Help me save my wet electronics

By Heather

by Heather

I came home this morning from a few days away to discover that our roof had leaked. Unfortunately, it didn’t go and drip on some inconsequential part of the house, but it had spilled a gallon or more of water from our new light fixture in the living room. And not only had it compromised our new light fixture, but also our leather ottoman (does leather absorb?! it feels cold to me), our remotes for the TV, a wireless computer keyboard, and a wee bit of the carpet. I know it could have been worse.

water droplet

The funny – ha ha – part of the experience was that my children were both dying for television and losing the remotes meant losing the TV. Boo.

The scary part though is wondering how to save and proceed safely with just me and two small children around this mess. My geeky and helpful husband was already at work for the day when we discovered the problem. Since this is his area of expertise (dishes, trash, and electronics are his domain while I preside over laundry , babysitters , and meal planning), I called him ASAP to get instructions. Here were his instructions:

Remove all the batteries from everything.
Shake dry what can be shaken.
Stomp with a towel on the carpet.
Blot the leather.
Grab a bucket for more drips.
Do not use the overhead light fixture (I taped up the switch).
Hope for the best.

The safety experts at UL also weighed in on my dilemma.

They report:

For battery-operated products like the wireless keyboard and TV remote: let the products dry out THOROUGHLY (not just wiped out, but let them sit for several days to make sure the electronics that aren’t visible are dry) and replace batteries before trying to use again. No guarantee that they will still work, as there may be unseen contamination on the contacts, but there’s a chance IF they are dry and have new batteries.

For electrical products like the overhead light fixture: have them examined by a licensed electrician BEFORE using to make sure there’s been no damage and the products are safe to use.

I’m open to any other tips and sob stories. And be safe out there.

More tips from DIYLife.com.

Photo by stephcarter. Some rights reserved. Usage does not constitute photographer’s endorsement.