Dropped my iPhone 5s in the swimming pool

[JM]

This "rice trick" is for amateurs who are clueless about electronics and repairs. Yes, rice will absorb SOME of the water, but there's a battery inside your iPhone which you CANNOT remove unless you take it apart - a battery which is pumping electricity through an iPhone full of liquid... and that's called electrolysis, and it means that the internals have a VERY high chance of corroding. If the rice was GUARANTEED to absorb ALL the water from ALL the hidden nooks and crannies IMMEDIATELY, you may stand a better chance, but water inside an electronic device can become trapped, and remains in place stubbornly by surface tension, until it is completely disassembled and cleaned professionally, usually with an ultrasonic tank and alcohol solution of sorts, and then dried gently in a low temperature convection oven.

This water can remain trapped under perforated RF shielding cans (RF circuits are VERY VERY VERY sensitive precision instruments, the operational parameters of which may be altered SIGNIFICANTLY by even the grease of a fingerprint!), lodged inside a microphone capsule, inside a vibration motor housing... the list is endless.

This "rice trick" is not a magic solution to save water damage - it is, at best, moderately effective and more a placebo.

Source: Qualified electronic repair engineer since 1991.


Electrolysis: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdgPQZ4CIBQ

"iFixit" advice on removing the battery immediately: https://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/70976/What+should+I+do+if+my+iPhone4s+got+water+damaged

----------



TERRIBLE advice, and most definitely NOT what you ought to do; read my post.

If I ever run into this situation, what would you suggest is the best way to get a wet phone dry and given the best chance to be working properly?

 

[newellj]

your funny you cant take the battery out your self

Of course you can.

 

[C DM]

Of course you can.

Vast majority of typical users and even most more technical ones won't have the tools available to do it.

 

[nox5]

Vast majority of typical users and even most more technical ones won't have the tools available to do it.

http://mobile.walmart.com/ip/Fosmon-5-Point-Pentalobe-Screwdriver-for-iPhone-4-4S-5/43946476

 

[Paradoxally]

Vast majority of typical users and even most more technical ones won't have the tools available to do it.

All you need is a pentalobe screwdriver, a philips 00, and a small suction cup. Are you telling me the vast majority of typical users can't get these tools or don't have them, let alone technical ones?

Give me a break. These are things you can easily buy at your local hardware store.

 

[C DM]

All you need is a pentalobe screwdriver, a philips 00, and a small suction cup. Are you telling me the vast majority of typical users can't get these tools or don't have them, let alone technical ones?

Give me a break. These are things you can easily buy at your local hardware store.

Yup, most won't have all those specific items and many (in particular typical users) won't bother getting them and tinkering with a piece of electronic equipment like a cell phone.

 

[nox5]

Using rice trick in most cases is actually making sure the iPhone gets destroyed because corrosion takes affect. Instead the iPhone should be taken to repair shop or fixed by owner as soon as possible by removing and cleaning motherboard. It's really that simple. You put it in rice and your chances are very low. You fix it properly and your chances are very high.

 

[IpadSC400]

All the rice does is soak up the water, not soak up the corrosion. The phone must be opened and all connections cleaned of corrosion and yes, there will be plenty.

 

[ToddH]

The iPhone 5s is a good phone but if you're tired of the small screen, I would go ahead and upgrade to the iPhone 6 or 6+ especially since you're a heavy user like myself. I own the 6+ and loved it. Of course I take lots of photographs with it and do a lot of photo processing but if the 5S fits best in your hands and you like the small screen then go that route.

 

[newellj]

Vast majority of typical users and even most more technical ones won't have the tools available to do it.

Then they should be content with device replacement.

 

[C DM]

Then they should be content with device replacement.

Or doing what they actually can, like the whole rice thing.

 

[Kyotoma]

Thirsty Bags from iFixit have saved a few of my family's devices over the years:

Thirsty Bag URL(Directly from iFixit's website)

Here are the tools you'll need as well to remove the battery(recommended in my opinion):

P2 Pentalobe Screwdriver
Plastic opening tools
Small suction cup


Here is the guide that will take you through pulling out the battery.

BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN FIRST OPENING YOUR DEVICE!!

Apple made the iPhone 5S much harder to open than the iPhone 5 or iPhone 6 because they route the TouchID cable through the bottom of the device instead of the top. YOU WILL BREAK YOUR TOUCHID if you pull that cable up with the display. This walkthrough does a good job of telling you how to do it correctly.

 

[nox5]

"Unfortunately, rice is not an effective desiccant for a couple of reasons. Rice has a low capacity for atmospheric absorption. It may absorb the liquid water on the case, but our real problem are the tiny drops inside. Also, as rice sits on your shelf, and the shelf at the store before you bought it, in unsealed boxes and bags it slowly sucks in water out of the atmosphere around it, reaching it's absorption capacity."

 

[C DM]

"Unfortunately, rice is not an effective desiccant for a couple of reasons. Rice has a low capacity for atmospheric absorption. It may absorb the liquid water on the case, but our real problem are the tiny drops inside. Also, as rice sits on your shelf, and the shelf at the store before you bought it, in unsealed boxes and bags it slowly sucks in water out of the atmosphere around it, reaching it's absorption capacity."

Lots of wonderful science and all that, just as lots of people that had it work just fine for them. Yes, not the best solution or one that someone should just go for if something else that's better is an option, but if something else isn't (as it's not for many) it's still better than nothing and has a decent chance of working out.

Seems like it all has been rehashed a few times already in this very thread.

 

[newellj]

Or doing what they actually can, like the whole rice thing.

Recognizing that this is a long shot even in the best cases. In this case the chlorine is a big issue.

 

[Kyotoma]

I found another good tool on iFixit for cleaning the corrosion off after you're done with the Thirsty Bag. It's a little old, but it should work just the same:

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Repairing+iPhone+Liquid+Damage/5825

One thing that they don't mention is you need the purest isopropyl alcohol you can find. Anything less than 95% will likely not help.

 

[bigdaddy223]

You really need to purchase a new phone.....

 

[a.guillermo]

You really need to purchase a new phone.....

That could be a good option as well. I don't think we've heard from OP in a while... any updates from him?