# Phone in toilet **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 11, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039 "2013-05-11T00:18:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/21 "2013-05-16T02:46:44Z")
A coworker just told me his brother went swimming for 15 minutes with his phone in his pocket, and the rice method seemed to bring it back perfectly. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/22 "2013-05-16T19:49:51Z")
See “Fallacy of Cause and Effect.” We do not know what would have happened if rice had not been used. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/23 "2013-05-17T01:27:23Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Dorky or not, my phone rides in its little belt pouch. > _And_ I carry a Mini-Maglite in a belt case too. > Dork? Sure, but I’ve got a working phone and I can find things in the dark. > [@missred](#): > > What?! No pouch for the leatherman? 😃 > > I work for a remanufacturer of cell phones that deals in insurance claims for them (we get the wrecked phones from the claim when applicable). Although I don’t work out in the production area, I’ve heard horrer stories. > > Follow what e\_c\_g says s/he knows what s/he’s talking about. Ironically, phones with internal (non-removable) batteries tend to fare better with “damage caused by liquid”. Swiss Army knife in my pocket - don’t need a leatherman! Which is another reason I don’t put my phone in my pocketses - I’m sure not putting a phone in the same pocket as my knife or keys! And if I’ve got a case to protect my phone from either, why not just put it on my belt, where it’s handier anyway? ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/24 "2013-05-17T03:00:41Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > Dorky or not, my phone rides in its little belt pouch. > _And_ I carry a Mini-Maglite in a belt case too. > Dork? Sure, but I’ve got a working phone and I can find things in the dark. My phone _is_ my flashlight. Just turn the LED on. > [@missred](#): > > What?! No pouch for the leatherman? 😃 > > I work for a remanufacturer of cell phones that deals in insurance claims for them (we get the wrecked phones from the claim when applicable). Although I don’t work out in the production area, I’ve heard horrer stories. > > Follow what e\_c\_g says s/he knows what s/he’s talking about. Ironically, phones with internal (non-removable) batteries tend to fare better with “damage caused by liquid”. Non-removable battery devices can be closed and sealed better than removable battery devices. I’d expect them to perform better against liquid ingress. It’s one of the arguments for making them. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/25 "2013-05-17T04:42:40Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I’ve given up on telling people that the rice usually doesn’t do anything. Rice in the salt shaker helps keep the salt from clumping-up in humid environments. Cell phones, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![sisu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@sisu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sisu)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/26 "2013-05-17T05:26:24Z")
After an unfortunate incident involving my son, a bowl of noodles and my 5 day old iPhone 5; I got a Sony Xperia, first waterproof smartphone FTW!! ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2013, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/27 "2013-05-17T10:20:20Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > Rice in the salt shaker helps keep the salt from clumping-up in humid environments. Cell phones, not so much. I find it hard to believe rice is more hygroscopic than salt. Could it be because the rice is acting like a ball mill? ---
**Author:** ![Quarter\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f475e1/32.png) [@Quarter\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quarter_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2013, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039/28 "2013-05-18T03:39:54Z")
I’ve done the rice thing twice and had good results. The first was with an ipod touch that my son went swimming with. Left it in a bowl of rice over night and it worked the next day. Always had some glitches after that though. More recently my android phone took a plunge in the toilet. I immediately grabbed it out, took it apart and removed the battery and sim card. Then I held on tight to it and slung it around really hard so centrifugal force would get most of the water out and then put it in a baggy of rice for two days and it works just fine. That was about 3 months ago. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/phone-in-toilet/658039.md?page=1)