In the washing machine.
Dang.
Now what do I do? I’ve rescued a couple other cell phones for friends by simply opening them up and letting them dry, but the iPhone has no accessible battery cover, and I can’t see how to easily open the thing up. I don’t want to make it worse.
I’ve shaken some water out of it, but that’s all. Right now it’s just sitting there on my nightstand.
Help!
Peace,
mangeorge
Get some rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl is better than nothing, 90% is better) and dunk your phone into it thoroughly. Then shake as much of the excess out as you can and let it dry for at least a day or so before trying to turn it on. The alcohol displaces water and evaporates faster.
Yeah, that’s a tough one. Ordinarily I would recommend removing the battery, discharging all capacitors, and otherwise removing all power, then rinsing it in distilled water and carefully drying it, and even that might not work, but if you can’t remove the battery…
A sunny spot near a window might help with that as well.
Bring it to a school with a “Bell jar” and a vacuum pump. Pull a vacuum and the water will “boil” out.
[really bad advice]
Microwave it.
[/rba]
Put it in the dryer?
Ok, I got nothin. I toasted 4 cell phones in 3 years doing brilliant things like that so I’m not going to be much help.
Put it in a bag of rice. Rice absorbs moisture like crazy.
AND DON’T TURN IT ON, WHATEVER YOU DO
Be careful if you do this: iPhones seem to have a particular lack of fondness for heat; there have been several reports of folks melting them in hot cars (although it’s not clear what "melted, the iPhone being metal and glass on the outside.)
I’ve doused a large number of electronics in my time. Washing machines are uncertain: if soap got in it, it’s probably toast. Just water? They’ve come back every time, although sometimes it takes a couple weeks.
This is actually not a bad idea. At 75F (25C) water boils at 27" of vacuum.
But I eated it.
I think a better title would have been: iwasher my iphone.
I second the alcohol idea (for the phone, not you, though they’re pretty pricey… you can have some too).
My digital camera had some problems after being used in a downpour; after a week of ineffective drying by the register, a shot of alcohol fixed it in minutes.
It didn’t work on the iPod nano that my brother’s gf put through the washer and dryer, but if you just washer it, it couldn’t hurt.
Now if you burning your dog, you’ll have to ask someone else.
If there’s an Apple Store close by, go in and ask at the Genius Bar. I’m sure you aren’t the first.
I’m not sure it is really a great idea. Some of the components might be damaged by exposure to vacuum.
Are you telling me that the iphone won’t work in space? I’m so disappointed all over again now.
I’ve been meaning to address that little mistype. Here ya go;
“I washed my iPhone”.
Better now?
I’ll use them if they restore my warranty. Otherwise, I found a site that has a disassemble video for replacing the battery.
I have the site bookmarked at home. I can post it if anyone’s interested.
I assume you didn’t purchase the insurance on your iPhone?
Here’s the fun part - AT&T’s insurance does not extend to the iPhone. I guess the only option you may have it the Apple Care program.