Many people like to enjoy a beverage while using their laptop, but this is opening the door to dangerous spills, which could destroy your machine. The ideal way to protect your laptop from liquid damage is to refrain from having anything that could spill near your computer, but sometimes you slip up and forget. And, whether it’s a rogue elbow, an accident prone child, or an excitable pet, your drink may get knocked over, right onto the most disastrous place possible: your computer. At this point, you would normally panic, swear, and frantically try to soak up the liquid, thinking your computer is done for. But if you follow these steps, you can potentially save your laptop from death by liquid.
Disconnect Everything
You need to act as quickly as possible to prevent permanent damage to your computer. When liquid is spilled onto a laptop, you need to turn it off and remove the power cord and battery. This will prevent the liquid from touching the circuits and shorting out the entire machine. You also need to remove any accessories plugged in, like a mouse or wireless adapter. Everything that is plugged into the laptop can be fried by that spilled liquid, so detach everything as quickly and safely as you can before doing anything else.
Turn it Over
The next important step to be done immediately following the disconnection is to turn your laptop upside down, so that the screen and keyboard are facing down. This will keep whatever was spilled from seeping further into the laptop, and causing more internal damage. While your laptop is turned over, take a towel and soak up the water, wiping it from the keyboard as it drips out. Continue wiping up the liquid until they keyboard and screen are dry, and nothing more drips out. Then there will be less risk of more liquid seeping in when you turn the computer back over.
Take it Apart or Take it In
Some keyboards are made to be spill proof, and if this is the case, you can remove the keyboard container and empty out the liquid. Be sure it is clean and dry before you replace it. You should also check out the inside of the computer, to be sure nothing else got wet. If you are uncomfortable taking apart your computer, you should take it in to a computer repair service as soon as possible. They will have no problem disassembling things and cleaning out the inside. If you prefer to take things apart and clean them yourself, be sure to do so safely and carefully. You will probably want to take your computer in to a repair specialist anyway, even if you choose to take things apart and clean them yourself, to be sure that no other damage was caused in the process. If you have acted quickly and caught the seeping liquid in time, you may just be able to salvage your laptop before it fries.