# I am an idiot. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 10, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933 "2006-11-10T21:31:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/1 "2006-11-10T21:31:27Z")
Today I washed my Cell phone with my clothes. I am an idiot. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/2 "2006-11-10T21:38:41Z")
There there … don’t get in a spin over it. ---
**Author:** ![Adoptamom\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Adoptamom\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Adoptamom_II)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/3 "2006-11-10T21:39:47Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodal] Today I washed my Cell phone with my clothes. I am an idiot. That is all. [/QUOTE] AdoptaDaughter did that last week to AdoptaDad’s cell phone. Put out a plea on Freecycle for a replacement phone - back in business in a few days. Try it! Worked for us (not the cell phone - the desperate plea). ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/4 "2006-11-10T21:53:08Z")
**Quasimodal** : I hope you don’t call this a good pitting. Three lines, strongest word was idiot. Man, this thing won’t last long in the pit. You will probably be spun out to MPSIMS in no time flat. I give it a 1 on the 10 scale. 😉 Bummer on the cell phone, sounds like you should try \*\*Adoptamom\_II \*\* idea. Jim ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/5 "2006-11-10T21:54:55Z")
I am currently baking the phone in the oven to dry it out. So much for a nice dinner. Feel free to move this to MPSIMS ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/6 "2006-11-10T21:57:00Z")
Yeah, I did that once, too. Guess what? It works just fine now. Take out the battery and the SIM card and let it dry out for a few days. Put it and the battery in front of a van, a vent, or wherever there’s moving air to help the moisture escape. I think I gave it three days before I tried to do anything with it. Then, plug it in, give the battery a few minutes to start charging, and see if it turns on. The first few days, I had trouble with the battery draining really quickly but that problem went away, too. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/7 "2006-11-10T22:04:20Z")
Well at least if anyone in your neighborhood gets any dirty phone calls, they’ll know it wasn’t you… What, too easy? ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/8 "2006-11-10T22:06:02Z")
Off to **MPSIMS** , where this thread belongs. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/9 "2006-11-10T22:10:22Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodal] I am currently baking the phone in the oven to dry it out. So much for a nice dinner. Feel free to move this to MPSIMS [/QUOTE] Is it done yet? ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/10 "2006-11-10T22:19:06Z")
You’ve got nothin’. I once took out a $1200 partial, put it in toilet paper, threw the TP in the toilet, and flushed. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/11 "2006-11-10T22:33:29Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] Is it done yet? [/QUOTE] I bet it tastes terrible. ---
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2006, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/12 "2006-11-10T23:54:54Z")
[QUOTE=The Weird One] Put it and the battery in front of a van …[snip]…Good luck! [/QUOTE] :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/13 "2006-11-11T00:09:40Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodal] I am currently baking the phone in the oven to dry it out. [/QUOTE] Wait…after washing something in the washing machine, you dry it in the _oven_? Man, remind me never to ask you to do _my_ laundry… ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/14 "2006-11-11T02:00:36Z")
I have baked the phone for four hours. It now boots up but can’t receive signal… ☹ Perhaps I should deep fry it. ---
**Author:** ![Booker57](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/15 "2006-11-11T02:24:41Z")
I have a sign in the laundry. Washing is E-Z Empty pockets. Zip it up. Stole the idea from a college. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/16 "2006-11-11T02:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=Cabin\_Fever] :eek: [/QUOTE] D’oh! I meant fan, obviously. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/17 "2006-11-11T02:37:43Z")
I’ve washed two cell phones and one Ipod over the past couple of years. Two dead cell phones. The Ipod still works. Apple should make cell phones. ---
**Author:** ![Rhubarb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/59ef9b/32.png) [@Rhubarb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhubarb)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/18 "2006-11-11T02:38:12Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodal] I have baked the phone for four hours. It now boots up but can’t receive signal… ☹ Perhaps I should deep fry it. [/QUOTE] Peanut oil works best. ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/19 "2006-11-11T03:04:21Z")
Hey, I’ve left a _lipstick_ in my pocket and then run a load of clothes. What a nightmare! I’ve also washed my [watch](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=373765). But you, sir, I salute! This idea: > [@Quasimodal](#): > > I am currently baking the phone in the oven to dry it out. is brilliant. I’m actually disappointed that it doesn’t seem to have worked. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2006, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933/20 "2006-11-11T03:52:09Z")
[QUOTE=Quasimodal] I have baked the phone for four hours. It now boots up but can’t receive signal… ☹ Perhaps I should deep fry it. [/QUOTE] Give it another day. On Tuesday night, I didn’t close a bottle of Powerade properly. It drained all over my passenger seat, my bag, planner, cell phone, cigarettes and jacket. I threw the bag, sweater and jacket in the wash. The contents of the bag were not wet. The cigarettes got transplanted to a spare box. The cell phone got washed in the sink (battery and all). I figured that if Powerade didn’t kill it, the water wouldn’t either. After it was clean, I dried it with a towel and plugged it in. Nothing. I left it on the table over night and then plugged it in again Wednesday morning. Still nothing. I left it to charge all day and tried it again on Thursday. It came on but no signal and it kept bouncing between menus. Today, it works perfectly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-an-idiot/379933.md?page=2)