I accidentally dropped my phone into some cooking oil, and now oil has gotten into the charging port. The phone still works fine, but I want to make sure it doesn't get damaged. What steps should I take to clean it out, and are there any things I should avoid doing?
2 Answers
First off, if your phone is waterproof, that’s a plus! But regardless, you can safely clean the port. Use isopropyl alcohol if you can get it; it dissolves oil and evaporates quickly without leaving residue. Just power down your phone first, then use a soft cloth or cotton swab with the alcohol to gently clean the charging port. Do this a few times until you don’t see any oil left.
I would definitely turn it off until you can get some isopropyl alcohol, just to be safe.
Don't worry too much; cooking oil is non-conductive, so it shouldn't cause any immediate issues. However, cleaning it is still a good idea. Isopropyl alcohol is okay, but sometimes the oil will just drain out over time on its own. If you decide to clean it, just do it gently.
Is ethyl alcohol a suitable alternative for the cleaning? I only have that on hand right now.