With more of us working from our dining room table these days, spills happen. One second, you’re working. The next, you’re fighting panic over the deluge that just hit your keyboard. A single tumbled cup can bring disaster to your day. How can you recover? If liquid gets into your laptop, take the following steps.
Step 1
Immediately turn the device off by holding the power button down for five seconds. Then disconnect the power cord and remove the battery to prevent it from shorting out.
Now that you’re safe from shock, unplug the mouse, cables, flash drives, etc. Open and remove anything that can be easily disengaged, such as the RAM and the hard drive or SSD.
Step 2
Blot the spilled liquid with a soft, lint-free cloth. Apply light pressure. Do not rub, scrub, or wipe, as that will just distribute the liquid.
Step 3
Then open the laptop as wide as possible, turn it upside down, and gently tilt it from side to side and from front to back, allowing the liquid to escape from all sides. Do not shake the laptop.
Step 4
Once the excess liquid is gone, use a can of compressed air or a hair dryer at the coolest setting to remove any remaining moisture. Be sure to keep the blow dryer or compressed air moving.
Step 5
Leave the device upside down for a few hours, and use this time to blot up any liquid that may have seeped into the keyboard or other accessories. If the liquid was something sticky, such as soda, send the laptop to a professional for a thorough cleaning. If the spill was water, once the laptop has dried thoroughly, you should be able to reattach the peripherals and start it up.
NextVision Sales Institute
NextVision Sales Institute encourages all our clients, partners and communities to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations to minimize the spread of COVID-19. For additional information on COVID-19 visit cdc.gov
