Spilled water on your laptop? Here’s how to fix it

If you’ve just spilled a liquid on your best laptop, time is of the essence. You absolutely must turn your computer off immediately and unplug it. If you have a removable battery, remove it immediately. Press that Power button until your machine shuts down. Do that now! Every second is vital in this situation.

OK, are you back with us? Here’s a more in-depth guide for how to handle this emergency.

In case of a wet laptop emergency
Spilled liquid on laptop

Step 1: Remove all easily detachable components. Unplug your mouse and any cables, and remove any flash drives and DVDs. Leave your laptop bare.

Step 2: Dry the outside of your machine. Open your laptop as far as it goes, hold it upside down to let any accumulated liquid drain out, and use an absorbent towel or a lint-free absorbent fabric to wipe wet surfaces until they’re dry. Do not try to dry the computer with forced hot air from a heat gun or hair dryer.

Step 3: At this point, we recommend that you take advantage of the warranty if it’s still applicable or take your machine to a repair shop. If your brand has a designated repair store (like Apple), give them a call or bring it in. Otherwise, look for local repair stores that specialize in your laptop brand.

The type of liquid that was spilled matters: Water is the least acidic, while sugary and alcoholic fluids are more conductive and more corrosive, and they can quickly cause permanent damage to your internal components. Either way, the goal is to mitigate their effects as much as possible by drying the computer immediately. If you don’t want to have a professional take a look at it for you, though, there are more steps you can take to try and dry your machine out. However, please take note that neither Digital Trends nor the author is responsible for any damage caused to your PC from taking it apart.

Break it down

While opening up and removing components from earlier laptops was easy, that’s not the case with modern-day laptops. We don’t recommend trying to take anything apart unless you have an older laptop model that’s not mainly glued together. That said, here are some steps you can attempt if your laptop allows it.

Step 1: If you haven’t already, and your laptop allows it, remove the battery. Battery removal is typically accomplished by pressing a switch or button on the underside of your computer.

Step 2: If you’re concerned about liquid leaking through to the entire system — to components like your memory and storage drive — you can remove those, too. On some laptops, you’ll find panels that allow for their removal on the underside. However, in most cases, you must use a Phillips or Torx screwdriver to remove them. For the memory, press the side clips to eject each stick. With the solid-state drive or hard drive, you likely must undo more screws to free it from the frame. Be sure to detach it from the power and data connection ports or cables with care.

Step 3: Examine each component you’ve removed to check for any sign of wetness or corrosion. Any wet parts should be dried, but if the liquid is anything other than water, wipe it off using a clean toothbrush dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol — this will dissolve gunk without causing liquid damage and evaporate without leaving a sticky residue.

Step 4: Once everything is clean and examined, and you’re sure you’ve brushed away any signs of corrosion, leave everything alone to air-dry for two to three days in a warm, dry area. A fan will hasten the drying process. Do not use a hair dryer, as this could cause static problems. Once you’ve picked your machine apart and given the components time to dry, you can follow the instructions in reverse to put your laptop back together and see if it works.

Hopefully, all will be well, but if not, take it to a repair center.

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