Public Service Announcement: Wet Technology

You are running out the door to the gym with your daughter. At the last minute you realize that you've forgotten your iPod, so you rush back into the house to grab it and stuff it in your gym bag. You are walking to the gym and about halfway there your daughter decides that she doesn't want to carry her water bottle anymore.

"Here, Mommy."

Either you trust your four year old to screw the cap of the water bottle on all the way or you are just plain stupid. Either way, you toss the water bottle into the same pocket of your gym bag that you just tossed your iPod.

You drop your daughter off at the kid's area of the gym and head over to start your workout. That's when you open up your bag and notice that your iPod is FLOATING IN A POOL OF WATER. That's right. Your gym bag is made of some space age waterproof material so the water that spilled out of your daughter's water bottle doesn't soak through, but pools there in the pocket.

You pull out your iPod. Your beautiful red iPod.

Up until this point you could have done all of these things and there's a good chance that your iPod would have still been OK after you let it dry for 48 hours. It would have made an amusing story, but not a story that left you with no iPod or left you stealing your husband's iPod because he only uses his two or three days a week when you use yours two or three times a day. You could have done all of those things, just as I did, and your iPod might have been fine.

Here's where the Public Service Announcement comes in.

If your iPod or any other computerized gadget should be submerged in water, do not turn it on. Let me repeat myself. DO NOT TURN IT ON. Let it dry in a warm place for 48 hours or perhaps dry it with a hairdryer.

If you let it dry completely, there's still a chance that it will work perfectly. But if you try to turn it on when it is still filled with water, you will see the screen turn all wacky. That's its way of telling you that you've just fried its brain. I know this because I did this.

The worst part of this story is that I lost my Mac Powerbook a few years ago in the exact same way. Annabella wasn't even two yet and handed me a glass of water. At least that's what she was trying to do when she tossed the entire glass on the keyboard of my laptop. If I'd let the computer dry before I turned on, it might have been OK. It wasn't and neither is my iPod.

Can someone please tell me that they've done this too, so I don't feel so horrible about myself?

Comments

[Eric]

My very first Ipod I had I did something similar too. But it was me that didn't screw the cap on my diet coke bottle all the way. Threw it into my gym bag with my ipod and needless to say..my Ipod didn't think it needed to go on a diet. I let mine dry out for 24 hours, but it wouldn't come on at all. So I had to buy me a new one, but at least it gave me an excuse to get the newer version that was out. Sorry to hear you went through the same thing, and if I was you..just steal your husbands, and make him get a new one instead! LOL.

[George]

I've had good luck with portable electronic equipment. I still use transistor radios and non-Sony versions of the Walkman that are between 10 and 20 years old. My hi-fi equipment is about 25-30 years old.

Recently, one of my receivers stopped working. I haven't checked to find out why, because it is a drag to move the equipment out from the cabinet it's in. One of these days, my friend, one of these days.

When my electronic things go on the fritz, I take them to a nearby electronics store in Culver City run my a father close to 90 and his four sons. They do excellent work. I have a 30-year-old Dual turntable that needed a new belt recently. I ordered the belt from a place I found online in Indiana. My repairman installed it in no time. A couple of years ago, he installed a new cartridge for me. My old Dual turntable continues to work like a charm.

The point of all this is that you have to take care of electronics merchandise. Sure, accidents can and do happen, as you unfortunately experienced with your iPod. I have stayed away from iPods because I'd be afraid I'd lose it or someone would steal it. I can't afford to spend that kind of money anymore, much less lose it, now that I'm retired.

Keep up the great work, Megan! I always enjoyed watching you on "The Screen Savers" on TechTV.

[Busy Mom]

I tried to feed my digital camera Diet Coke once.

Digital cameras don't like Diet Coke.

[Dale]

It was a red one? Oh, that makes it all the more painful! But yeah, one of our foster kids threw my wife's phone into the sink once. Of course, it was already on, but we tried turning it on again. We got that sad dying screen.

Here are a couple tips on dealing with wet electronics:
1. If you drink soda/pop, drink diet stuff around your computer. If it spills, it'll be wet, but not sticky. Yeah, the Diet Coke will look odd next to your box of Twinkies, but it's for safety purposes.

2. Hair dryers should be used with caution. Too hot, and certain plastics can get warped.

3. Isopropyl alcohol is your friend. Making sure the wet device is off, pour some alcohol over it. It'll replace the water and evaporate quicker. Still don't turn it on for a couple days, but this will usually help--not a good idea with laptops, though, which should get opened up to make sure they're dry throughout.

4. If you insist on drinking regular Mountain Dew instead of Diet because it's just not the same (and it's not!), and you spill that corn syrup on your keyboard, most keyboards can go in the dishwasher. Make sure the extra heat settings are turned off, don't use soap, and use the lightest cycle. That'll get the sugar out. After it's done, pour a whole bunch of alcohol on it, set it vertically, and let it dry for a couple days.

5. Don't even consider step 4 if we're talking about a laptop keyboard. Yes, it's been done.

[Kacy]

Not only do digital cameras not like Diet Coke; they can't stand milk either, and your husband you told you "don't take the camera with you; something might happen" five years later will bring it up when you ask to take the new camera places, and then when he allows you to do so, you will blow out the LCD screen getting on a tram at the museum.

[J Maxfield]

Just casually mention to Leo that you toasted your red iPod because, I mean, that man must have extras. He bought like 200 for friends last Christmas. And anyone that can buy 200 iPods as gifts really can't possibly have 200 friends. You know there are more than a few just lurking in that office of his.

(I kid, Leo, I kid)

Sorry to hear about the nano.

[cry it out!]

My ipod fell in a pond by itself one day. Just hopped right in. Stupid little thing. It was destroyed.

(And I am so jealous that she enjoys the kid area of the gym -- mine goes into hysterics, voiding for me what was once a great babysitting option. argh!)
Mike

[Jenna]

You should listen to Leo Laporte's The Tech Guy podcast. He talked about this about 6 months ago.

[Jennifer]

My family is notorious for cell phone/water "accidents". There was a toilet, dishwater, washing it in the pants pocket, the dog water bowl. And that's just what I can remember.

I can't personally take credit for any of them. I think my hubby's "accidents" might have been on purpose to get new ones! ;)

I also know that my dad baked my mom's cell phone in the oven to dry it out and it worked! I don't know what temp he used, but it might help someone who remembers NOT TO TURN IT ON.

Sorry about your ipod. At least you still ot to use yours, mine is in the babies room. Permanently.

[Kent Goldings]

Kids and expensive electronics don't mix.

[Kent Goldings]

This, I found out about a minute after my daughter Emily put my cellphone in her mouth and caused a factory reset. It erased the ID code forever.

[niki]

Hey,

My son spilled milk all over the keyboard of my company MacBook Pro while it was on. I immediately turned it off, wiped up as much milk as possible and ran upstairs for the hair dryer, all the while using the f-word quitely under my breath. This worked but my laptop smelled like a forgotten sippee cup which was ultra embarrassing in meetings.... Plus I was picking sticky white goo out of crevices for a while but it did solve whatever video card problem I had, hehehe

If you need a new iPod let me know I can get you one under my friends and family discount :)

Niki

ps congrats on your new podcast, I listen to manic mommies and they gave you some kudos too

[nutmeg]

I love your podcast, what fun! I haven't had mine submerged, but I did manage to lose my first one at Disneyland.

[Janet]

A friend was advised by a T-Mobile tech to put her husband's drowned cell phone into a jar of rice for a couple of days. The rice absorbed all the moisture (and the water rinsed out the Coke he'd spilled on it before). It works perfectly now.

[Marc]

About 6 years ago I had just started a new job where they gave us a laptop to use. About two weeks into my employment my gf at the time and I got into a huge fight (pretty common for us). In a fit of rage she grabbed my laptop, held it high above her head and smashed it on the floor, completely destroying said laptop in the process. I had to tell my boss that I accidentally dropped it down a flight of stairs. She was pissed, but the incident was soon forgotten about.

Fast forward about two months later. Another fight with my gf. She works herself into a rage AGAIN. I, in my passive-aggressive way, refuse to respond, thus making her more angry. She eyes my laptop sitting on the computer desk, grabs it and holds it high above her head again. Her tactic is effective in getting a response. I threaten her, then beg her not to smash it. She does. I am fired from my job three weeks later. We broke up not long after.

Don't feel too bad about your ipod. I had to live with an insane woman whose conflict resolution skills consisted of smashing expensive things and throwing heavy objects.

[kevkilroy]

My poor iPod Nano. I was giving my daughter a bath. For whatever reason, I had put the iPod on my shirt pocket. When it came time, I bent over to wash her hair and PLOP Nano in the bath tub. I let it dry overnight and, fortunately, it came back to life.

[MrPresident]

Personally, I haven't experienced this exact unfortunate scenario involving either my iPod, my chid, or spilled water.

But I can state with absolute certainty that Epson printers do not drink beer.

(Neither does my 4-year-old for that matter - this round of stupidity was all on me....and the Epson.)

-Jon

[Dale]

Just had to add: TODAY, my 9-y-o comes out of her bedroom and says, "Well, my keyboard is ruined." Huh? "I accidentally spilled bubble solution on it."

I ran in there, thinking of this thread all the while. The iMac was still running OK, and I yanked the cord out of the USB port. While discussing "Pull the plug immediately" with her and my other daughters, I set her keyboard in the sink, sprayed out the bubble solution, then dumped a half bottle of rubbing alcohol on it. Once it had mostly drained, I took it outside, since it was a nice warm day out, and set it vertically on the deck to dry. About an hour or so later, it seemed pretty dry. She put it back into her room, but I told her to wait 48 hours to reconnect it. Here's hoping. If not, a keyboard for a G3 iMac should be easy to replace, but I'm optimistic.

She moved the bubble solution away from the desk.