No matter how careful someone is with an iPad, sometimes water damage is unavoidable. Water damage can range from a quick dunk in the sink to being put through an entire spin cycle, but all is not lost. Even if an iPad is displaying unpredictable behavior, there may be a way to save it. Those who attempt to repair their iPads should know that some methods may void the warranty; however, most warranties are already voided due to the water damage unless additional insurance was purchased
Turn the iPad Off Immediately
The most important thing to do when an iPad has suffered water damage is to immediately turn it off. Even if the water damage seems minor, it’s often impossible to tell how deep the water has penetrated into the tablet. Water damage is easy to fix, but if the tablet is kept powered on the damage can get progressively worse because of the electrical current. Because of this, any time an iPad becomes wet at all it should be turned off, dried, and remain off for a period of time before turning it back on. The length of time depends on how bad the water damage was.
Dry the iPad with Terrycloth
If the iPad seems to have only suffered minor water damage, wrapping it in terrycloth should help wick out any surface moisture. The iPad, which is now off, should be wrapped in a layer of terrycloth and then laid out in the sun for a few hours. Terrycloth is one of the most absorbent types of cloth, and the sun will help evaporate any additional moisture, which will then be absorbed into the cloth. For most light water damage this is the only action that is needed.
Dry the iPad with Dry Rice
For iPads suffering minor to moderate water damage, rice has been proven effective. Drying an iPad with rice requires nothing more than ordinary, dry white rice. The tablet should be completely immersed in a container filled with white rice, and the rice should be changed every six hours. Rice is an extremely dry product, so it will absorb the moisture from the tablet. The rice can also be gently warmed before putting the tablet in it, or the rice container can be placed in the sun, for extra certainty that the moisture dissipates. The process should be done over a full day, and if the tablet does not work after a day, the process may show better results after two to three days, as the moisture will continue to be absorbed from the tablet.
Leave the iPad Off
If there are simply no materials at hand, most tablets will eventually dry off if simply left alone. Allowing the tablet to dry without any additional methods may take up to a week, and during this time it is critical not to turn the tablet on because this can damage the electronics inside. Usually, as long as the tablet is completely powered off it will not damage itself. However, the iPad does have the disadvantage of not being able to easily remove the battery. This means that it is better to dry the iPad off using faster methods if at all possible.
If These Efforts Fail
If an iPad proves impossible to fix at home, there are many iPad repair shops that can fix iPads for a low fee. Those who find themselves with many damaged iPads may also consider purchasing insurance. iPad insurance will allow the user to replace the iPad when damaged for a fee that is usually much less than the retail value and iPad insurance is usually not much more than a few extra dollars a month.