What I didn’t tell you when posting my boyfriend’s video of the fireworks was that I had accidentally dropped my phone in pond water.
The fireworks took place at Alton Baker Park and we sat at the bank of a duck pond to get a good view. I was foolish enough to leave my Blackberry Curve at the very edge where the cement began to decline into the water. There was a sliding sound and a “plunk” but I was too absent-minded to connect the sound to the origin. The drunk lady next to me then kept exclaiming, “Was that your phone? I think you dropped your phone. I think I heard your phone. Oh, no! Your phone!”
Actually that part was pretty funny.
Anyway, my boyfriend waded in and managed to find the phone in the dark murky water by waiting for the screen to reflect the fireworks.
It had turned itself off and I immediately pulled out the battery, SIM card and memory chip. Lucky for me, this was the one time I actually thought to bring a handkerchief, so I used that to pat it dry.
I didn’t want to ruin the fireworks for the boyfriend, so I didn’t insist that we go home. I just kept it pulled apart and let it air-dry, already considering the possibility of having to pay an arm and leg for a new phone or downgrade to a cheap clamshell.
As soon as I got home (it must have been a good hour later at the least) I searched the internet for recommendations of how to save a water-damaged phone. That’s how I found out about the uncooked rice. Fortunately, we always have loads of rice in the house.
After there was nothing left to dry off with a towel, I filled a plastic food storage container with uncooked rice and shoved my phone in, along with the battery.
I then left it open and out on my bedside table and waited 2 days. Two absolutely agonizing Blackberry-deprived days that I never want to experience again. Not having my life organizer around was like trying to go about my days without my own two hands.
It’s been about two weeks since and my phone works as if it had never even seen water in its lifetime. So, friends, if you ever drop your phone in water, give the rice trick a try.
- Make sure your phone is powered OFF and do NOT attempt to turn it on at ANY POINT until it is completely dry.
- Take the phone apart. Take everything off that you possibly can – battery, SIM card, memory chip, etc…
- If you dropped your phone in un-pure water and you have immediate access to clean water, flush out the un-pure water with the clean water first.
- Wipe/pat it dry with a towel or handkerchief.
- DO NOT BLOW DRY. If you have one, use a hand-vacuum to suck out excess moisture.
- Stick it in a bowl of uncooked rice, silica gel or some type of desiccant.
- Stop taking advice from a non-expert like me and use this link: http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how_to/4269047.html
I am alienman. Writing a small blurb about myself is the hardest thing to do. "Blurb" is a funny word.
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Haha!!! DAMN!!! But see RICE is good for everything! LOL!!
Wow… I’m glad it worked though! I hate being without my phone!! It’s like I’m missing a hand or something. But how sweet of the BF to wade in pond water to look for it!! AWWWWWWWWWWW…. What a keeper!!
wow I didn’t know uncooked rice could act as a dessicant. Good to know! I’m glad your phone was fine!
wow..that is so interesting. So your phone works now? And is completely dry??? Amazing…
ann: Yep. Dry as a bone and works as well as ever. We were so sure that I’d have to replace my phone but no such worries!
Shit.
I should’ve done that withy my old Sony K750i!
wow how interesting!! glad to hear you could save your phone
oww mann! does this still work if you’v tried to turn the phone on? and plugged it in ?
HS: You should NOT turn your phone back on until it’s completely dried. If you do, the circuits will fry (unless you’re REALLY, REALLY lucky). Did you end up losing your phone?
hi, how long do i have to keep the phone in the rice for?
nvm lol
Hi All,
I was trying to clean my trackerball and used the good old cotton bud and the slightest amount of water.
I’ve turned the phone on nearly 30 minutes later and the buttons were not working properly at the top – it was basically typing in the wrong keys. I’ve then taken the battery out and realised it could be some type of water damage (I can’t see how…)
I’ve now placed it in uncooked rice and won’t touch it for a few days…?
But… Is there a chance the circuits could be fried with such a minimal amount of water if any
Thanks
Will it still work fine if I didn’t flush out the dirty water with clean water? I just put it straight into the rice…
Hi Abbie:
I didn’t get a chance to flush it out, either. Patted it dry, and let the parts air out while I waited to get home. Once I got home, I stuck it in the rice and just left it there for 2 days.
Flush it out only if you have IMMEDIATE access to clean water right after you’ve dropped it in dirty water. Otherwise, just towel dry as much as possible then put it in rice.
How long did you keep it in rice for?
Mine was in the washer but was only in for 5 mins i left it to dry for an hour but the screen is just white, will the rice work for me?
Kieranx: I’m not an expert so I couldn’t give you an answer. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to try.
Manu: I kept it in the rice for around 2 or 3 days.
Hey! Dropped phone down the toilet (Gutted). Dried it for a few hours, battery & sim out.
It works, receives calls, txt, bbm, emails. But alas screen not working. I have put in rice & will wait for a while. What do you think?
Many thanx
Winty
Hi! My phone accidentally fell out of my pocket into the toilet. I took it out and someone told me that when I got home that i should put it in a bag of rice. So I did and the next morning I tried it, and it still wouldn’t work. So I put it back in the rice and kept it in there all day/night. Then this morning my husband took it out and put the battery in and it turned on just fine. Then i tried to turn my camera on and the screen went completely black, and wouldn’t turn back on or anything. And when i plugged it into my charger it wasn’t showing the little light on the front that usually shows when its charging. So I put it back in the rice and am hoping that I didn’t fry my phone
Should I try to put it in white rice? Right now its been in old brown rice that i’ve had for a long time…and I wasn’t sure if it should be in a certain rice or not. Please help?!
Hello, i was in the bath and i had my phone on top of the shelf then when i came out the shower it was only a little bit wet. after 1hour some of my keys stopped working. the blackberry is working perfectly fine and the screen is okay. i took out the battery and sim and put it in a jug of rice. do you think this will work? i really love my blackberry and the longest i can wait for is 24hours
Hey Gareth
I really can’t answer this question for you since I’m not an expert. I waited two days instead of just 24 hours because I didn’t want to take any chances since I loved my blackberry, too. I hope you were able to recover yours without problems. Good luck.
hi my name is kyle I was in the bath and my 1 day old blackbreey cerve feel in. only 4 about 1 seconde put the sceen went all black and i put rice in and dint turn on
Yesterday night my mom told me to grab a case of soda that had been by my feet and so I grab it put it in my lap and started to get out the van and sence Im only like 4’11 I had to kind of jump out and all of a sudden the case of soda just slid out my lap and hit the ground all the can sodas exploded and my phone just so happen to be in the box so I dive to the ground sticking my hand in the box I grab my phone and it was filled soda so I ran in the house and grabbed a pot filled it with rice and put my phone the battery and the sim chip in the rice and let it sit Ford about an hour and it works but not like it use to and that my story