Water damage to your laptop can seriously mess up your workday and mood. A knocked over cup of coffee over your keyboard or a hard rain while riding your bike, it can happen to anyone. But don’t panic! A wet laptop doesn’t mean the end right away. In this blog, we’ll take you through all the causes, consequences and the steps to take if your laptop has suffered water damage.

• How does water damage occur?
• The impact of moisture in your laptop
• Common mistakes
• First aid for water damage

How does water damage occur?

Often you quickly notice that your laptop has water damage if you accidentally spill your drink over it or if it falls into a puddle of water. These types of obvious causes are common. The advantage is that you immediately know what is going on and can react quickly by following the steps we describe below.

However, water damage can also accumulate unnoticed, without you realizing it. For example, this can happen due to condensation when your laptop is suddenly moved from a warm environment to a cold one with high frequency. Think of moving your laptop from your home to an icy cold coffee shop in the summer. Moisture can also sneak in through small openings, think cracks in the case or charging ports. Then, of course, you have those invisible leaking water bottles in your bag or the increased humidity in environments like the basement. All this moisture can slowly accumulate and damage your laptop’s internal components without you noticing it right away until it’s really too late.

The impact of moisture in your laptop

Now that you have a better idea of the ways your laptop can suffer water damage, it is important to understand the short- and long-term consequences.

With a major spill, you often quickly notice your laptop malfunctioning. Keys that don’t respond, a flickering screen or even your laptop shutting down completely, as if it went off the radar for a moment. Fortunately, the damage is often repairable at this stage, provided you act quickly. The faster you react, the more likely your data will be preserved and your laptop will work as it should again. In the long run, as mentioned earlier, moisture can cause corrosion to internal components, such as the motherboard, hard drive or battery. This often leads to permanent damage that is beyond repair, even with a repair. It can also shorten the life of your laptop, which means you’ll need a replacement sooner. That’s why it’s important to act quickly and properly protect your laptop from water damage.

Steps you can take yourself

So, the crime scene is in front of you: coffee all over your workhorse. Now what? It’s tempting to panic and immediately turn on your laptop to see if it’s still working. Wrong! We’ll give you a step-by-step guide on what to do after acute water damage:

1. Turn off your laptop
   Immediately turn off your laptop and, if necessary, remove it from the charger. This prevents further damage from electricity coming in contact with the moisture.
2. Lay your laptop on its side
   Put your laptop on its side to prevent moisture from further entering the internal components through the openings, such as the keyboard holes or ports.
3. Dry the outside
   Use a dry towel to gently dry the laptop. Be careful not to push a cloth into the charging or aux ports, as this may push moisture further inside.
4. Have specialists look at it
   Professional cleaning is necessary to remove hidden moisture and corrosion and prevent further damage. Only then will you know for sure which parts are still working and whether repair is needed. Ask one of our specialists for free advice and make your appointment here today!

Where best to do this? Feel free to stop by ThePhoneLab for first aid for water damage!

First aid for water damage

After the first steps, it is essential to have your laptop professionally cleaned. At ThePhoneLab, we completely disassemble your laptop and thoroughly inspect it for moisture, residue and corrosion. Where necessary, we perform a chemical cleaning so we can safely test which parts are still functioning and which may be faulty. This process helps prevent further long-term damage. Does it turn out that additional repairs are needed? Then we’ll let you know and you decide if you want to invest in this. Don’t wait too long: the sooner you act, the more likely your laptop will be working optimally again! Make your appointment online today or feel free to walk in for water damage diagnosis and repair.