Since the beginning of telephones, not just smartphones themselves, rice has been present as an emergency remedy when our device has accidentally fallen into the water. We have always praised the abilities of this cereal to absorb moisture. But is it really useful? And the big question … Can it further spoil our wet mobile?
However, manufacturers often launch terminals with resistance to water and dust, with some degree of IP certification . Despite this, water is still the great enemy of today’s smartphones, since the liquid element is responsible for a large part of the incidents received by technical services specialized in repairs.
Rice, myth or reality?
Whether we like it or not, it is going down in history as a kind of myth, which has some reality and which always ‘sows’ doubts about its true effectiveness in fixing a wet cell phone. In case there is someone clueless in the room, we will remember that the home remedy consists of inserting a mobile in rice , when it has become wet and presents, or not, ignition and operation problems.
And although recommendations vary depending on the source, but, in general, we must keep the terminal submerged in this cereal for 24/48 hours . If all goes well, the rice and its powerful efficiency in absorbing moisture, will dry out our smartphone so that it works again as it did before soaking. An effective solution for when we cannot charge the wet mobile.
Nokia said yes
Years ago, a manufacturer of recognized prestige and who knows something about mobiles, broke a spear in favor of this method, stating that the myth of rice was quite real. The brand recommended drying the wet terminal with a towel and putting it in a bag full of this cereal, placing it on a radiator and leaving it overnight. For Nokia the method was totally valid to recover mobile phones that have gotten wet.
We can say that rice helps in the task, but it all depends on various variants such as the amount of water that has entered the device or the time it has been submerged. If the mobile has a lot of water inside, it will not be able to recover it. Additionally, it may only serve as a temporary measure, as corrosion will start to do its thing to relieve operational problems in the near future.
What the experts say
In addition, some specialized technicians have found mobiles filled with grains of this cereal inside, or tiny particles of grain, which have damaged internal components, added to the problem of humidity. This means that, in addition to not being helpful, it can sometimes even exacerbate the problem. Taking this into account, we can consider rice as a good method for an initial emergency , in which once ‘dry’ we can turn on the mobile again to make a backup of our data.
It is true that this cereal has recovered many smartphones, so we can consider the myth as true, however, many others have presented subsequent malfunctions, so we cannot consider it as a 100% reliable and definitive method to fix a mobile than fallen into the water. To this must be added the aforementioned problems that can occur with rice particles. Some technicians consider it better to use silica bags, which absorb moisture better and often come with many products such as clothing or food.
The problem is corrosion
The main problem, in which this method will not be able to do anything, will be corrosion, as it will be instantaneous when a mobile phone gets wet with water. And, although sometimes the corrosion is in important parts, other times it is not, so it would continue to work without apparent problems.
Therefore, the idea of turning it off, waiting a few hours, even days, so that the water and any moisture particles disappear inside the rice is more a myth than reality, since the real danger is in itself in the corrosion has affected some vital element of the mobile, as can be the case of the connections of its chips.
That is why, if the water comes in contact with different important components, and the phone still works, it will be more of sheer luck. Although, that does not mean that the phone has oxidized solder joints that are weakened, broken or end up breaking permanently after time after a phone gets wet.
Are there better options?
The best option is still to disassemble the device to proceed to properly clean all the internal components and verify if any have been seriously affected by moisture, to proceed with their replacement. Therefore, if you do not have the knowledge to proceed to disassemble it, the most advisable way is to always go to a specialized technician.
Dry the mobile immediately
Once the terminal has been wet, the truth is that one of the first steps will be to run to dry the outside of the phone. The best way to do this is to take a kitchen towel or some napkin that is super absorbent enough so that we can eliminate the drops that could later also get into the mobile through its different slots.
However, if you have enough knowledge, there is also the possibility of disassembling the device to be able to clean it properly from the inside. But, if in your case you do not have them, the best thing is to go to a specialized technician who is in charge of doing it.
Use isopropyl alcohol
Another very effective method to give a wet mobile a second chance is isopropyl alcohol that is suitable for electrical components. In addition, it will be a good way to eliminate possible corrosion of the components. As impossible as it may be to believe, the truth is that we will be able to evaporate any trace of moisture .
One of the positive aspects of this liquid is that, having high levels of purity, it manages to evaporate without leaving a trace wherever it passes. In addition to this, we will be able to drag all the water that is on the way. Therefore, if you do not know what to do if your mobile gets wet, you can choose this option that will be eliminated. Of course, it will be enough to submerge it for a couple of minutes. Since, then, it will be necessary to remove the remains of the alcohol.
Silica Bags
The previous method will not be the only one to absorb humidity, for example, instead of using rice, we can put the mobile around silica bags that usually come in some products we buy, since its objective is to absorb possible humidity that is generated in the boxes. Therefore, we recommend that you try to buy these silica bags and put them in an airtight bag next to the wet phone.
Using a dehumidifier
This option will help us to speed up the drying of a wet phone. Therefore, we will have to use a dehumidifier or an air conditioner in moisture absorption mode. In addition, it will be enough to put the phone near this device between 12 and 24 hours. When this time passes, the mobile should be completely dry. So we can now try to turn on the device and check if it has taken effect.