How to save your mobile phone from a watery grave

I’m sure either you yourself or someone you know has at some point had the misfortune of their precious mobile phone coming into contact with it’s greatest foe – water.

I personally have suffered from this tragedy with a BlackBerry of mine getting the soaking of it’s life at the 2011 Isle of Wight Festival due to a flimsy coat not protecting it from the ferocious onslaught of Mother Nature.

So if this has ever happened to you or someone you know, I share your anguish.
I thought this particular phone was dead forever. However, there is a rather unorthodox solution at hand to salvage your mobile phone back from the brink.

Firstly, as soon as you possibly can, clean the immediate surface water off of the phone with a cloth or towel. Avoid trying to turn your phone on as this may instantly cause it to short-circuit and then it really will be lost forever.

Secondly, remove the back from your phone; remove the battery, the SIM card and the memory card. Make sure all these components are separated.

Thirdly, place all these components into a large container of rice. Yes that’s right. Rice. This can be in a bag, a glass/jug or maybe a plastic box. Make sure all the components are fully covered by the rice. Leave it for at least 3 days, maybe up to a week depending on how wet it got. Perhaps put it in an airing cupboard for good measure.

The rice should absorb the water out of the phone and all it’s components, restoring it to some form of workable nature. This worked for me following my festival incident, and has worked for those I’ve recommended it to since.*

So next time you go for a swim in the canal with your brand new iPhone 5 in your pocket, just remember a large bag of rice may just save you from a whole world of pain.

*(Please note this might not definitely work for every phone and every situation, so don’t go getting it wet on purpose to try it out)