In this article, we will answer the question “How long do I keep my iPhone in rice?”, and what are the other ways to dry an iPhone?
How long do I keep my iPhone in rice?
The recommended time is about 48 hours or more. It is recommended to use a desiccant to dry the iPhone, but treating the iPhone in dry uncooked rice could help soap up the moisture from your mobile.
When water gets into your iPhone, first of all, draw as much water out of it as possible. Some people suggest drying it with electronic instruments like microwave or hair dryer but it is very dangerous in this case and must be avoided at all cost.
Some suggest that for some models of iPhone non heated fan could be used which will dry some of the moisture and could be helpful. To get the innermost moisture you need a desiccant. Alternatively, you can place your iPhone, iPad, or any other device in a large bowl of uncooked rice for 12 to 24 hours or maybe up to 48 hours.
The phenomenon that occurs during this is that rice is in dried uncooked form so they absorb some of the moisture from the surroundings which in this case is the mobile or iPhone. This is not very effective but it could help in decreasing the moisture level to some extent.
Disadvantages
Some websites and channels suggest that sticking iPhones in uncooked rice to dry out moisture is not the best method because it can cause many different issues like the introduction of starch or dust from rice into the iPhone that could complicate the situation.
According to a study, rice works very slow as compared to other methods and in about 48 hours they were able to dry only 13% from their smartphone.
It takes a long time plus it can cause corrosion in the interior of the mobile phone due to starch present in the rice.
Other methods to dry the water from an iPhone
Silica gel
A very good way of drying the wet phone is to put it in the silica gel. Silica gel comes in small packets or pockets that are usually added in some products that are vulnerable to humidity.
Silica gel is used to absorb the moisture and keep things dry like in shoe boxes and handbags. If you have any spare silica gel packets in the house, collect them all in a bowl and put your iPhone in it.
This technique is particularly helpful for people living in countries with humid climates. You need many of them because the mobile should be completely covered with pockets to get efficient results.
The silica gel pocket method is better as compared to the rice method because there is less contamination and no issue of dust or starch accumulation in this method but it also requires almost 48 hours.
Unscrew your iPhone
If neither of the above methods works then you will have to dismantle your iPhone. Some of the models of the iPhone have different assembling but most of them consist of a pair of screws on the bottom.
Many shops sell screwdrivers specially designed for the dismantling of mobiles. Bring one and open the screws at the bottom of the iPhone, the lid will disassemble and now you can reach the interior of the mobile easily.
If you are confident that you can do this by yourself then do it otherwise doing this unprofessionally can sometimes worsen the situation that can damage some other parts.
Now the interior is exposed, try to get as much water from within the iPhone and dry it out carefully without damaging any other components of the mobile.
Take the battery out of the iPhone because when water comes in touch with it it could cause a short circuit and that will damage your iPhone.
Take a whole clothe and try to soak the water with it with very gentle hands, soak it from every nook and corner where you think water might have entered.
Power off the mobile phone
When the mobile gets wet, first of all, unplug it if it was plugged, then turn the mobile off carefully as soon as possible because if the mobile is on, water could come in contact with the battery and the short circuit could happen.
Conclusion
In this article, we answered the question “How long do I keep my iPhone in rice?”, and what are the other ways to dry an iPhone?
References
https://www.thesun.co.uk/tech/11012223/wet-iphone-dry-rice-myth-real-how-to-work/
