Who doesn’t fear spilling coffee or any liquid on their laptop? The liquid can cause potential damage to your device and leave you drenched in helplessness.d. However, you can do some simple things to avoid the damage, or reduce it to as much as possible. The first thing to do if you have spilled coffee or juice on your laptop is to not panic. While it is a “nightmare,” panicking won’t help you better the situation. Instead, turn off the power supply immediately to avoid more damage the liquid can cause to your device.
What Should You Do Next?
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Once you have unplugged the laptop from the power supply, it’s time to take a soft cloth and wipe off the liquid from the external parts. Now that you wiped off the external parts, let’s move on to the next steps quickly.
Here we discuss the step-by-step guide that might help you avoid further losses.
Assess The Situation:
First, knowing how much liquid you have spilled on your device is important. A towel will do the job if it is a very small amount or just a few drops. In such cases, the initial step that you have already done is enough to protect your laptop from further damage.
But in the worst case, if the amount is more, follow the next steps closely.
Turn Off and Unplug The Laptop:
Next, turn off your laptop immediately. Remember that the more the delay in turning off your system, the higher the chance of serious damage.
As your laptop runs on battery, unplugging it at first won’t help much because your system will still run with the battery backup.
After turning off your system, you should quickly remove or disconnect all the devices, like USB drives, memory storage, etc., from your laptop. The devices connected to your system increase the chance of more damage to your laptop.
Remove Laptop battery
Once you have completed the steps mentioned above, i.e., turning off your laptop, remove the battery by flipping the device. Evaluate the battery’s condition to see if it has any liquid or moisture on it. Also, check the battery enclosure to ensure it has no liquid or moisture inside it.
Even if it has any liquid or moisture, use a clean towel to wipe it, dry it out as best as possible, and put it somewhere safe. However, the step will work seamlessly only if you have a removable battery on your device, which is not the case for most of the new laptops.
You should have proper knowledge of removing new editions of a laptop with non-removable batteries. You can also watch some guide videos to help you with the process.
Use Paper Towel
Take a paper towel or soft, lint-free cloth to wipe off the coffee from your laptop, both from the external and internal parts. Remember not to be harsh while cleaning, as it could damage your keyboard and other sensitive parts.
In addition, please do not go for wiping motion while cleaning, as it could spread the liquid further, increasing the chances of damage.
Remove Other Parts If Needed
Depending on the spilled amount and areas, remove other sensitive parts with the help of a screwdriver, which includes storage, memory part, bottom case, etc.
You can remove the following parts to avoid any serious damage:
- Battery: Check if the liquid has reached the battery. If the battery is wet, gently remove it and wipe it with a soft cloth. Remember to avoid harsh motions while cleaning it.
- Storage: Disconnect the hard drive or SSD from the device. Next, take a microfiber cloth to soak any liquid from the storage drives, and dry it off.
- Bottom case: The liquid tends to reach the bottom case when spilled into your laptop. Look if it has already reached the place, remove the case and clean it properly.
However, the step is completely based on the type of laptop you are using, its age, and how comfortable you are with the engineering part. While most laptops are easy-to-open, some might be complicated. Additionally, without proper knowledge, opening your laptop could be risky.
Moreover, removing or even opening other laptop parts voids the warranty. So, if your laptop is under warranty, it is better not to open the chassis.
Turn The Laptop Upside Down
Place a dry towel on a plane surface like a table, and gently put your laptop upside down. The “inverted V” like position will drain the extra coffee from your laptop.
Keep it in that position long enough to drain any liquid, and the moisture inside evaporates. In my case, I kept the laptop upside down for 24 hours to guarantee that all liquids and moisture would evaporate.
Based on your knowledge about the device, you can open the storage and memory compartments and place them gently in a dry place. Also, open the bottom case of the laptop, if possible, so that more air can pass inside your laptop.
Keep It At Room Temperature
It is important to keep the laptop at room temperature so that the extra coffee drains and dries out. However, do not keep it under sunlight or in direct contact with fire and heat.
Use Compressed Air
If you are not willing to wait 24 hours, you can alternatively use compressed air. After ensuring that all excess liquid is removed from the laptop, use compressed air to help dry the laptop. Meanwhile, if you cannot use compressed air, take the help of a hair dryer, but use it on its coolest setting.
Maintain a distance of at least 20 cm from the laptop while using the hair dryer, and do not hold it constantly in a single place. In other words, keep moving the dryer continuously for some time.
However, try avoiding the hair dryer and only use it if necessary.
Turn On Your Laptop
Following the steps mentioned above, you can put your battery back in the laptop. However, waiting for a sufficient time is recommended to let the laptop, battery, as well as other parts completely dry out.
Next, put all the necessary things back into your device if removed earlier. Then turn on your laptop and try to do it without plugging in the charger, if possible. If the scenario is pleasant, try connecting your charger, and see how your laptop reacts to it.
Working Fine?
Now that you have followed the main steps, and if your laptop is working fine, awesome! However, if the screen is still black, do not waste more time and follow the next step.
Contact The Manufacturer
If your laptop is still under warranty, try reaching out to the manufacturer. It is always recommended to go to the manufacturer for better services and assistance, as they have created the product and know more about the laptop than anyone else.
Also, if your laptop has insurance, the service provider might cover the repair cost for you.
So contacting the manufacturer or insurer is always a better option. But if you have a laptop repair shop near your house, you can also visit them. Make sure the repair shop has a good reputation and has experience in facing similar situations earlier.
Conclusion:
You can’t avoid the fact that accidents happen. However, you can try to lower the chances by not bringing liquids near your electronic devices.
But despite all the precautions, sometimes things go in other directions. In that case, you can follow the steps mentioned above to minimize the damage and save your dearest laptop from spending a lot of money.
It is also advisable to seek help from professionals or manufacturers whenever required, as they have a better understanding of your product.
FAQs:
What should I do immediately after spilling liquid on my laptop?
Turn off your laptop and wipe off liquid from the external parts with a soft cloth. Also, make sure that you have unplugged the power source to it to avoid serious damage.
How much damage can be caused if I spill coffee on my laptop?
It all depends on the amount of liquid you have spilled. If it is just a few drops or a small amount, it may not cause serious damage, but if the amount is more, it might cause some serious trouble.
How long should I wait before using it again?
It depends on the spilled amount. If the amount is more, it is recommended to wait for about 24 hours to completely drain all liquid and the moisture to evaporate. However, in case of a few drops, you can continue using the device immediately.
Is there any waterproof laptop?
There are no such things as waterproof laptops, only water-resistant ones. These laptops are designed with a rubber seal around the keyboard and screen to withstand water drip. So, it might keep the water out of your laptop for some time, but if submerged in water for an extended period of time, it will eventually damage the device.
