A report a while back reckoned that getting on for a million mobile phones are sent crashing down UK toilets every year, at a cost of £324 million.
With the festive season in full swing, we reckon there’s a good chance several more phones will also be U-bend bound, and if you’re unlucky enough to send your handset in the direction of the lapping waters below, don’t panic – all is not lost!
How to get your dripping wet phone working again
1. As soon as you’ve got the phone out of the toilet pan, remove the battery immediately. Don’t mess about with the power on/off switch – just rip off the back in double quick time and wrench the battery out. Time is of the essence here!
2. Remove the SIM card and any memory cards and take off any slot covers etc. You want to strip the phone down as much as you can.
3. Hold the phone upside down give it a firm shake to remove remaining liquids, and use a towel (or loo paper) to gently dab off as much excess moisture as you can.
4. Rush home (or dash across to the nearest supermarket/corner shop) and buy a bag of uncooked rice, put it into a container and then completely cover the phone with the rice. Leave for as long as possible (we reckon 24 hours, minimum, and perhaps consider changing the rice once to be sure).
Over time, the rice should suck up all the moisture from the phone and, with luck, you’ll have a working phone again. It might also be worth buying a new battery afterwards to be on the safe side too.
There are other methods for trying to salvage soaked phones, but if they fail to rescue your handset, we wouldn’t recommend trying to pull a fast one on your mobile supplier. Most phones come with indicators that reveal if they’ve been for a dip or not.
