Recover from a liquid spill in your computer

Spilling any type of liquid on a computer is not an easy thing to recover from. Even if you get your computer to a functional state, there is no guarantee that it will stay that way for long. Even so, here are a few tips that can maximize your chance of having a working computer.

No two types of liquid affect your computer in the same way. Naturally water is a best case scenario for a spill. Any sort of liquid with sugar in it (soda, wine, etc) is very dangerous and damaging to computer components. Be sure to be extra careful when handling these types of drinks near any electronic device. If a spill does happen, perform the following steps immediately. Time can be a factor.

1. Turn your computer off - This step is important. If you are on a laptop, pull the battery out as soon as you can. Once again, time can be a factor. On a desktop simply pull the power cord. Remember: shutting a machine down like this can be damaging in it’s own way, only do this in an emergency.

2. Put your computer in a position to facilitate drying - Position your laptop with the lid half open on a hard surface. You could use a fan (NOT a heater) if the spill is just water.

3. WAIT, take a deep breath, relax - The worst thing you can do is panic. Do not turn the computer on to ‘test if it’s working’ (can’t tell you how many times I have heard that). Your data is ok, unless you fully submerged your computer in water then this is not a cause to worry.

4. Bring the machine to someone who can look inside it - Ideally bring the computer to a computer place like us. Do not try and open the machine if you have never done so before, a laptop requires a specific take apart procedure and you may damage your computer further if you try this yourself.

In almost every spill case we recieve, a customer attempted to turn the computer on. Please do not do this for your own sake. For a water spill that is relatively bad let the computer dry overnight (with a fan) or two days (without a fan). In the event that you spill any type of other beverage then take the computer in to a repair shop immediately. Even if the computer drys, there is still evough junk left inside the machine to cause significant problems. If memorize these steps and act quickly - your computer could be ok.