Liquid on Laptop
Despite the best intentions, accidents do happen. You know you’re not supposed to eat or drink around your computer, but it’s so tempting to grab a bite to eat while finishing up your project or sip a cup of coffee while you scroll through Facebook. So, what do you do in the unfortunate event that your drink douses your laptop? If your laptop gets wet from spilled water or other liquid: DON’T panic, but DO act quickly. Use the following steps to avert any permanent damage to your computer.
1. DO turn it off immediately. The worst damage can come from the computer shorting out, so make sure that you remove any possible sources of electricity. Unplug the device from the wall, remove the A/C adapter, and take out the battery.
2. DO stop the damage in it tracks. Turn the machine upside down to stop the liquid from running down into the machine.
3. DO clean the case and keyboard. Using a paper towel or lint-free cloth, soak up any liquid on the keyboard and screen. Try to blot up the liquid – don’t wipe. The rubbing motion just moves the liquid around. If the liquid is sticky, use a slightly dampened cloth to remove the residue. Next, inspect your keyboard. Some are designed to prevent damage to the inside of the computer by sealing out liquids. If this is the case, then simply clean and dry your keyboard. If liquid has seeped inside your laptop, please continue.
How you proceed from here will depend on a few things: what substance you spilled on your laptop, how adventurous you are, and if your machine is still under warranty. If water spilled into your laptop, your best course of action may be to let the machine dry for 24-48 hours before you attempt to turn it on again. If you spilled something other than water and it got inside the computer, you will need to take apart the case to clean the internal components. Liquids like wine, coffee, and soda can do significant damage to the internal parts of a computer, and they must be removed before it can work properly.
Now, if you are adventurous and your laptop is no longer under warranty, I would suggest you attempt to clean out the inside yourself. However, if technology terrifies you or if your warranty is still in effect, it may be more prudent to take the machine to a professional.
4. DO clean the inside parts of your computer.
• Open up the case, pull out the hard drive, and remove any cards and drives that you can.
• Rinse off the internal components of your computer. It will seem counter-intuitive to get your computer wetter, but you need to clean off any potentially corrosive liquids. If any of the components have liquid on them, take them out and rinse them with water. You can use tap, deionised, or distilled water to rinse your computer. Deionised water is best because it will rinse clean and not leave any deposits when it dries.
• Handle all parts with care, but rest assured that the circuit board and many other internal components will not be damaged by a water rinse.
• That being said, DON’T overdo it. Clean all the parts that you need to, but do not allow your machine to get soaked. After rinsing, carefully dry the inside of the machine with a paper towel or lint free cloth.
6. DO dry it. Before you reassemble your laptop, you need to make sure that all the internal components are completely dry. A few common techniques include:
• Air – allow 24-48 hours for air to completely remove any moisture.
• Heat – place your laptop in a warm area (on a window sill or near a radiator, for example). Do not use high levels of heat and do not place it in direct sunlight. Let it dry for approximately 12 hours.
• Vacuum – use a hose attachment on a vacuum cleaner to draw away any moisture from the internal parts.
7. DO reassemble your laptop. Return all the internal components to their proper places and put your computer back together again.
8. DO promise to never eat or drink near your laptop again (at least for a week).
