I recently lost my phone for a few days, and, unfortunately, it got caught in a blizzard followed by rain. I found it in my yard, completely soaked. The phone was already dead when I lost it, but I think there's a chance it might still work. I accidentally put it on the charger last night without turning it on—it lit up for a moment, showing the battery percentage, but there were no lines or damage visible. Now I'm wondering how long I should keep it off before attempting to turn it on, and whether it's likely to be salvageable since it was only exposed to rain and snow for about five days. Any advice?
2 Answers
What kind of phone do you have? That might change the odds for a potential save. Some models handle water better than others.
One solid approach is to buy some demineralized water and let your phone take a bath in it for about 30 minutes to a few hours. Make sure to change the water a few times to wash away any impurities. I once saved my phone that fell into the sea by doing this; it took a week or two, but it totally worked! Trust me on this one!
Just to elaborate, washing the phone helps get rid of any stuff that could cause corrosion or short circuits inside. It's actually one of the best chances you have to bring it back to life if it's salvageable!