OK, so it happens. It might be your own fumble fingers, accidentally knocking your cell into the sink of dish water. Or it might be your little one who inadvertently tosses the digital camera into the kiddie pool. The problem? Water + electronic devices = BIG unhappy face. But rest assured, should one of your electronic devices meet water, there is hope for it…

First, don’t try to turn it on. Just take it and place it in a bowl of rice. Dry, uncooked rice, straight out of the bag/box. And leave it in the rice for about 2 days. Again….resist the urge to turn the device on during the wait. You want to make certain the components have a chance to fully dry out first. Rice does a fantastic job of speeding the drying process.

If your device meets salt water, you should actually rinse it thoroughly in tap water. Yes, it seems counter-intuitive to further soak the already drenched device. However, as salt water dries, the salt will leave crystals that can damage a device’s components.

So, fret not. If your phone or camera or other electronic device happens to acquaint itself with water this summer, just run for the rice.