@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf This doesn't actually work very well on electronics. The idea is that the rice acts as a moisture absorption agent because it's mildly hygrophilic, which reduces the relative humidity of the air in the bag, so that the water in the device is slightly more likely to evapourate.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Unfortunately, water has really good surface tension, which means small pockets of water get stuck under components and parts inside the phone, and even if you strip all of the moisture out of the surrounding air those pockets will effectively never evapourate.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf What you want to do instead is disperse that captured water before it starts to cause corrosion. To do that you need something that's completely miscible in water, has a high volatility (i.e. it evapourates easily), and is unreactive with metals and plastics. Propanol is ideal.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf You can buy isopropanol (also called isopropyl alcohol or IPA) in >1L volumes very cheaply from a bunch of places. eBay is cheapest but may not arrive quickly. Amazon obviously. Local hardware stores might carry it, depending on where you are.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf You want the 99% stuff, not the 70%. The 70% stuff is good for cleaning (the extra water shifts the quantity of polar vs. nonpolar solvents) but the case of drying electronics like this you want to shift out as much water as possible.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Quick safety warning: isopropanol is non-conductive so it should not cause problems if you've got a non-removable battery, but it is flammable. It's exceedingly unlikely that you'll have a battery fire while doing this procedure, but always practice fire safety precautions.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Lay the phone flat in a container. A ceramic ramekin or pyrex dish is preferable. Plastic tupperware is also fine. Pour the 99% IPA in until it completely covers the phone. Wiggle the phone around in the liquid. Bare skin is fine but will get dried out, so maybe use gloves.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Isopropanol has a lower viscosity than water, so it'll rush into places very quickly and get under all the parts to clear out any water. You probably don't need to soak it in the IPA for more than a minute. Then take it out, pat it down with a paper towel, and leave to dry.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf What happens is the small volume of water gets dispersed through the comparatively huge volume of IPA, completely eliminating its ability to form surface tension. Any dissolved minerals in the water are also dispersed, meaning you don't get local conductive deposits.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Leave the phone to dry at room temperature for 24 hours. After that it should be up and working, barring any electrical issues that occurred during the initial spill.
Do not apply heat! I've seen so many phone screens damaged because someone put them on a radiator.
Do not apply heat! I've seen so many phone screens damaged because someone put them on a radiator.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Now I'm sure someone's going to be here saying "but I put my phone in rice and it worked!". Yup, and in your case the phone probably still would have worked if you left it to dry at room temperature with no rice. Sometimes you get lucky.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf The other thing is that water damage is a continuing process. What appears to be dry on the outside, and even dry when disassembled and given a board inspection, might still have left puddles of water under BGAs. That leads to slow corrosion and later failure.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf I did phone/console repair for a couple of years and I can't count the number of times people would come in with a device they soaked a few days ago but tried using rice, towels, silica, hair dryer, radiator, etc. first, and it turned out to be FUBAR because corrosion set in.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Sorry for the long thread. It just frustrates me that the rice drying myth still perpetuates despite it being bunk, especially when there's a cheap and way more effective solution available.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf Quick addendum: if you've spilled a sugary or hot liquid on your device, take it to a professional repair place. Sugary stuff and other organic gunk tends to do a real number on boards. Needs a complete teardown, ultrasonic bath, and possibly scrubbing with an ESD-safe brush.
@kiwi_kali @Asher_Wolf One important thing I forgot to mention earlier is that if the LCD screen isn't properly sealed (e.g. due to a crack) you might ruin it by dunking it in IPA. Never happened to me, but YMMV.
If you're not sure, just take it to a qualified repair place.
If you're not sure, just take it to a qualified repair place.
