{"id":673107,"date":"2025-06-02T21:50:01","date_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:50:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/"},"modified":"2025-06-02T21:50:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-02T18:50:01","slug":"debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/","title":{"rendered":"Debunking five myths about when your devices get wet"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a406339e808a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a406339e808a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/#Myth_1_My_device_turned_back_on_Its_fine\" >Myth 1: My device turned back on! It&#8217;s fine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/#Myth_2_My_%E2%80%98waterproof_device_can_tolerate_any_kind_of_wetness\" >Myth 2: My &#8216;waterproof&#8217; device can tolerate any kind of wetness<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/#Myth_3_My_device_has_a_great_IP_rating_so_its_been_tested_under_real-world_conditions\" >Myth 3: My device has a great IP rating, so it&#8217;s been tested under real-world conditions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/#Myth_4_Ive_got_some_rice_in_the_kitchen_I_can_fix_this_myself\" >Myth 4: I&#8217;ve got some rice in the kitchen. I can fix this myself!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/#Myth_5_Well_this_device_is_broken_but_Ive_got_a_warranty_to_replace_it\" >Myth 5: Well, this device is broken, but I&#8217;ve got a warranty to replace it<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/debunking-five-myths-about-when-your-devices-get-wet\/#Keeping_it_realistic\" >Keeping it realistic<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/wet-cellphone.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/wet-cellphone.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: Sergey Meshkov from Pexels\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/wet-cellphone.jpg\" alt=\"wet cellphone\" title=\"Credit: Sergey Meshkov from Pexels\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: Sergey Meshkov from Pexels<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Nearly everyone has encountered the unthinkable: Your smartphone landed in the toilet. Or you forgot to take off your smartwatch before jumping into the pool. Or maybe you meant to take those earbuds out of your pocket before running the laundry. What now?<\/p>\n<p>Internet forums are chock-full of advice to dry out that drenched device, but problematic myths about liquid protection and repair make it hard for consumers to separate fact from fiction.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m a researcher who studies how <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/scholar.google.com\/citations?hl=en&amp;user=2G4TrncAAAAJ&amp;view_op=list_works&amp;sortby=pubdate\" target=\"_blank\">technologies play a part<\/a> in people&#8217;s everyday practices and experiences. My new book, &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/mitpress.mit.edu\/9780262551588\/license-to-spill\/\" target=\"_blank\">License to Spill: Where Dry Devices Meet Liquid Lives<\/a>,&#8221; explores the wet-dry boundary in how people perceive and treat their electronic devices.<\/p>\n<p>Here are five common myths about getting devices wet:<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Myth_1_My_device_turned_back_on_Its_fine\"><\/span>Myth 1: My device turned back on! It&#8217;s fine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While it&#8217;s a relief to see your <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> rise from the dead, what you can&#8217;t see are subtle processes occurring inside, like <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/hzo.com\/blog\/corrosion-water-damage-electronics\" target=\"_blank\">corrosion<\/a>. The breakdown of your device&#8217;s metal parts due to moisture often h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ens over time, in a period that can take place days, weeks or months after the offending incident.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why even humidity from moist climates or your steamy shower can make a long-term impact, despite the fact that everything booted up right away after a splash or dunk.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Myth_2_My_%E2%80%98waterproof_device_can_tolerate_any_kind_of_wetness\"><\/span>Myth 2: My &#8216;waterproof&#8217; device can tolerate any kind of wetness<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The term &#8220;waterproof&#8221; is a controversial one\u2014so controversial, in fact, that the Federal Trade Commission has <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/cfr\/text\/16\/24.3\" target=\"_blank\">strict rules<\/a> about using the term in advertising, once even <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.hodinkee.com\/articles\/why-no-watch-is-waterproof\" target=\"_blank\">banning it<\/a> from ad copy selling wristwatches.<\/p>\n<p>Given the vagueness of the term, it&#8217;s better to examine different water resistance standards, such as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iec.ch\/ip-ratings\" target=\"_blank\">ingress protection, or IP, ratings<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wikiwand.com\/en\/articles\/MIL-STD-810\" target=\"_blank\">MIL-SPEC<\/a>, or <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iso.org\/home.html\" target=\"_blank\">ISO<\/a> in the case of watches, and to read the fine print about what those standards actually cover.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                        <!-- TechX - News - In-article --><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Myth_3_My_device_has_a_great_IP_rating_so_its_been_tested_under_real-world_conditions\"><\/span>Myth 3: My device has a great IP rating, so it&#8217;s been tested under real-world conditions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Companies often advertise <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.iec.ch\/ip-ratings\" target=\"_blank\">IP ratings<\/a> as a way to entice consumers to purchase their products, but it&#8217;s important to know that these ratings are based on contact with fresh water. If you&#8217;re worried about Jacuzzi suds or that tipped-over can of beer, there&#8217;s no guarantee that a manufacturer has tested your device in these\u2014often sticky\u2014situations, and an IP rating won&#8217;t account for them.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Myth_4_Ive_got_some_rice_in_the_kitchen_I_can_fix_this_myself\"><\/span>Myth 4: I&#8217;ve got some rice in the kitchen. I can fix this myself!<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s natural to panic and seek out the quickest household solution when a spill or dunk happens, and a cup of rice is still a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Phone_repair_with_rice\" target=\"_blank\">commonly sought-out<\/a> option.<\/p>\n<p>However, the rice hack <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ifixit.com\/Wiki\/Do_Not_Put_Your_Device_in_Rice\" target=\"_blank\">doesn&#8217;t work very well<\/a>, and rice particles can enter the device to cause even further damage. Aside from bringing your device to a professional repairer, you&#8217;re better off im<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">media<\/a>tely powering down your product, removing its battery and plug if you can, and letting all the components dry over a day or two.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Myth_5_Well_this_device_is_broken_but_Ive_got_a_warranty_to_replace_it\"><\/span>Myth 5: Well, this device is broken, but I&#8217;ve got a warranty to replace it<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While you&#8217;re pulling your product from its watery grave, you might find relief in the fact that it came with a warranty. Not so fast.<\/p>\n<p>Most traditional consumer technology limited warranties don&#8217;t cover liquid damage. These days, you usually need to purchase an add-on warranty, often called <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lawinsider.com\/dictionary\/accidental-damage-in-handling\" target=\"_blank\">Accidental Damage from Handling<\/a>. Beware, though: Even those policies may limit how many wetness &#8220;incidents&#8221; or &#8220;events&#8221; you&#8217;re allowed per year.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Keeping_it_realistic\"><\/span>Keeping it realistic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Water-resistance features on devices like laptops, tablets, smartphones and smartwatches have recently improved, but the deck is still often stacked against consumers who must wade through the hype of advertising claims, mystifying classification systems and penalizing policies.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s critical for manufacturers to think carefully and ethically about how their products are designed, marketed and serviced. In terms of design, water resistance is no longer a niche feature meant solely for industrial workers or outdoor adventurers. While it&#8217;s unrealistic to expect a device that&#8217;s designed to resist every hazard, it&#8217;s also unreasonable to ask consumers to tiptoe around the products that provide them with access to critical resources and social support.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s important for manufacturers to avoid promising consumers the moon. Samsung Australia, for instance, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accc.gov.au\/media-release\/samsung-australia-to-pay-14m-penalty-for-misleading-water-resistance-claims#:~:text=Samsung%20Electronics%20Australia%20Pty%20Ltd,proceedings%20brought%20by%20the%20ACCC.\" target=\"_blank\">paid AU$14 million in penalties<\/a> for exaggerating its phones&#8217; protection for swimming. It&#8217;s certainly fun to watch commercials with Lil Wayne <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/WI07NLgQyrc?si=-Y3gWD8MZjeV7l6h\" target=\"_blank\">spraying a smartphone with champagne<\/a> or see him dunk it in a fish tank, but if manufacturers are advising against these practices, then they shouldn&#8217;t be romanticizing them.<\/p>\n<p>Sure, it&#8217;s probably common sense that your phone shouldn&#8217;t take a bath in champagne. Yet life is constantly happening around\u2014and with\u2014our devices, from the shower and the kitchen to the gym and the beach. This means that fairer policies around repair, like those promoted by the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/pirg.org\/campaigns\/right-to-repair\/\" target=\"_blank\">right-to-repair<\/a> movement, and warranties should stop treating consumers like they&#8217;re &#8220;bad&#8221; users.<\/p>\n<p>After all, we&#8217;re each just one splash away from crying over spilled milk.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium my-4\">\n                                                Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                    The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                    \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/techx.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v2\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/257205\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n                                                <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                Debunking five myths about when your devices get wet (2025, June 2)<br \/>\n                                                retrieved 2 June 2025<br \/>\n                                                from https:\/\/techxplore.com\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-06-debunking-myths-devices.html\n                                            <\/p>\n<p>\n                                            This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                            part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n                                            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/techxplore.com\/news\/2025-06-debunking-myths-devices.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: Sergey Meshkov from Pexels Nearly everyone has encountered the unthinkable: Your smartphone landed in the toilet. Or you forgot to take off your smartwatch before jumping into the pool. Or maybe you meant to take those earbuds out of your pocket before running the laundry. What now? Internet forums are chock-full of advice to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":673108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/wet-cellphone.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-673107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=673107"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/673107\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/673108"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=673107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=673107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=673107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}