Help - daughter's new mobile been in the wash!

beachbeth

Ive just taken a load out of the washing machine and found that my daughter's mobile was in there! We haven't switched it on and have put it in a bowl of rice and in the sun outside. How likely is it to work and how many days shall I leave it to dry out? She is on contract and has only just had this phone, so Im in the bad books at the moment.

Also, the phone is only available on contract. Will T-Mobile let me pay for a replacement? (Its not insured)

Lokolo

Water damage isn't covered by manufacturers gaurentee and without insurnce with T-Mobile you are unlikely to get a replacement.

However saying that, my phone went through washing machines numerous times and has got extremely wet numerous times, and still works.

I wouldn't suggest leaving it in the sun though, if it gets too hot the battery will explode (or something to that effect). I would let it dry out in normal air.

Should work.

and why are you in the bad books? surely you're not the one who left it in their?

wakeupalarm

1) Separate the battery from the phone and hand dry them as much as you can.
2) Put the phone and battery separately in your airing cupboard if you have one or somewhere warm.
3) Leave it at few days, it's probably best to leave it a week.

beachbeth

Lokolo wrote: »

and why are you in the bad books? surely you're not the one who left it in their?

She was wearing my dressing gown and I peeled it off her to wash it. She forgot her phone was in the pocket and, of course, I didn't know it was there.

The phone is buried in a bowl of rice and in the sun, so the rice is protecting it but its getting the warmth.

TiTheRev

wakeupalarm wrote: »

1) Separate the battery from the phone and hand dry them as much as you can.
2) Put the phone and battery separately in your airing cupboard if you have one or somewhere warm.
3) Leave it at few days, it's probably best to leave it a week.

My wife did the same thing seperating it and leaving it in the airing cupboard, and despite the huge crack (she drove over it in the pouring rain, left it to do the weekly shop and then came back and found it on the drive!) it worked fine after a couple of days... :rotfl:

M4RKM

i swear by the rice idea.. but separate the bits, and put it in an airtight container.. this means the rice can absorb the moisture only in the phone...

Moneymaker

The most important thing is to remove the battery immediately. Dirty water acts as a conductor and shunts the current to places in the circuitry where it shouldn't go.

beachbeth

Does it matter that the phone was switched on when it went through the wash?

espresso

beachbeth wrote: »

Does it matter that the phone was switched on when it went through the wash?

It's a bit late to ask that question isn't it?

:rolleyes:

beachbeth

espresso wrote: »

It's a bit late to ask that question isn't it?

:rolleyes:

Not really. I was just wondering about everyone who had said their phone worked after drying out. Did any of them get their phones wet whilst it was switched on? I was just trying to work out the likelihood of my daughter's phone still working after we dry it out.

Anyway, my daughter turned her phone on yesterday (too early in my opinion) and it looks like its knackered anyway.

Tigsteroonie

beachbeth wrote: »

Not really. I was just wondering about everyone who had said their phone worked after drying out. Did any of them get their phones wet whilst it was switched on? I was just trying to work out the likelihood of my daughter's phone still working after we dry it out.

Yes, the guys I work with carry their phones switched on all the time, and they've dropped them into deep puddles and burns (streams) ... we recommend separating the phone as much as possible, removing battery and also the outside case (e.g. if it's an older Nokia) ... then place spaced out on a towel and leave in an airing cupboard for a few days.

We did have one phone that still didn't work after 5 days ... but when we took the supposedly-duff phone out the drawer months later, it had started working again!