Having a child with special needs means (specifically a trach) means I need to have my phone with me and charged at all times. We don’t have a landline (like most people nowadays) and I solely rely on my phone whenever I’m home by myself with Addie. I’ve had several close calls where I’ve almost had to call 911, and in the past, I actually did have to call 911 once. Because of Addie’s medical history, I have to take my phone everywhere I go, even when I leave her with the nurse or with Mathew. That means taking my phone into the bathroom whenever I have to go, or putting it beside me whenever I give her a bath. It means putting it by the sink while I draw up her medications, or near the baby pool when she plays in it with me. I’m a pretty clumsy person, so there have been a couple times where I’ve dropped my iPhone in water. Cue the tears. Pictures, ability to have a phone to call out with, and contacts all GONE. At least… for the time being. Luckily, just because I’ve dropped my iPhone in water doesn’t mean the end of the world. I’ve got some of the best ways to fix an iPhone dropped in water so you all don’t freak out like I do when it happens to you.
Remove the SIM card. The SIM card is just another place where water can get into your iPhone. Use a paper clip to push the little hole for the SIM card so you can remove it. Gently shake your iPhone to try to get excess water out. You can use Q-tips to help get water out of those small crevices too!
Put your iPhone in a diaper. I know you guys probably think I’m nuts, but diapers are what we have in our house, and think about it- they soak up moisture! Gently shake your iPhone to get as much water out as possible, then put your iPhone dropped in water into a fresh, clean baby diaper and wrap it up tightly. Let it sit for at least 4-6 hours and check it. If you can, wait at least 12.
Grab your old shoe box. Remember those shoes you bought last Fall and never wore? Take out your shoes, grab the silica packets out of the shoe box, and dump them into an airtight Ziploc bag. Put your phone in the bag full of silica and let it sit to soak up the moisture. Make sure you keep the bag out of the reach of your little ones or pets. Depending on how much water it was in, check it after a few hours up to 24 hours.
Try the good ole rice or kitty litter trick. Using the same principles as the diaper and silica, you can always try a bag of rice or a bag of fresh kitty litter to help dry your phone out. Make sure your iPhone is covered completely with the rice or kitty litter! It will take about 24-36 hours on this one, but hey- if you’re desperate, it works!
If all else fails, grab a new phone at Gazelle. Gazelle takes old, beat up iPhones (even an iPhone in water) and allows you to trade it in through their trade-in program, and you can apply that cash toward a Gazelle Certified iPhone or iPad for double the savings. Their iPhones go through a rigorous 30-point quality inspection to make sure your satisfaction is met. You can purchase them in Excellent, Good, and Fair cosmetic condition, and they come in all colors and size capacities. They also have a 30 day return without contracts or strings attached.
Thanks to Gazelle, you will receive $10 off when you purchase a device on the Gazelle website! The $10 will automatically be applied to your cart when you click on any Gazelle link on this page. You can also subscribe to the Gazelle email list to receive a $10 voucher you make a purchase within 2 weeks. Make sure you wait on the page until the pop-up appears and enter your email address without closing out of the box so you can get that voucher!
Sarah Halstead says
We have done the rice trick. Didn’t think about the baby diaper. Good idea.
Sarah Halstead recently posted…Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies + Must Watch Shows This Fall
Carly says
Dude, that diaper trick is GENIUS!
amber.m says
I love Gazelle! I wish I’d have known about it AGES ago!
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Ashley says
We are big believers in the rice hack! Great tips!
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Veronica Marks says
I’ve heard of putting my phone in rice, but never thought of using a diaper! We have plenty of those because I have a one year old. My husband is the one who usually damages his phone every few months, so I’ll have to remember this for next time he takes a dip in the pool with his phone in his pocket!
larissa says
This post was exactly what I needed. I can’t believe I had not thought of Gazelle before, but I am definitely going to be looking into it now. Any sort of place that does trade ins is good for me as I always seem to have a broken or unfixable phone. THanks so much for sharing!
Brian says
Great advice! The rice trick has always worked for me so I’m gonna keep doing that! Now I just need to learn to not drop my phone in water…Thanks for sharing!