How To Clean Water Damaged Electronics: 4 Easy DIY Steps

Did you accidentally drop your phone somewhere watery and eventually did a quick search on how to clean water damaged electronics? Don’t fret; this experience does not have to be a full nightmare. This guide will offer way more useful information than just putting your phone in a bag of rice.

 

how to clean water damaged electronics

What Does Water Do To Electronics?

There is a reason why it is almost an unspoken rule to protect electronics from water damage at all costs. This stems from the most baffling cause of water damage: corrosion. This is usually the product of metal with water and oxygen which later creates iron oxide or rust.

Regardless of the conformal coatings, corrosion basically happens as a result of a metal’s chemical reaction to its environment. Since electronics are mainly made of metal, any exposure to water might lead to a gradual deterioration of its material.

However, corrosion does not always happen as soon as water gets into the metal parts. For some cases, it might begin a few hours after the incident or it can endure a few days before you spot the issues. This time frame relies on the device makeup, length of water exposure, and level of humidity.

 

Can You Still Save Water Damaged Electronics?

You must know that you are not dealing with a simple accumulation of water on your device. You must take precautions while thinking of fixing your soaked device for two reasons: you might further damage the device with your rookie mistakes or you might potentially hurt yourself.

If you are in doubt about how to repair water damaged electronics, consult a professional help. That is much better than attempting to repair a device yourself without any background knowledge. Remember that you are trying to solve a problem here and not add one.

 

How To Clean A Device Post-Water Damage 

Although you cannot save your water damaged electronics, you can try these helpful tips to at least get rid of the water. Don’t worry because any average electronic user can do this.

 

Step #1. Remove any power connectors

To prevent any short-circuiting on your device, remove batteries or any supplies of power. This will require you to take extra caution as there are already corroded connectors. This is an essential step to avoid any worst case scenario related to electrical power.

 

Step #2. Spot any crusty areas

These crusty areas usually appear in either white or green. They are commonly found in major metal connectors such as battery connectors, charging ports, circuit boards, logic boards, and SIM card connectors.

 

Step #3. Apply a cleaning solution

To clean the water damaged area, use cotton swabs with either vinegar, isopropyl alcohol or a mixture of baking soda and water as your cleaning solution. Lightly put in the solution to the affected area and gently wipe back and forth until the corrosion is no longer noticeable.

If the corrosion is hard to remove, leave some of the solution to the corroded part and let it stay for a few minutes before wiping it off. This will ensure that there are no signs of corrosion in the device anymore. Soaked circuit boards, however, may call for specific chemical applications.

 

Step #4. Dry the device completely

Use a soft cloth or go to a cool part in your house and utilize a hair dryer to make sure that the device is extremely dry. This is an important step before attempting to replace the battery and try turning on the device. Otherwise, any missed water on the device will cause extra damage.

 

Does Home Insurance Cover Damaged Electronics?

Insurance policies are based on covered perils. This means that if the cause of the water damage on your electronic device is not on the insurance coverage, then it will most likely not be shouldered by the home insurance.

This means that your home insurance will not pay nor help you in the repair of your electronic device if its cause does not fall under the mentioned perils. For instance, if you merely accidentally dropped your phone, you will be the only one shouldering your expenses.

 

Does Gadget Insurance Cover Damaged Electronics?

Gadget insurance, from the name itself, will surely aid any electronic device owners with repair and replacement. This insurance is regardless of what caused damage to your device. However, it is important to remember that this is different from home insurance.

Whether you are going to consult your home or gadget insurance, you should take a mental note that there are coverage limits to these financial aids. Be sure to have a discussion with your insurance agent to clarify confusions and arrive at the best possible solution.

 

Conclusion

In the event that you accidentally drop your electronics in a pool of water or an unforeseen incident happens, all it needs to lessen your woes is to act immediately. The four steps mentioned about how to clean water damaged electronics will save you from this mishap.

Water and electronics are things you clearly should not place in one environment. However, sometimes, things go out of hand, and all you could do is check a quick and easy guide online.

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