Oh no! My cell phone got wet.

"We're the phone company. We don't care. We don't have to." - comedian Lily Tomlin

We all know (or should know) that electronics and water don't mix. You try to be careful but eventually you spill coke or coffee or some other beverage on your keyboard. In my case it was orange juice that permanently disabled some keys on a company laptop years ago.

Another device that often gets wet is cell phones (falls in toilet, caught in the rain, falls off your sailboat, ...) Fortunately the Consumerist has a useful article on what to do if your cell phone gets wet and won't start. The advice is probably good for keyboards also.

To dry a cell phone, place the phone in...

1. a ziplock bag of uncooked rice and let it sit for a few hours
2. a bag with some silica packets
3. a hearing aid dryer for a few hours [I didn't know hearing aids had custom dryers]
4. an oven with just the oven light on for a few days
5. A bag with clay-based absorbent
6. out in the sun (but not too hot a day)

If your phone falls in salt water or is soaked in orange juice, you'll need to use distilled/deionized water first to remove the salt and other minerals. If the phone fell in hard water, this too could have enough minerals to short circuit the phone and require a distilled water rinse. Be sure the phone is OFF if you decide it rinse it with pure water.

Bottom Line

Do not turn on a cell phone until it is completely dry. If you damage the circuits while it's wet, you may be out of luck forever.