What to do after water damage: a calm, time-sensitive guide
The first hour matters. A practical guide to saving a device that's been exposed to liquid, and the myths to ignore.
If your phone, laptop or tablet has just had a swim, the next hour matters more than the next day. Here's what actually helps and what doesn't.
In the first 60 seconds
- Power off immediately. If it's already off, leave it off. The single most damaging thing is electricity flowing through a wet circuit. Hold the power button, force a shutdown, do whatever it takes.
- Disconnect any cables. Charger, headphones, accessories, all of them. Each connection is another path for current.
- Remove the case if it has one, and pat the device dry with a soft cloth. Don't shake or blow into it.
That's it for the first minute. The next steps are about preventing more damage rather than fixing it.
In the first hour
If you can remove a SIM tray or any user-accessible doors, do that. Otherwise leave the device alone. Stand it on its side or upside down so any liquid inside can drain rather than pool on the logic board.
Do not press buttons. Pressing buttons can push liquid further into the device.
What not to do
- Do not put the device in rice. This is the single most stubborn myth in consumer electronics. Rice does not effectively absorb moisture from inside a sealed device. What it does do is leave starch dust in your ports. There's no upside.
- Do not use a hairdryer. Heat can warp components and push moisture deeper.
- Do not charge it. Charging while there's any moisture inside is the fastest way to short-circuit the logic board.
- Do not turn it on to "test". This is how a survivable spill becomes an unrepairable one.
What actually helps
A technician with the right tools can disassemble the device, perform an isopropyl alcohol bath on the logic board, and dry it under a controlled fan. This works because alcohol displaces water and evaporates cleanly without leaving residue.
Time matters because corrosion starts forming within hours. The longer wet contacts sit exposed to air, the more damage builds up. A device brought in within four hours has dramatically better odds than one brought in a week later.
What it might cost in London
Water damage assessment and cleaning typically runs £70 to £5,200 at independent shops, depending on how much disassembly is required. If the logic board needs board-level repair after corrosion, that figure rises to £170 to £5,500. Authorised service for water-damaged devices often refuses repair and quotes a logic board swap, which is significantly more.
When to give up
If the device fell into salt water, the odds drop sharply. Salt corrodes faster than fresh water and is harder to flush out. If it's been more than 48 hours since exposure and the device hasn't been opened, prepare for the possibility that the logic board is gone.
What FixIt Quick can do
Run a water damage diagnosis on FixIt Quick and we'll match you with a UK shop that handles board-level work. Time matters, so the diagnosis is fast on purpose.