Spilled a drink on your laptop? That may need not spell death. If you know what to do and act fast, you may just manage to resuscitate it back to life. Yes, it’s true that water can be fatal for electronics but don’t panic, follow these tips to bring it back to life.

Unplug the Power Cable

Hold down the power button until the power is off but don’t wait for it to shut down completely. It could cause a short circuit and damage the computer for good. The faster you unplug and turn off the machine, the faster you can save your computer.

Remove the Battery

Immediately remove the battery. Open up the backplate if you know how to, remove any USB drive, dongles, SD cards or headphones plugged into it to protect yourself from shock, especially if you are in contact with water or if your clothes are in contact with water at that time. Make sure no power is running through the system at all. Switch it off from the main source in the wall, whether you see any smoke, steam, bulge or bubbling sound, or not. Once the device is off and you know you are safe, start cleaning up thoroughly.

Drain it Out

Wipe off any spills on the surface of the laptop and the table it is on with a dry cloth. Make sure you don’t miss the spaces between the keys on the motherboard, vents or ports. Turn the laptop upside down, use an absorbent microfibre cloth and sponge or towel to soak up the liquid. Leave it to dry for 24 hours to be on the safe side. Parts within the computer that are not visible to the eye can take longer to dry completely. The more you take time to dry it out thoroughly, the more chances you have to save your computer. Open-air drying is the best option.

Take it to a Repair Professional

Once your computer is completely dry, plug it back in, reboot and see if it springs back to life. But to be on the safer side, we advise you to take it to a repair professional. The fluid that seeps inside can leave behind minerals that can corrode the components. If you’ve spilled coffee, tea or soda, the residue will undoubtedly be sitting inside. Repair professionals use powerful tools and solvents to clean the machines and make it safe for you again.

Surrey Geeks – The Pros Got You Covered

We are a team of experienced IT professionals serving local communities in Surrey, South Surrey, Delta, North Delta, White Rock, New Westminster and Langley. We provide a complete suite of IT solutions and repair services to home and office computers, laptops and tablets. Whether you accidentally spilled a drink, dropped it in water or damaged the LCD screen, our qualified technicians got your operating system covered.