View Poll Results: Your phone went through the wash, and you let it dry thoroughly. Did it work again?
My new tracfone LG220 went through the washing machine today because I was tenderizing some steak without an apron.
I hammered a piece of steak and it squirted off the cutting board and hit me in the crotch at high velocity. I took the pants off, sprayed the crotch area with Shout, left them on the washing machine, and then continued cooking.
Anyway, it's now thoroughly laundered. I've seen plenty of reports of phones surviving this, following days of drying out. Mine (with battery removed) is on the output vent of the dehumidifier now, and I'll wait a few days before I try it.
If you've had a phone go through the wash, and didn't immediately toss it, please vote in the poll.
I dropped one in the Long Island Sound. After drying out is sort of worked and I limped on for a month before replacing it. I suspect that fresh water will be less destructive.
My secretary dropped her cell phone in the toilet once. It was never the same again.
I've never washed a cell phone, but I did wash the garage door opener this weekend. After drying it and replacing the battery, it works fine.
That's so funny. I don't have an answer, but thanks for the laugh.
Maybe run it through the dryer?
I washed and dried a metronome once... it was still annoying (and functional) after being laundered but the battery had to be replaced almost immediately.
I left my cellphone in my car and the sunroof opened . It rained and you could see the water level in the phone . It never worked again .
My 38 year old son spent six weeks at my house last year when he was recovering from Bacterial Meningitus. He was pretty much bed ridden for the first couple of weeks since he could not control his left side. He would talk to friends and his girlfriend several times a day on his cell phone while confined to bed.
Well, I changed his sheets on afternoon and washed his cell phone. It was never the same. I have a front loading washer that uses less water so I thought just maybe it would dry out and be OK. We trashed it and $300+ later he was talking again. The phone didn't recover, but I am glad to say that son did.
I also dropped a cell phone in the toilet. I regret to tell everyone I immediately reached in and grabbed it (and yes, I did spend the next 8 days washing my hand/arm area). Just from that short amount of time it never worked correctly again.
I also washed a garage door opener (in the pocket of a motorcycle riding suit). Took the battery out and left it in front of the dehumidifier for a day and it was fine.
I guess garage door openers are less delicate than cell phones.
DH dropped a phone in the toilet--put it in a plastic bag and brought it home eight hours later, still wet. Idiot. We did save the SIM card (which of course is the phone, the rest is just the bells and whistles that support the industry) to reuse in an old phone.
In my previous role, I was the boss of the boss of the people who issued company cell phones (yes, we're still in the 1990s). We used this technique (resulting in the occasional purchase order for rice) with some success. A thorough blasting with WD-40, or failing that, immersion in gasoline (remove the battery first... ) can also help.
To re-enforce the issue - the MOST important thing is to get the battery out of the product immediately (not possible on most of the newer Apple products).
An electrolytic reaction between the battery current, water and metals can end up etching away conductors, permanently damaging them, or causing deposits to be formed which can permanently short out a circuit.
Don't replace the battery and turn on the unit until it is fully dried - we are probably talking several days minimum in a warm, dry environment.
With clean water, you have a decent chance of success; dirty water less so; salt water - you are probably hosed. With salt water, you might even be better off dunking it in pure water, or water & rubbing alcohol to displace the salt water, and then dry that solution out.
Glad I'm not the only one to do this. I put my phone in one of the extra pockets of my cargo shorts and forgot I put it there. Got home and was soaked from the humidity after hiking with my mutt and decided to wash a quick batch of clothes. When I heard the clanking noise in the dryer, I knew I was in trouble. But bought a $15 replacement and it works better than the old one.
Just remember that the SIM card will have survived; those little buggers are damn near indestructible; you can just move the SIM to your new phone and you should have your numbers/etc.
I've never successfully dried one out.
Didn't send it through the wash, but it got a good soaking in the toilet! Took the battery out, dried it for two days and it worked. As I was in charge of cell phones for our office, I swapped it out for another one. However, it was still working two years later, just not mine!
I once had a samsung flip phone get washed the dried, it worked fine after that.