Leaving something valuable or important in your clothes and putting them on wash is a nightmare, and for most of us (at some point or the other) important or valuable things have ended up in the wash to emerge worthless, damaged and soggy, So you can probably imagine how terrible it would be to accidentally put your phone in for a spin wash! In today’s busy world our phones have become vital pieces of equipment. Not only are they essential for business and personal communication, phones are also used as portable entertainment, and can be filled with games, music and ebooks. Also many people use their phones to capture pictures of people or special moments in their lives. Combine all of these with the eye-watering prices some top-of-the-range cost, finding your phone in the washing machine can be devastating for both personal and financial reasons!

However there is some hope! Check out this guide on what to do if your phone becomes drenched, they may help save your phone, but remember it is always a wise idea to take out insurance against any accidental damages or theft if you have an expensive phone to prevent financial losses and to back up all pictures/music to avoid any personal loss if your phone no longer works.

1. The first thing to do (Probably after having a mini-panic attack at seeing the phone in the washing machine drum) is obviously to get the phone out of the source of water as soon as possible. Most phones have water indicators inside of them that can tell the manufacturers the phone has gotten wet (so there is not much point in ringing them up to complain your phone is not working and you have no idea why!) and if left in water for too long the phones components will start to corrode, so get your phone out and dry as soon as you can!
2. Although tempting, do NOT try and turn your phone on when it’s still wet. This can lead the delicate circuitry within the phone to fry and cause you further problems.
3. Once your phone is dry take out the sim card and battery and wipe thoroughly. Fill a tub with uncooked rice and place the phone, battery and sim in the rice. Leave the phone and it’s components in the rice for at least 24 hours to enable the rice to soak up the excess water from the phone.
4. After 24 hours, try switching the phone on. It may appear slow or sluggish at first, but hopefully with the water gone it will resume it’s normal functions. You could also try putting your phone on a radiator, blasting it with a hairdryer or popping it in an airing cupboard for a few hours but it’s important to remember that too high a temperature can cause more harm to your phone. If some of the buttons on your phone are working while others aren’t then be patient. Some components in your phone will get back to normal quicker than others. Continue to put the phone in rice/or a warm place for a week. If there is no life after this period of time then it’s best to chalk it up to experience, contact your insurance company/phone manufacturer and start searching for another phone.

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