This WIRED article (link HERE) makes clear that using a hairdryer and/or putting your phone in a bag of rice are not good ideas. Your best strategy (my take on the article):
- Turn your phone off ASAP to prevent short circuits.
- Wipe it dry with a paper towel (or whatever you have handy), trying to keep water from leaking inside.
- Put your phone into a sealed container (or zip-tight bag) filled with desiccant packets like the ones that come packed with shoes or vitamins for 24-48 hours. (That’s a long time!)
My key takeaway? I need to start saving those random little desiccant packets now so we’ll have them on hand when a wet-phone emergency happens. And maybe carry a little zippered bag of them with me in case things go terribly wrong as I’m taking pictures on a rainy day or during a snowstorm.
David Carrington, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Good idea to start saving those.
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It’s such a smart idea. Yet I’ve never heard anyone talk about it before I read that article.
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Yikes! That is good to know. I was this close to just throwing away the dessicant packet I received with something recently, and thanks to your post I have saved it. I hope I don’t have to use it, and I hope you don’t need to use yours either!
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But I love that we’ll be ready JUST IN CASE😂
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Another solid idea instead of hoarding packets, find a good waterproof protective case for your phone. If you have a smart phone, protective cases abound. If you have that phone in the pic, I’d say the cosmos is suggesting you get a new(er) phone AND a protective case (though newer phones come with a standard IP67/68 type of waterproofing. Special nanotechnology coating to allow a phone to be submerged for up to 30 minutes in 3-6’of water. Anyway, some unsolicited advice….
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I do have a smartphone and case, but I don’t know if it’s waterproof. I guess it probably at least provides an extra layer of
protection, though. I appreciate your advice. I’ll check out the cases at my phone store. Although I figured there must be special cases for people who do underwater photography, it didn’t occur to me that there might be a waterproof option suitable for everyday use. Thanks!
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In the past for my non-waterproof phones, I’ve relied on lifeproof/otterbox. All of my phones have weathered everything I’ve thrown at them. They are reputable and one company, two different brands. Depending on how old your phone is, I would also advise checking out a simple query online, just type in your phone model and the word waterproof. The specs may give you an idea. As stated earlier, look for terms such as: IP67/68. You should be good to go now that you now know everything I know about technology. I caution you to not spend it all in one place
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Thank you!🙏😀
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