cell phone dropped in coffee. Which fix really works?

[Fabbs]

Google is producing 5+ differing ways to fix.
Any of you uber techs know?
I would post in Tech Forum but too few readers.
I dropped it about an hour ago.
Only the top 1/3rd got wet as my coffee cup was 30% full, about an inch and a half, maybe two inches.

Took battery out ASAP, but then did dumbass/ignorant move of since it was still on, i thought hey I'll see if it's still working.
Now its on mostly blackout, but a few keys do light up. Currently have battery out and have it in ziplock with rice (one of the alleged cures).

Another dude says vacuum it out ASAP, no need to wait 24 hours on rice.
Yet another dude says submerge in 99% isoprol alcohol as this cleans it nicely.

[leemajors]

rice works as a desiccant, but since it's coffee and just not water who knows.

[Fabbs]

rice works as a desiccant, but since it's coffee and just not water who knows.
I also milked up my coffee. Altho i did not sugar it.
So perhaps the dunk in 99% alcohol is a go. Other youtube said dip it in distilled water.
Anywho its now about 3 hours since i dropped it in the coffee, have had the cell on rice in ziplock for about 2 hours. For better or worse, i did put the vacuum cleaner to it prior to ziplock - rice seal.

[The Reckoning]

i had a friend put theirs in the oven and it worked haha

[tlongII]

Microwave oven.

[Fabbs]

Microwave oven.
how long, who did it - track record/sample size?

If you simply heard this from the local massage parlor gal, that's cool but i'd like some techy verified input.

[tlongII]

how long, who did it - track record/sample size?

If you simply heard this from the local massage parlor gal, that's cool but i'd like some techy verified input.

Try 3 minutes. That should be enough.

[Bender]

I also milked up my coffee

:princess

[Fabbs]

This is one of the Isopropyl Alcohol suggestion guys:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yYsMx6XWZE

[Fabbs]

Try 3 minutes. That should be enough.
Sample size, heard from techs, personal experience from ressurecting your own phone, you own "Portland Digital Repair" with a 5 star rating, you're butthurt the SeaHawks lost again and want to giggle as you picture my phone melting, massage parlor gals advice, which?

[ElNono]

rice is fine. Let it sit for a while though. Normally, once the fluid dried out, and provided you didn't short anything, it should be fine.

[Fabbs]

rice is fine. Let it sit for a while though. Normally, once the fluid dried out, and provided you didn't short anything, it should be fine.
Murphys Law, i really need to make some calls from this phone (a work line).
Can you guestimate how long i should let it sit? The interwebs is all over the place, from "a couple hours" to "at least one week". :lol

I'd sure like to get a techy in real life or the interwebs including ST to weigh in on the alcohol dip. Cause i'm concerned any small amounts of coffee/milk that got left on the phone will short it. If and when it fires up.

[TeyshaBlue]

24 hrs in rice should be enough if its salvageable.

[ElNono]

24 hrs in rice should be enough if its salvageable.

[Venti Quattro]

Quit drinking coffee

[tlongII]

Sample size, heard from techs, personal experience from ressurecting your own phone, you own "Portland Digital Repair" with a 5 star rating, you're butthurt the SeaHawks lost again and want to giggle as you picture my phone melting, massage parlor gals advice, which?

I'll take massage parlor gals for 500 Alex!

[baseline bum]

Microwave oven.

That only works for iPhones son.

[Fabbs]

I'll take massage parlor gals for 500 Alex!
Alex: "Noooo sorry. The correct answer was 'butthurt the Seahawks lost again.' "

[TeyshaBlue]

:lol

[Fabbs]

24 hrs in rice should be enough if its salvageable.
Didn't resist. Turned it on. It's a somewhat older flip phone. Bottom lights came on and it hummed. However screen stayed dark. Humming continued, i don't recall exactly what one site said but it should be turned off when still non stop humming so i did turn it back off. Put back on rice.

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

North Star mall has a dry box by the food court... My gf dropped her iPhone in water and it wasn't working at all.. Put it in the dry box for 30 minutes and it came out completely dry and working.

Does cost $20 bucks though

[Fabbs]

North Star mall has a dry box
Awesome but nothing out West yet.....

[Heath Ledger]

any of the fixes you do try are temporary at best, eventually the circuitry inside will corrode/rust and then when its dead its done for good. (electronics technician USN)

[Fabbs]

24 Hours later:

Everything except the speaker phone is back functioning on initial test.
VMails i was able to retrieve.

Screen has some funky rice looking blotches, as if where the moisture went thru the screen as it got sucked out it left a fossil imprint or wall painting imprint on the screen. :lol

Heath what do you think of the 99% isopropyl alc dunk?
If i get another month out if this i am fine cause either i or the company will be getting smart phones in late Nov or early Dec.

[anakha]

If you only have a month to wait, grab a Moto G or another under-$200 smartphone and return it once the company phones come in.

[Fabbs]

If you only have a month to wait, grab a Moto G or another under-$200 smartphone and return it once the company phones come in.
Great idea thanks. Here is what came down.
Just for ish and giggles i called VerizScam for the predictable pathetic offer. Which oh-by-the-way would have included me typing by hand, one at a time all Contacts and Text transfers.

Then i had to go to Time Warner unrelated to phone. I asked the TW rep if she knew of a cell phone repair place. She said Radio Shack just two doors over had a cell phone repair rep. "Really!?" i said.

Check this: She kind of concluded phone may indeed be fixable but as Heath noted, it may just be on again/off again for the duration. So 'Shack offered me the exact same phone for only 20 bones and did ALL the data transfer (Contact, phone list, texts, the whole she-bang) included in the 20 price.

Done. :clap

I am definitely writing Radio Shack corporate and propping employees and the arrangement they have.