How Putting a Cell Phone in a Bag of Rice Helps With Water Damage

There are so many reasons why a phone would end up with water damage. It could fall in the toilet, (oops!), a waiter could knock a glass of water onto it, or you may forget you have the phone in your pocket and just jump into the pool.

Whatever reason it might be, when it happens, the first thing you do is freak out, because you need your phone. So, when your phone comes into life-threatening contact with the dreaded liquid, you need to have a quick solution.

One of the most advertised and well-known solutions for a watery phone is to put it in rice. This one everyone knows. Up next we’re going to tell you if and how it works. 

Does Rice Help?

First, of all, before we get into this, the minute your phone gets into water, you need to retrieve it fast. If the phone is at the bottom of the toilet, or a pool of water, the longer it is in the water, the more damaged it will be. 

Once it is no longer submerged, do not even bother trying to turn it on. Just take out the battery. Do not press any buttons. 

If however, you own an iPhone, or any other device, whose battery cannot be taken out, you can just leave it as it is and power it off if it is still on.

Now, please note that even if a wet cellphone may seem dead, there is a pretty good chance that it can still be resuscitated. All you have to do is ensure that you act very fast. 

Dry the Phone

Do a quick job of this. After you have removed the battery, look for a way to dry the water from the phone. If you let the moisture evaporate on its own, you will expose it to corrosion, and the water will damage the phone’s innards. 

You should try to blow out the water or suck it out. Do not use a hairdryer, as the heat is likely to fry your phone’s insides. 

Opt for a can of compressed air or a vacuum cleaner. The whole idea behind this is to use the air to pull or push out the moisture through the same channels that it entered.

Next – Use a Desiccant

So, this is where the rice comes in. A desiccant is used to wick away all of the leftover moisture. In definition, a desiccant is a substance that is used to sustain or induce a state of dryness within its vicinity. 

Now, the most convenient and available desiccant in your house is the uncooked rice. You simply need to leave your phone – plus its battery, submerged in the rice overnight. Don’t worry about rice residue on your phone.

You can also use the packets of silica gel that are often stuffed in the pockets of new clothes. This will also help. Also, acting fast to save your phone is more important than the little dust you might be scared of.

Perhaps the most important point, in this case, is to avoid heat. Also, one of the most often prescribed tips online is rubbing the phone in alcohol. Don’t rub the phone in alcohol because it is likely to dissolve the internal adhesives.

Conclusion

So, does putting a phone in a bag of rice help with water damage? Yes. It does. As per the explanation above, the rice acts as a desiccant that is able to get rid of all the excess moisture from the phone. 

In most cases, the phone will go back to normal. If it doesn’t, it’s good to take it to a technician. It’s only been a few decades since people had personal phones, these days they are prized property you need to protect.