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Hiya, I just got an iPhone 3GS off of eBay with water damage. It hasn’t come here yet, but it doesn’t look bad from what I’ve seen. I’ve read a lot about it, but somebody says do one thing, while another guy says to do another. So I ask: I use rubbing alcohol with at least 90% concentration, right? What kind of brush do I use? Do I just clean it off, or do I dunk it in a pool of the alcohol? Or do I clean it then dunk it? If so, for how long? Once its clean, how do I dry it? I’ve read hairdryer yes, an no. Sunlight yes, and no. Can someone clarify on the best practices to cleaning this damage up? Thanks!
Corry, for the proper cleaning guide, follow this link. It was expertly written for the 3G but it most certainly applies to the 3GS as well. Hope this helps, good luck.
There’s alot of different techniques. I use a soft toothbrush and an electronic contact cleaner spray. The kind that leaves zero residue. Available at radio shack or over in the electronics section of lots of stores like Fry’s. Got my last spray can at the auto parts store. Alcohol is a good substitute but zero residue contact/electronic spray can is The Right Thing. Using contact cleaner in a spray can works best because the spray pressure will chase water out of small components. The key to using a hair dryer or heat gun is to put it on low. Warm…low….no heat, just blow room temp….whatever your favorite tool has settings called like that. Low temperature is the key. I let it blow for a full day. Or many hours. Some people say no heat gun/ hairdryer because they’re afraid you’ll melt the solder or wire insulation and do additional damage. Well, I’ve got news for them. I use precision of judgment and I do not fry my delicate electronics under a 650 degree heat gun set on high. And I’ll bet you can pull it off too.
Consider a wet phone recovery pack - you place your phone inside for a few days and they pull the moisture out using their absorption technology. They are often several times more effective than rice and silica gel packs. I used a product called Rescuetec - http://www.rescuetec.com - when I dropped my phone in the sink. Hope this helps, and good luck :)
Apple does not repair iPhones, but will replace the entire iPhone for a flat fee; see the tutorials here: There are independent iPhone repair services that may be able to replace the screen for less. Do a web search for “iPhone repair”. Note, though, that if you elect to have the iPhone serviced by an unauthorized shop, all further support from Apple will be voided. Regards.
What you do in order to dry it is put it in 3 inches of mexican rice
