# Help! Cellphone went through washer and drier. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 18, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429 "2007-01-18T06:24:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/1 "2007-01-18T06:24:42Z")
I put my cellphone in my jean pocket. The same jeans I managed to send through the washer and the drier. It won’t turn on. Anyone have any suggestions of how to save it? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/2 "2007-01-18T06:37:39Z")
I suspect that even if you could get all the water out, the heat and thwacking about probably killed it. Your first step would probably have been to unscrew it and lay all the parts out to dry, but since you’ve already tried turning on the power, whatever was going to fry due to wetness probably fried due to wetness. Sorry… Though I guess keep checking for other comments. I’m far from being an electronics god. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/3 "2007-01-18T07:04:34Z")
I concur with the above. You can try taking the battery off and leaving it to dry out overnight someplace warm and dry, but I suspect you’re SOL at this point. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/4 "2007-01-18T07:30:37Z")
Congratulations on your new paperweight ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/5 "2007-01-18T07:38:01Z")
I dropped mine in the toilet for like 3.2 seconds. Fished it out and dried it off right away. It died. Look at the bright side, you get to pick out a snazzy new phone. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/6 "2007-01-18T07:41:42Z")
A few months ago, both of our cellphones separately went through the laundry and survived. One was an LG phone and the other was a Motorola RAZR. In each case, I either removed or left out the battery as soon as we’d realized something was clunking around in the dryer and fished out the phone (The LG phone stayed together, but the RAZR’s battery cover came off and the battery also came popped out) and put the piieces in a warm place to dry out. Our oven has a warming drawer that will hold 150 degrees - just a noodge warmer than a parked car in full sun - so I used that. After two days, I re-assembled the phones and plugged them in to charge. When they reported full charge, I fired them up. They both came to life. The LG’s camera did not survive, but it did still work as a phone. The RAZR remained fully functional, and only suffered some mineral deposits between the main display and the outer protective glass/plastic. One thing that may have aided in the phones’ survival is that our washing machine is a high-efficiency front-loader, so the phones rolled and sloshed through water, rather than remaining submerged. Of course, they were well and truly soaked, so it might not make a difference what sort of washer it was. Other than that, not attempting to power them up until they were completely dry was sure to help. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/7 "2007-01-18T07:43:16Z")
[QUOTE=if6was9] I dropped mine in the toilet for like 3.2 seconds. Fished it out and dried it off right away. It died. [/QUOTE] If it lived, would you even want to touch it again? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![bbs2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e495f1/32.png) [@bbs2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bbs2k)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/8 "2007-01-18T10:04:41Z")
My gf is a lifeguard, and recently plopped her phone down to the bottom of a 12 foot deep pool. She fished it out with a skimmer, then took out the battery and didn’t turn it opn until the next day when it had dried out. It’s a bit wonky now, 4 weeks later, but still works now. I wish you much luck with yours. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/9 "2007-01-18T11:13:05Z")
In my experience there’s rhyme or reason behind how often liquid ingressed phones (as we call them in the industry) behave. I’ve seen phones left out in the rain overnight and work fine, or I’ve seen phone die from the condensation of being left in a car over a cold night. It depends on which circuits the liqud breaks by corrosion, and which ones it’s shorting. My best advice is keep it warm, not hot. The heat can buckle the boards and speed up corrosion. ---
**Author:** ![essell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/34f0e0/32.png) [@essell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essell)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/10 "2007-01-18T11:14:22Z")
[QUOTE=essell] In my experience there’s rhyme or reason [/QUOTE] In my experience there’s _no_ rhyme or reason. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/11 "2007-01-18T13:13:51Z")
I apparently freaked out a little too soon. The phone turned back on after a while. The picture on the screen’s not perfect, but it’s readable. _Big sigh of relief_ I still feel pretty stupid for getting into this situation in the first place, though. But I’m studying abroad this semester as of the 22nd(during which time a cell phone for over there is included and I won’t be using this one) and then I’m due for a new one in October (Verizon 2-year thing). ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/12 "2007-01-18T13:50:08Z")
Upon further information, there appears to be condensation in the front window on the outside of the phone. Ideas how the fix that? I can live with it, but if it’s fixable, that’d be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/13 "2007-01-18T15:35:38Z")
[QUOTE=monica] Upon further information, there appears to be condensation in the front window on the outside of the phone. Ideas how the fix that? I can live with it, but if it’s fixable, that’d be awesome. [/QUOTE] You need to find a way to gently heat it to drive off the moisture. I’d put it in a cardboard box and arrange a way to have a lamp shining down on it, say about 60 to 75 watts. A couple or three hours ought to do it. Put a piece of candle in with it to monitor the temperature. If the wax begins to melt, it’s starting to get too hot; move the bulb farther away or turn it off for a few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/14 "2007-01-18T16:39:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally Posted by if6was9 > I dropped mine in the toilet for like 3.2 seconds. Fished it out and dried it off right away. It died. [QUOTE=gotpasswords] If it lived, would you even want to touch it again? :dubious: [/QUOTE] I’ve done it. :smack: I didn’t. :eek: Though I did have to fish it out, and do a through clean… it thankfully never worked again, so I upgraded to a Blackberry. After a soak in some bleach, it went to my daughter as a “play phone.” She loves it. 😃 I still need therapy for having to reach into a freshly (or not so fresh due to the deposit) used bowl. :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/15 "2007-01-18T16:48:33Z")
I’ve dropped my phone in the toilet and recovered it…twice. I’ve also done the same with my digital pager. (and now I’ve learned my lesson about putting said devices in my back pocket 🙂 ) Both time I removed the battery and set the phone in front of a small fan for two days and it came back to life with no apparent loss of function. I think the condensation should dry up after a while on its own. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/16 "2007-01-18T20:25:27Z")
I highly recommend alcohol. Sorry, what was the question? Oh right. Soaking dunked electronics in alcohol dilutes the water that’s there, and the alcohol evaporates _way_ faster. My digital camera got rained on heavily, and after a week of sitting by the radiator still acted as though the shutter button was always pressed. My friend poured a small amount of 99% rubbing alcohol over the button, and it worked properly again almost instantly. You can get quite a large bottle for under $4, and it has many other uses so it can’t hurt to try. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/17 "2007-01-18T20:29:17Z")
Look at the bright side - it might not work, but at least it’s clean! ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/18 "2007-01-18T20:55:13Z")
In my experience this is usually fatal (though its always been in top-loading washers). One thing to note is that there is most likely a [Water senstive sticker](http://architectures.danlockton.co.uk/?p=143) in your phone that will detect if its got wet. So any thoughts of trying to take it back to to shop for a replacement/refund are out _shakes fist_ ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/19 "2007-01-18T21:07:32Z")
Water rarely hurts electronics. “See if it still works” while soaked, almost certainly will. The US Navy has certain procedures to salvage salt-water immersed equipment - mainly flushing with distilled water. The trick is to thoroughly dry the article (usually requires at least partial dis-assembly) before applying power. ---
**Author:** ![I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/i_love_me_vol.i/32/521_2.png) [@I\_Love\_Me\_Vol.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_Love_Me_Vol.I)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2007, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429/20 "2007-01-18T21:29:42Z")
WARNING: COMPLETE hijack ahead! [QUOTE=bigbabysweets2000] My gf is a lifeguard, and recently plopped her phone down to the bottom of a 12 foot deep pool. She fished it out with a skimmer, then took out the battery and didn’t turn it opn until the next day when it had dried out. It’s a bit wonky now, 4 weeks later, but still works now. I wish you much luck with yours. [/QUOTE] Surely she wanted to get the thing out of the pool as quickly as possible–why didn’t she just dive down and get the phone by hand? It must have taken a lot longer to use the skimmer–they don’t go under water that easily because of the drag of the net and the buoyancy of the handle. Plus, while it’s easy to catch things with it that are floating, it’s not very easy to fish things out that are on the bottom. Is it because she can’t swim? (that would preclude MOST people from becoming a lifeguard). [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-cellphone-went-through-washer-and-drier/388429.md?page=2)