You’ve just spilled water on your laptop. What now? Turn your system off right away, and then follow these steps. If you’re lucky, you might be able to save it.
Spilled water on your new laptop? Time to act fast. Move your laptop away from the water, then turn it off immediately and unplug it. If you have a removable battery, remove it too.
OK, are you back with us? Here’s a more in-depth guide on what to do if you spill water on your laptop, or worse yet, drop your laptop into water.What to do when you spilled water on your laptop
When you spill liquid on your laptop, time is of the essence. If you haven’t already, power down your laptop and remove the power cable and battery (if possible). Then follow the below steps to try to mitigate any damage caused by your spillage.
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: The type of liquid that was spilled matters. Water is the least acidic, while sugary and alcoholic fluids are more conductive and more corrosive. They can quickly cause permanent damage to your internal components. With that in mind, if you’ve spilled something more caustic than water, we recommend you take it to a repair shop, or ideally, utilize your warranty to get a replacement.
If you spilled water on your laptop, though, or you can’t get it repaired, you can try to dry it out further yourself. Try placing the laptop somewhere warm (not hot) and dry, and leave it there for 24-48 hours. Ideally, open it up as best you can by opening the lid and removing any unnecessary panels. Ignore traditional ideas like bags of rice, as they can introduce more problems than they’re worth, but running a dehumidifier in the space or room the laptop is in can help.
