Why is Water Bad for Electronics?

It's happened to more Americans than not. An electronic device- iPods, radios, phones, hopefully not toasters- falls into or is otherwise in contact with water. Sometimes it's not water. I've lost count of how many times I've met people who've spilled soda on their laptops, put an iPod through the washing machine, dropped their phone in the pool, and the list goes on and on. This inevitably leads to a frantic Internet search on how to save their device, but the most potential damage is done within the first few seconds. So, exactly why are liquids bad for electronics?

It's all simple science. Electricity moves through matter- be it solid, liquid or gas. Some things conduct electricity better than others, and water is a very good conductor. The way modern electronics are made, electricity travels around the device through tiny wires that connect all the different parts. When water gets introduced to device, the electricity can spread and go to parts that aren't supposed to get electricity, and give more electricity to parts than they're designed to handle. This essentially electrocutes the device. This is the point where the most potential damage happens.

Now, if your device is turned off when it gets wet it's less likely to suffer major damage, but since few portable devices ever turn off completely there's usually at least a small current of electricity going through them. As far as other problems with getting your electronics wet, you also need to account for material other than water in the liquid. For example, if you spill a soda, the acid can corrode parts as well as make it sticky. Pools have plenty of chemicals, as so washing machines, and I won't even go into the additional problems when you drop a device in the commode!

So what can you do to prevent or minimize the damage of liquid to your electronics? The easiest thing is to keep them away if possible. Don't take your iPod to the beach, or drink your wine next to your laptop. Secondly, if your device does get wet, turn it off right away if it's on- this will turn off the electrical current going through those wires and hopefully minimize further damage. Lastly, once it's off, keep it off for at least 24-48 hours, preferably in a room with low humidity. There are other suggestions on the Internet, but none that have been proven to work.

Practical Tip of the Day:
If you need to take your electronics to a place with potential moisture, there are lots of things you can do to protect it. If you're going to the beach, put your electronics in a baggie. This will help protect against both water and sand. If you canoe, kayak or even scuba dive, they make water-proof cases for most cell phones and MP3 players. They even make water-proof headphones! For your laptop, a simple plastic cover over the keyboard helps cover the easiest point of access for spills of all kinds. This also helps keep crumbs, dust and other matter out of your keyboard as well.