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What to do if you dropped your Samsung phone, it fell into the toilet and does not turn on? — Oddly enough, this question is asked on forums and typed into search engines much more often than we think. A similar situation happens to almost every third person. And why all? We have become so integrated with our gadget that we cannot part with it even for a second. The most common situation is when the phone falls out of the back pocket while taking off your pants. And it’s good if the toilet is in your own apartment. What if there is a public or country house “teremok” with a hole instead of a toilet?
Of course, you can get your phone wet not only in the toilet. People drop their communication devices in sinks, in a puddle on the street, and they may remember that the phone was left in their shirt pocket when the washing machine was already running. Quite often, various liquids (tea, coffee, juice, etc.) are spilled on a mobile phone. That is, there are many situations when a mobile phone gets wet, but not everyone can save their “friend”. It all depends on many factors: what kind of phone, how long it was in the liquid, what kind of liquid it was in, and much more. Unfortunately, when people try to find the information they need on the Internet, most often it is too late to do anything. But we’ll still try to help you, what if you’re lucky and can still save him?
Why is liquid in your phone dangerous?
Any device that operates using electricity does not tolerate liquids. As soon as it gets into the phone, the following processes can begin:
- Contacts that lead to certain parts begin to oxidize. This could be an audio output, various buttons and connectors. As a result, functions fail;
- Salt and moisture begin to corrode the board and other parts made of metal. This may lead to the device turning off;
- Due to liquid entering the phone body, the image may not be clear.
On older models, the buttons may stop working, become stuck, or may not respond correctly when pressed.
Is water a source of life or a mortal enemy?
Before examining in detail the process of rescuing electronic devices that have fallen into the toilet bowl, you need to understand why contact of a mobile phone with the liquid in which life on planet Earth originated is so dangerous.
It must be said right away that the water circulating in the water supply is one of the most dangerous enemies for electronics. Moreover, we are talking not so much about it as such, but about its chemical composition.
Water is good for humans, but causes irreparable harm to technology
A lot of different components are dissolved in liquids used for drinking and household needs: salts, alkalis, minerals, and so on. Moreover, this does not depend on whether you buy mineral water in a bottle, draw it from a tap or scoop it up in a river (in the latter case, the water is enriched with a large number of microorganisms, not all of which are useful for the human body).
Note! It is easy to verify what has been said. You can easily notice mineral deposits from water on window glass after rain or on the walls of clear glasses that have been washed but not wiped with a towel.
Substances dissolved in water are useful and necessary for humans. Salts and other minerals entering the body participate in chemical reactions occurring inside, without which the functioning of certain organs and systems is impossible.
Be careful when using your phone in the toilet
The situation is completely different with electronic components. Chemical reactions occurring inside the phone render microcircuits, boards, contacts and much more unusable. If measures are not taken in time to save the drowned phone, it is unlikely to be brought back to life.
What not to do after dropping your phone in the toilet
- After dropping your mobile device into the toilet, you should never put it in the microwave. This will cause it to simply burn as metal objects should not be placed in microwave ovens. Moreover, this may cause a fire.
- Also, do not put your smartphone in a bowl of uncooked rice. This myth about the benefits of rice has existed for a long time, but it can only absorb part of the water from the outer surface of the gadget. In addition, after a while, the moisture will cause the rice to become sticky and get stuck in the holes of the phone. And this can also lead to new breakdowns.
- In addition, do not place a wet device in the freezer. The fact is that if you place the gadget in the freezer, all the moisture will turn into ice. Once removed, it will begin to melt and spread to other parts of the mobile device that were not damaged.
You cannot charge a mobile device that has just been pulled out of the water.
What not to do?
Many people make stupid mistakes when they drop their phone in the toilet or spill liquid on it, trying to rehabilitate it, but in the end it only gets worse. Here's what you absolutely shouldn't do:
- Turn it on to check without drying it first. If you do this, a short circuit may occur when you turn it on, and then the microcircuits may completely burn out.
- Dry with a hairdryer, on a radiator, radiator, or in a microwave oven. High temperatures can melt vulnerable parts, and the microwave can actually burn out.
- Shake the phone. There is no need to try to shake the phone so that water flows out of it, because in this way the liquid will only spread even more and penetrate into all the cracks and hard-to-reach places.
- Place in flour, salt or sugar to dry. Small particles can get into the gadget and interfere with its operation.
- Connect the mobile phone to the charger until completely dry. The charger connector may still be wet, in which case the power supply may cause a short circuit.
The phone fell into the toilet - what to do first?
Once the device falls into the toilet, you will need to take quick and decisive action. If you managed to pull the device out of the water in the very first seconds after the fall, then there is a chance that the electrical parts of the device will not be damaged and will work as if nothing had happened.
Therefore, there is no need to be disdainful and waste time looking for gloves. The best solution is to grab the phone and pull it out of the toilet. After dropping the device into water, there is no need to check its functionality. You should not press various buttons and so on, as this will cause the phone to break beyond repair.
Even if the phone is still working after being taken out of the water, it must be turned off. If possible, you should also remove the battery, SD cards, and SIM card. If you have toilet paper or a towel on hand, you need to use it to wipe away water and dirt from the parts of the gadget.
There is no need to worry about the parts that were removed from the device. Once they are completely dry, they can be used. Then you will need to dry the remaining parts that you can get close to. A folded small piece of paper that needs to be inserted into all connectors will help with this. This way it will absorb moisture.
Do not push paper into the connectors of your mobile device using pins or a needle. In this matter it is necessary to act as carefully as possible.
After these manipulations, you can wash your hands and treat them with antibacterial agents.
Follow the link to watch a video that details how to save a phone that has fallen into water:
Immediately remove the battery and SIM cards
Then immediately remove the battery - another sure step to avoid a short circuit. If you have an iPhone, you can simply reduce the power. Few people can disassemble an iPhone without tools.
Also don't forget about the SIM card. Don’t let the contacts saved on it disappear under the heavy, damp weight of water and secretions. Well, iPhone owners, of course, will have problems, because you can’t just pull anything out. But if suddenly there is a paperclip, a needle or something similar nearby, then feel free to pick in the card tray. Simka needs to be saved.
How to disassemble a phone
After the device is dropped, it will need to be disassembled to make room for air. It is necessary to unscrew and remove all the parts that come out.
In order to unscrew the parts you will need a small screwdriver or a straight shaped one. You should always have one of these tools at home as they can be useful in a variety of situations.
It is worth remembering that you need to disassemble the device as carefully as possible, remembering the location and number of unscrewed bolts. You can simplify this process by drawing a diagram of the device on a piece of paper or taking a photograph.
How to dry your phone after a fall
There are several ways to dry your smartphone. For example, you can use a vacuum cleaner or hair dryer.
You can dry your phone with a vacuum cleaner if you have a special narrow attachment. It is necessary to direct the air flow to each connector of the mobile device. This must be done for at least five minutes.
If you dry your phone with a hairdryer, you can only use a cold air stream. The hairdryer should be kept at a distance of more than 10 centimeters from the phone.
Hot air can cause more damage to the gadget as it will only melt the contacts and parts.
If you have a device at home that absorbs moisture, you can use it to dry your phone. You can also use cat litter to dry the device. To do this, you just need to place the gadget in a container with filler for a day.
The easiest way to dry it is to put the phone on the windowsill in the full sun. The main thing is not to place it in direct sunlight, as this can cause the phone to overheat.
How to clean your smartphone
If there is moisture, you need to get rid of it with a dry cloth. Thus, you need to dry all the microcircuits, cables, and contacts that you can reach. You will also need to wipe them with a cotton swab, which has been previously soaked in alcohol. Alcohol will not only help clean your phone, but will also help moisture evaporate faster.
In fact, water does not pose a big threat to the gadget. The most dangerous thing is what is contained in it. And these are minerals, salts, alkalis and other elements. They cause rust and corrosion, and can also oxidize the contacts in the device.
In addition, in stores you can find various products that can quickly dry all contacts.
How to get rid of odor
After saving the gadget parts from moisture, all that remains is to get rid of the unpleasant odor. Most often, after falling into the toilet, the phone emits this smell, which may not be so easy to get rid of.
A container with coffee, activated carbon or soda in which you need to place the device can help with this. These products can perfectly remove unpleasant odors.
In addition, in stores you can find a huge number of products that can absorb unpleasant odors. If you have similar ones at home, you can simply leave the device next to this product or place it in a container.
The main thing you should not do in order to get rid of an unpleasant odor is to spray an air freshener or deodorant on your phone. In this case, the unpleasant odor will merge with another odor. After this, it will be even more difficult to get rid of the aromas.
Follow the link to watch a video about what to do if your phone falls into the toilet:
Selica gel will help
What is silica gel? Not everyone knows its name, although you might have seen it on sale. Silica gel is a dried gel. It is capable of absorbing a lot of moisture, so it is used as a dehumidifier. You may have seen it in bags that are often placed in shoe boxes. This substance can also be purchased separately in stores. If you come across a bag like this, don’t hesitate to throw it away. Perhaps you will really need it someday, for example, to save your broken phone.
How to turn on the phone after drying
The phone should be turned on only a day after cleaning and drying. In this case, the first switching on should be done without a SIM card in order not to risk it. If, when turned on, the device begins to make strange sounds, and the screen does not respond to touches, then you will need to take it to a service center.
If the phone turns on without any problems, you will need to check the clarity of the sound of the speakers, the functionality of the microphone, and the correct operation of the camera and software. After this, you can insert a SIM card into your smartphone and connect it to charging.
It is necessary to pay attention to even the smallest irregularities in the operation of the smartphone, since in the future these problems can lead to not very pleasant consequences.
When to contact specialists
It is worth contacting specialists in the following cases:
- After falling into the toilet, the phone stopped turning on;
- Stripes or any other deformations appear on the phone screen;
- The device stopped charging after drying;
- The phone screen does not respond to touches;
- The body of the device is swollen.
If any of the above happened to your phone, you won’t be able to fix it yourself. At a service center, an experienced technician will be able to repair your phone very quickly, but the cost of repairs can be very high.
Should I tell the truth?
If your phone falls into the toilet and does not turn on, some parts, screen or battery may be broken. In this case, the technicians will tell you what needs to be replaced. Sometimes it happens that people try to deceive the service center in order to get free repairs under warranty. Rest assured, the repairman will immediately find out the cause of the breakdown, because many gadgets have a tiny indicator that changes color when in contact with water, for example, it was white but now becomes pink. Better tell the truth. Get help right away so you don't waste time.
