Last Updated: September 29, 2021 References
This article was written by Jack Lloyd. Jack Lloyd is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. He has over two years of experience writing and editing technology-related articles. He is technology enthusiast and an English teacher.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 2,829,901 times.
This wikiHow teaches you how to prevent your laptop from sustaining damage immediately after spilling a liquid on it. Keep in mind that, while the information below provides the best way to handle a spill yourself, there is no way to guarantee without fail that your laptop can be saved; similarly, seeking professional help is a far better solution.
Steps
-
1Turn off the laptop and disconnect it from its power source immediately. To do so, just hold down the laptop's power button. If the liquid touches the circuits on the laptop while they are active, your laptop will most likely short out, so time is very much of the essence.[1] X Research source Go to source
- To disconnect the laptop from a power source, simply remove the charger cable from the laptop. It's typically on the left or right side of the laptop's housing.
-
2Remove the laptop from any residual liquid. This will both minimize your laptop's exposure to more liquid and decrease the risk of electrical shock.[2] X Research source Go to source
-
3Turn the laptop upside-down and remove the battery if possible. You can typically do this by turning your laptop upside-down, sliding a panel off of the bottom of the laptop, and gently tugging on the battery.[3] X Research source Go to source
- This step is not possible on some laptops, including MacBooks without first unscrewing the bottom of the laptop from the rest of the housing.
-
4Unplug all external hardware. This includes the following items:[4] X Research source Go to source
- USB devices [flash drives, wireless adapters, chargers, etc.]
- Memory cards
- Controllers [e.g., your mouse]
- The laptop charger
-
5Place a towel on a flat surface. This is where you'll place your laptop for the next couple of days, so make sure you choose a warm, dry, unobtrusive area.
-
6Open your laptop as wide as possible and set it face-down on the towel. Depending on your laptop's flexibility, doing so will result in anything from a tent-shaped laptop to a completely flat one. To speed up the process of drying the liquid you can angle a fan at the liquid to help evaporate the liquid faster.[5] X Research source Go to source
-
7Wipe up any obvious liquid. Places to wipe include the fronts and backs of the screen, the laptop's housing, and the keyboard.
- Make sure your laptop is still partially facing down while you do this so that any excess liquid continues to drain.
-
8Ground yourself before touching your computer's internals. Grounding yourself will remove any static electricity from your clothing or body. Static electricity can easily kill circuitry, so performing this step before touching the RAM cards or the hard drive is crucial.[6] X Research source Go to source
-
9Remove any hardware that you can. If you're uncomfortable or unfamiliar with the notion of removing RAM, your computer's hard drive, and other detachable internal components, consider taking your laptop into a professional repair service instead.[7] X Research source Go to source
- You can typically find manuals for your specific computer that detail hardware replacement and removal online. Simply search for your computer's make and model number followed by "RAM removal" [or whichever component you need to remove].
- For a MacBook, you'll first have to unscrew each of the ten screws holding the base of the housing together.
-
10Pat dry any wet internal components. To do this, you will need a microfiber cloth [or an otherwise lint-free rag].
- If there is excess water in your laptop's internal areas, you first need to drain it.
- Be extremely gentle while doing this.
-
11Remove dry residue. Use a lint-free cloth to buff out any non-water stains gently, or use compressed air to blow away dust, grit, and any other non-liquid residue.[8] X Research source Go to source
-
12Let your laptop dry. You'll want to leave it alone for at least one day.[9] X Research source Go to source
- Consider storing your laptop in a dry, warm place. For example, a dehumidifier may improve drying time.
- Never use a hair dryer to speed up your laptop's drying process, as a hair dryer's heat concentration is intense enough to harm your laptop's internal parts.
-
13Reassemble the laptop, then turn it on. If it doesn't boot up or you notice distortion in the sound or display, you'll need to take your laptop to a professional repair service [e.g., a Best Buy tech department].[10] X Research source Go to source
-
14Remove any residue if necessary. Even if your laptop is up and running, you may have to contend with sticky or greasy substance left over. You can remove this residue by gently buffing the afflicted area with a damp, lint-free cloth as you used earlier when drying the laptop.
Community Q&A
-
QuestionMy laptop got wet and I dried it out for several days. The touch pad is the only thing that seems to be affected, occasionally it doesn't respond. Is it worth having it checked out by a professional?Community AnswerThe circuitry may be damaged on your touchpad and it is probably worth getting a check, if you haven't already, try seeing if your touchpad was disabled by accident first.
-
QuestionMy brother spilled juice over my laptop. I cleaned the surface and didn't turn it off because I was confused but after 5 minutes the screen went black and colorful lines appeared on the screen and now it will not turn back on. What should I do?Community AnswerYou should have turned it off right away. It sounds like your laptop has shorted out and likely won't recover from this. Bring it in to a repair shop to find out if its fixable.
-
QuestionIf I immediately unplugged my computer when liquid was spilled on it, could it be all right?Community AnswerIt could, but every situation is different. I spilled milk on mine and turned it off and then back on 20 minutes later and it was fine, except for some speaker damage. So it really just depends how bad the spill was, where it got into the machine, etc.
-
QuestionI spilled some liquid on my laptop keyboard. The computer works fine, but some of the keys are not working. How do I repair this?Community AnswerChances are the "liquid" has dried and gummed up some of the keys. Try cleaning underneath the keys [i.e. removing the actual letter or number plate and clean thoroughly underneath.] Be careful not to break the plastic arms that are like the hinges of the key!
-
QuestionIf my SD card was inside the laptop when the water damage occurred, could it still be salvageable?Community AnswerIf the SD card did not come in contact with the liquid, then it might still be usable. If it did come into contact with the water, you should try to pry it open carefully and let it dry out overnight. If there is any visible or sticky residue, you need to wash it off first.
-
QuestionWhat should I do if none of this worked for my laptop?Community AnswerI removed the back from mine and used a blow dryer on it. It responded with a blinking light and, after I let it sit for 12 hours, it was fixed.
-
QuestionWhat do I do if the liquid has sat for multiple days?Community AnswerIf you turned it off immediately after the spill and removed the battery right after, you can try opening the board and dry the liquid out. But if you have the battery inside your laptop with the liquid inside for many days, there is a chance it will short-circuit when you boot it up, if it will boot up.
-
QuestionI spilled some water on my laptop. Everything is working, but it's plugged in and won't charge. Any ideas what's going on?Community AnswerThe battery is probably damaged. Try getting a new one for the model of your computer.
-
QuestionCan rice help dry my laptop after I spilled water on it?Community AnswerYes. Submerge your laptop in a bag full of rice for about two days.
-
QuestionCan I retrieve pictures from a damaged laptop?Community AnswerYou can take your hard drive out, put it in an appropriate hard drive enclosure, and plug it into a working computer via a USB and boot it up to the external drive. However, if the hard drive is also dead, you will not be able to boot it up.
Tips
- YouTube both tend to have comprehensive, advanced tutorials on stripping down a broken laptop.
- Just because your laptop is working after drying does not mean it has been fixed. You should absolutely back up your data and take your laptop in for a thorough check-up.
- If at all possible, attempt to take a video of the entire disassemble process so you don't have any trouble reassembling the laptop.
- You may also find it helpful to angle a fan at the keyboard for several hours to evaporate any excess liquid from inside the keys.
- Some companies have a spill provision in their warranties; check on this before opening your laptop's housing, since performing any repairs on your own will void your warranty.
- Consider purchasing an "accidental spill" warranty if you know you are going to be around liquids frequently. This may add a few hundred dollars to the purchase price of your laptop, but it will be much cheaper than having to buy a new one.
- Several companies sell keyboard covers or membranes for laptops. While these covers will change the way your keyboard responds to input, they will also prevent direct spills from affecting your laptop.
Warnings
- Water and electricity do not mix! Make sure all plugs and other points of electrical contact are completely dry before connecting your laptop to a power source.
- Don't turn on your laptop in the middle of the drying process.
Things You'll Need
- Towel
- Various small screwdrivers
- Plastic bags to hold small parts and screws
- Lint-free cloth
You Might Also Like
References
- //www.pcworld.com/article/3067332/hardware/when-water-coffee-or-liquid-spills-on-your-laptop-do-this.html
- //www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/mac/what-do-if-you-spill-liquids-on-your-mac-3662982/
- //www.thesimpledollar.com/liquid-laptop-accident-9-steps-to-save-your-laptop/
- //www.nytimes.com/2018/06/29/smarter-living/what-to-do-if-you-spill-on-your-laptop.html
- //www.isumsoft.com/it/fixed-spilled-water-on-your-laptop-keyboard-some-keys-not-working/
- //blog.macsales.com/2225-discharging-static-electricity-for-safe-computer-upgrading
- //www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-to-do-if-you-spilled-water-on-your-laptop/
- //www.theguardian.com/technology/askjack/2012/jul/05/drink-spilled-on-laptop
- //www.makeuseof.com/tag/you-just-spilled-water-or-coffee-on-your-laptop-heres-what-you-should-do/
- //www.engadget.com/2009/05/12/dont-panic-liquid-damage-and-what-to-do-about-it/
About This Article
1. Unplug the laptop and turn it off.
2. Remove the laptop from liquid.
3. Turn the laptop upside-down and remove battery.
4. Unplug external hardware.
5. Open the laptop and lay it down on a towel.
6. Wipe any obvious remaining liquid.
7. Remove all hardware you can.
8. Pat dry internal components and remove residue.
9. Let dry for at least 24 hours before turning back on.
- Send fan mail to authors
Reader Success Stories
-
Richard Essah
Jun 13, 2017
"I'm now going to try this method to see if it can help me. Water entered my laptop, now it's not coming on at all." -
Izzy Moon
Jul 17, 2017
"Good care taking for laptops."Rated this article: -
Paul Stevens
Jun 7, 2017
"This helped my wife and me."Rated this article: -
Sara Cat
May 5, 2016
"Thank you. Hope this helps."