How to Get Steam Moisture Out of a Mobile Phone Keypad

Act fast to save your phone from steam damage.

Although dropping your cellphone in a pool might be greater cause for alarm than leaving it in the bathroom while you shower, steam can also damage the phone if the moisture is trapped in the keypad. Work to remove the water as soon as possible: Your phone contains sensitive materials that can be corroded by the dampness. You can use two household items -- a vacuum cleaner and uncooked rice -- to dry the keyboard.

Things You'll Need

• Paper towels
• Vacuum cleaner with cleaning attachment and a long, narrow nozzle
• Medium-size bowl
• 4 cups uncooked rice

Instructions

1. Shut the phone off. The heat from a phone combined with the steam can make the device short circuit.

2. Remove the protective phone cover, the battery cover, the battery and the SIM card. Examine them for moisture. Blot any excess moisture with a paper towel and place these items to dry on a paper towel on a flat surface in a dry area of the house for five hours.

3. Place a long, narrow nozzle (one that has an opening at the end of it instead of a brush) on the end of the vacuum's cleaning attachment.

4. Turn your vacuum cleaner on its lowest setting, and hold the attachment directly above the phone's keyboard. Wave the attachment back and forth over the keys. Move the nozzle in continuous, even strokes. Continue drying the phone until all visible signs of moisture disappear.

5. Fill a medium-size bowl with 2 cups of uncooked rice.

6. Lay the phone face down on the rice.

7. Pour another 2 cups of uncooked rice over the phone. The device should be totally immersed in the rice.

8. Leave the phone in the rice for four hours so the grain can absorb the moisture.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use a can of compressed air to clean the phone instead of a vacuum cleaner.

• Do not use a hair dryer, microwave, freezer or refrigerator to dry your phone. All of these appliances contain extreme sources of heat, cold or moisture and can ruin your phone.

References

• Cell-Phone-Plans: What Is Water Damage, and Can It Be Fixed?
• Maxintosh: Leaving Your Cell Phone in the Car: Too Hot to Handle?