You know very well you shouldn’t spill water on your laptop, but accidents happen. Here’s how to save a water-damaged laptop.
We’ve all heard about or tried the age-old smartphone in rice solution when we’ve accidentally gotten our phones wet. However, while the trick seems to work on smartphones. It’s actually not something you should rely on when you’re facing a water-damaged laptop.
In fact, putting your laptop in rice is one of the worst things you can do. Because it just extends the amount of time that water is on your laptop! So if you’re wondering what to do, here’s a quick and easy guide to follow when rescuing your laptop from liquid damage.
Power Off
The first and arguably most important step is to power off your laptop. Turning it off lowers the risk of possible electrocution.
Additionally, if your laptop is plugged in, you should also make sure you unplug it from the charger.
Carefully Dry
Next, you should quickly and carefully pat your laptop dry where water is visibly on it. You need to be careful because you can risk getting more water in the many crevices of your device.
Be gentle and only wipe or pat away what you can see.
Remove Add-Ons
Once this is done, you should carefully remove any parts of your laptop that are able to be removed and dry those as well. If your laptop has a removable case, pop it off and dry further.
If you have a mouse attached, it’s also worth it to take that off. Another thing that you should take off (if you are able to) is the battery of your laptop, which is possible for some models.
Take It In
This option and the next option are of pretty equal level, depending on the warranty you get on your laptop. Sometimes, the best way to fix a water damaged laptop is to take it into the nearest store or to call the company for help.
It will cost you some money for sure, but it also lowers the risk of you creating more laptop damage and needing a new one altogether, so it’s always worth considering.
Open It Up
If you feel confident in your repair skills and want to opt for not taking your laptop to a store, you can try opening it up and checking for internal laptop water damage. The only risk you may run with this is that opening your laptop could void the warranty you have on it.
The rules are different for every laptop, but if you think you can open it up and dry it further, go ahead! You can also open it up and just let it air dry, not touching anything for a couple of days or so.
Stress Less About Your Water-Damaged Laptop
Now you’ve got a solid plan for what to do when you have to deal with a water-damaged laptop. Keep this guide in your back pocket for the inevitable upcoming spill!
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