside the battery compartment. They tested it and said it could not be fixed. I didn't remember it getting wet but it is possible that it did. Certainly not dunked and kept in water, as yours has been. I waited until it was time to renew my contract which fortunately was just a month away to get a new one for free.

I suggest taking it in and asking them about it. If you purchased insurance that will replace the phone with just a small charge.

2 moms found this helpful
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T.C.

answers from Johnson City on

the hubby washed his side kick and dryed it, take as much apart as possible sim card out mem card out battery out and open the phone if it opens and completely cover the phone in white rice uncooked and dry for 12-24 hours, i have an htc and have had to do this a few times cuz of it falling in the sink while im tryin to scan thru music best of luck, it works for our phones, o and as for the water and ins, idk about ur phone but mine has a sticker inside the battery compartment that if there is water damage it changes colors, so that some one cant get away with returning a swimming phone since the ins dont cover it

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M.H.

answers from Seattle on

I'm pretty sure the key is to not turn it on until it is dry. This may involve taking it apart (as much as possible) and using a blow dryer set to a cool setting. It also involves waiting. I do know that some have come back from the dead after submersion.
I don't know if it would be useful at all to see if the droid folks have a procedure that you can follow that is less likely to void your warantee?? Might be worth calling.
Good luck.

just because i think this is amusing - my old razor phone was submerged so often, and kept kicking. One day my friend called to ask me if i'd sent her a photo. I asked what of, and she said 'it looks like the inside of someone's mouth'... That was my 1 year old. I finally replaced it when it sounded like i was constantly hearing underwater. But it still worked.

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A.R.

answers from Minneapolis on

Just last week I dropped my phone in a pan full of soapy spaghetti water. My DH has dropped his phone in water so many times that Verizon wont even let us get insurance on our phones now. The trick is: Shut off phone immediately, take out battery, put whole phone and battery completely covered in rice. Dont touch for 24 hours. Then try it out. My whole phone was all soapy and greasy, and the "water damage sensors" that all phone companies put on phones now were pink, which means damage by water, but my phone does work, just the end key doesnt work anymore but its a slider so i can slide it to end calls.

And if rice doesnt work, go to the cell phone store and ask if they have any refurbished ones for sale. I had to get a crappy $30 one last year as a replacement but it did work, it just wasnt a cool phone.

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K.K.

answers from San Diego on

i put my black berry in rice once, not in the bag. Worked after leaving it in there all night....My son had drooled all over my bb and i couldn't make a call or txt. My husband did the same thing, recently. his screen froze, our son did the same, left it in rice all night and now his phone is working again. good luck

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C.A.

answers from Atlanta on

First thing you need to do is if it is still coming on turn if off right now!!! Then take the thing apart-everything and let it air dry. I have heard two things about the hair dryer-don't do it because it can fry it or yes to do it because it will dry it out. I don't have the same type of phone but I did drop my phone in the toilet accidently-oops. Luckily it was a clean toilet I guess-lol! Anyways I shut the thing off and took the battery out of the back and just let it air dry for a few days. It seems to be working just fine. There were a few hiccups afterwards but eventually it went back to working just fine. I think the insurance does cover water if I'm not mistaken. Of course that might depend on your carrier but I took it in to the Verizon store and the guy told me they could replace it with a new one but I would have to pay my deductible which is $50.00 or upgrade the phone. I didn't want to do either because I hate Verizon and want to get away from them. My contract expires in May so I didn't want to pay $50.00 for a replacement phone when I wouldn't be keeping it plus I didn't want to upgrade because then that would have extended my contract another two years! My hubby spilled laundry detergent on his and they replaced it no questions asked. Then he also cracked his touch phone while moving a t.v. no questions asked. The insurance is there for that purpose but there is a deductible you have to pay.......good luck.

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R.R.

answers from Dallas on

The rice worked for a friend's iphone. It took her about 2 days, but it did help.

1 mom found this helpful

R.G.

answers from Dallas on

Mine wasn't a Droid but yes, after several days (4-5) it worked and my phone was back to normal, except really clean. lol
Have faith and don't give up!! =)

1 mom found this helpful
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D.S.

answers from Tulsa on

i second the rice sometimes it works sometimes it doesnt

1 mom found this helpful
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S.M.

answers from Washington DC on

the rice trick would have been my suggestion, but that is a wet phone, not a washed phoe 9my friend's daughter drooled on ehr phone)

1 mom found this helpful
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A.J.

answers from Medford on

I got my cell phone wet a while back when a water bottle leaked in my purse. I put it in a sealed container of rice and it did come back, but it took a week or so to completely dry out. Mine is a flip phone, so I don't know how the droid will react, but if you can wait it out it's worth a try.

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