Tim Babcock logo (Computer support since 1984)




Rice is for eating

Rice is for eating

Where did this fairy tale come from? Perhaps it is a practical joke because it doesn't reflect anything that an electronic engineering course would support (and more than likely denounce). That is putting your cell phone in rice to get the moisture out.

When your comes in contact with moisture (there was even an episode on Shark Tank that covered this) time is critical. The sooner the moisture is out, the better chance you have of saving your electronic devices. While this site doesn't assume your device can handle water in the first place (as other posts reflect) it is best to keep it out of the water unless it is in an approved underwater container.

Accidents do happen and because many batteries are sealed (making it difficult to take the backs off to remove the battery to dry off the components, it is even more of a waste of time (with respect to time) to assume this fable works.

As previous posts on this site have stated, if your phone lands in a hot tub or pool with chemicals, those chemicals are corrosive to your phone that isn't reversible. Your phone can turn into a crystal garden as well as a hazardous material concern.

Even the ocean or pools with salt water have the same affect on your phone as well and the other components in your phone aren't good for the sea life to be around. If you are in a fresh water lake, you have a better chance of saving it.