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boxoftea

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
9
0
Long story short: I accidentally dropped my red 64gb iPod Touch in the toilet on Tuesday morning, fished it out, and put it in a jar of rice 'til this day. Everything works -- camera, apps, mail, the ability to touch the iPod and slide stuff around -- it's just the screen that's making me paranoid. There's definitely water trapped underneath the LCD screen. I've let it sit out in the sun with the rice yesterday and today and I see a lot of condensed bubbles on the top so it's working!

Problem: On Tuesday, it was just a 1-inch blob that looked like South America. As days went by, South America consumed my whole iPod screen and now it's "dim." There's also tiny dots of light... like the water somehow burned the fabric or something -- I don't know.

I've been turning it on once a day for no more than 30 seconds to see how the screen looks like because I can't see **** when it's off.

Is there a better way to rid the water? Tomorrow will officially be one week and I'm getting worried because most people's phones function again after two days in rice.

I don't mind using my functioning iPod like this for the rest of its life -- it's my faux pas anyways -- I just don't want to fry out the poor battery, logic board, digitizer, etc. by next month or something. :(

Any help would be appreciated.
 

SergSF

macrumors newbie
Apr 9, 2013
2
0
Dessicant

Head down to a Dollar Tree (or a car parts store) and get a few bags of silica dessicant and try that instead of the rice. It's the same stuff they put in the little bags packed in with electronic items. It might help, can't hurt
 

boxoftea

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
9
0
Head down to a Dollar Tree (or a car parts store) and get a few bags of silica dessicant and try that instead of the rice. It's the same stuff they put in the little bags packed in with electronic items. It might help, can't hurt

Thanks for your input. I'm grasping at advice at this point.

What section would the dessicant be in?
 

SergSF

macrumors newbie
Apr 9, 2013
2
0
Cleaning supplies

At Dollar Tree, it's over in the soaps and cleaners area I forget the brand name. Not a clue about auto places but the name brand stuff is called "DAMP RID" - my friend buys it in a huge hanging bag for his leaky truck. They have it on Amazon too. (BTW, it is re-usable. You can dry it out in a low temperature oven http://www.ehow.com/how_5458917_reuse-desiccant.html )
 

boxoftea

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
9
0
Ehhh, close enough but not good enough

At Dollar Tree, it's over in the soaps and cleaners area I forget the brand name. Not a clue about auto places but the name brand stuff is called "DAMP RID" - my friend buys it in a huge hanging bag for his leaky truck. They have it on Amazon too. (BTW, it is re-usable. You can dry it out in a low temperature oven http://www.ehow.com/how_5458917_reuse-desiccant.html )

Went to Dollar Tree yesterday and I found it (desiccant). Just one bag. And it wasn't even DampRid.

It was this cheap-looking bag with an airtight bag and a lip balm size container full of beads. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wet-Cell-...143?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f2268ccb7

Haven't opened the airtight bag (With my ipod and lip balm container) yet, but I doubt it'll work.

I'm gonna go to Wal-Mart sometime soon to get some DampRid. They're approximately $7 according to the website. Hope this works. I'll update periodically seeing as I'm probably the first idiot to drop their iPod Touch 5G in the toilet.
 

E.Lizardo

macrumors 68000
May 28, 2008
1,776
305
Went to Dollar Tree yesterday and I found it (desiccant). Just one bag. And it wasn't even DampRid.

It was this cheap-looking bag with an airtight bag and a lip balm size container full of beads. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wet-Cell-...143?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f2268ccb7

Haven't opened the airtight bag (With my ipod and lip balm container) yet, but I doubt it'll work.

I'm gonna go to Wal-Mart sometime soon to get some DampRid. They're approximately $7 according to the website. Hope this works. I'll update periodically seeing as I'm probably the first idiot to drop their iPod Touch 5G in the toilet.

Most likely if you wait more than a very short time the device is ruined anyway.Probably too late now,"sometime soon"will almost definitely be too late.
 

stiligFox

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2009
1,480
1,319
10.0.1.3
Just wanted to say, don't give up hope yet. I dropped my iPod into a tub of water, and it took mine about two weeks of sitting in rice before it would work hardly at all. And then slowly it came back to life and worked fine!
 
Last edited:

Brian Y

macrumors 68040
Oct 21, 2012
3,776
1,064
What you're describing is water trapped between the layers of the LCD itself (i.e. above the backlight). It's highly unlikely that any silica gel or rice will remove that.
 

boxoftea

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
9
0
Conclusion

I went to Walmart and Target -- no desiccant. :(

Also, I charged the iPod this morning and sometimes it would charge and sometimes it wouldn't. I saw "charging is not compatible with this device" every two seconds or so. Right now, I'm restoring and it took me three tries of inserting the usb lightning cord into different slots to get the ipod recognized by the computer.

I considered what you guys said. I've been putting it in rice for so long and the LCD screen got worse. If nothing happened so far, it's just gonna get worse at this point. Luckily, my iPod is still under warranty, so I'm going to the Apple store tomorrow and tell them about the water damage and pay the $150-200.

Since I see no pink inside the headphone sensor, I could lie my way through and get it replaced for free, but I'm scared that they'll look in the other sensors (wherever they are) and I rather not get busted.

And so ends the tale of The Idiot Who Dropped A iPod 5G Down The Toilet. Be this a lesson to iPod 5G owners.
 

applematic

macrumors member
Mar 1, 2011
94
31
Do not at all costs admit to any type of liquid

DO NOT AT ALL COSTS ADMIT TO ANY TYPE OF LIQUID

If you do you're automatically out of warranty.

If you can take a pic of it that'd be ideal. So we can see what it looks like...

If not, do any of the buttons not work?

If so use that as the reason why you go in.

Or..... You could brick it bring it to apple and they will try to restore it ,fail, and give you a new one....
 

acorntoy

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2010
1,997
2,211
DO NOT AT ALL COSTS ADMIT TO ANY TYPE OF LIQUID

If you do you're automatically out of warranty.

If you can take a pic of it that'd be ideal. So we can see what it looks like...

If not, do any of the buttons not work?

If so use that as the reason why you go in.

Or..... You could brick it bring it to apple and they will try to restore it ,fail, and give you a new one....


Ya because being honest is the wrong thing to do, Apple totally deserves to pay for a water-logged iPod :rolleyes:


People like you are why Apple is now super strict on iPhone replacements now when it used to be genius choice. If you can't afford to replace something if it breaks you probably should not purchase it.


----------------------
Good luck OP with your iPod.
 

applematic

macrumors member
Mar 1, 2011
94
31
Yeah totally fair

Totally fair that if he goes in and says I accidentally dropped this and water and it doesn't work right. Even if there is no sign of that. Out of warranty cause of the admission. Same scenario customer standing right next to the person and they get covered for free cause they say " they don't know what happened but do not think any liquid or drop took place to cause the issue" then they are covered. Makes zero sense. And no the reason why apple is so strict now is because *******s would abuse the discretion of the company and would basically break a phone replace it break that one three steps of of the door and replace it again. This. Totally different. First time. Fairly new product with for all I know no real signs of damage. Yeah. I'm gonna cover it if I'm the genius. Just saying.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: rollllllls eyes. Sorry didn't know if you got the smiley.......
 

acorntoy

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2010
1,997
2,211
Totally fair that if he goes in and says I accidentally dropped this and water and it doesn't work right. Even if there is no sign of that. Out of warranty cause of the admission. Same scenario customer standing right next to the person and they get covered for free cause they say " they don't know what happened but do not think any liquid or drop took place to cause the issue" then they are covered. Makes zero sense. And no the reason why apple is so strict now is because *******s would abuse the discretion of the company and would basically break a phone replace it break that one three steps of of the door and replace it again. This. Totally different. First time. Fairly new product with for all I know no real signs of damage. Yeah. I'm gonna cover it if I'm the genius. Just saying.:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes: rollllllls eyes. Sorry didn't know if you got the smiley.......


It's called honesty. Maybe you should try it some time. If I were you I'd also look up integrity, both are things you are obviously lacking.
 

boxoftea

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
9
0
Following a coworker's advice on a whim

My mum was going to return it for me because I have studying to do, but in the end, she didn't. Instead, she came home and said that her co-worker said to her that her son dropped his iPhone 4 in water too, and he too placed it in rice and noticed that it didn't work. Laying out in the sun is the answer. It took him two days for it to work again. Her explanation was vague though, I couldn't tell if the son had water trapped in the screen or if the whole darn phone wasn't working.

What do you guys think?
 

acorntoy

macrumors 68000
May 25, 2010
1,997
2,211
My mum was going to return it for me because I have studying to do, but in the end, she didn't. Instead, she came home and said that her co-worker said to her that her son dropped his iPhone 4 in water too, and he too placed it in rice and noticed that it didn't work. Laying out in the sun is the answer. It took him two days for it to work again. Her explanation was vague though, I couldn't tell if the son had water trapped in the screen or if the whole darn phone wasn't working.

What do you guys think?


At this point what do you have to lose? :p

If it works great, if not just take it to the Apple store like originally planned.
 

JHUFrank

macrumors 6502a
Apr 16, 2010
652
66
The trick is being patient with these things. You should let it sit in rice or with drying agent for at least a week without turning it on. It needs time to dry. If you can still see moisture, it's not ready.
 

boxoftea

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2012
9
0
Final Final Final Conclusion.

Being the thinnest and lightest iPod Touch as of current, the wires and battery are packed tightly together so chances are, if water seeps through, this generation would be easier affected and easier to be short-circuited. It's only going to get worse. And I should get it fixed as soon as possible. If I wanted to, I could use my iPod until its last dying breath, but it's going to die -- sooner than normal iPod Touches.

That's what the genius said more or less.

So I decided.

I paid $162 to get it replaced today. Thank goodness for warranty or I would have paid $400+ for a new one.
 

stiligFox

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2009
1,480
1,319
10.0.1.3
I'll say it again invade it happens again -- it can take over two weeks submerged in rice before a wet device will function again. In that time you can't even dare turn it on or try to charge it.

But! I'm glad you were able to get it worked out!

Just be careful and get a rubbery case for extra grip!
 

JHUFrank

macrumors 6502a
Apr 16, 2010
652
66
Plus one on this! Be careful with the thing. I about panicked the other day when my 5 year old son walked into the bathroom with my red ipod touch. He had placed it on the counter while he was going pee. I snatched it up and put that sucker away and handed him his "ipod touch", my old iphone 4, lol.
I'll say it again invade it happens again -- it can take over two weeks submerged in rice before a wet device will function again. In that time you can't even dare turn it on or try to charge it.

But! I'm glad you were able to get it worked out!

Just be careful and get a rubbery case for extra grip!
 
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