Phone in the Toilet

Phone in the Toilet

By Annie Bathgate

So you dropped your phone in the toilet? I’m writing this article out of a sincere desire to help you, the reader, if you did in fact drop your phone in the toilet.

1. Pull it out of the toilet. Cell phones flushed down anyone’s plumbing, whether it is an office building, apartment building or home, is not a kind action to pull on the owner. It’s bad phone karma. Get the phone out.
2. Your cell phone is a machine. If you, in a moment of panic and despair, attempt to turn on your phone to see if it works, STOP. If you do this, you run the risk of causing damage to the internal wiring of the phone, because why? Take the phone out of the toilet but do not turn it on.
3. Take the phone apart. If you don’t own a teeny tiny screwdriver set, call your brother who wears glasses and ask him for his set of screwdrivers for his glasses. He may even volunteer to help take your phone apart.
4. I know, you think I’m kidding here, right? You need to let it dry. Leave it alone, preferably in a well-vented area. Stick it in direct sunlight or bright light to help it dry.
5. See if it works. I wouldn’t…if it happened to me. Play around with it if it comes on. See if you get a signal. Try calling your house phone or your sister and see if it works. If you are like me and didn’t, read on.
6. Most cell phone companies nowadays have a local repair store. If you do, you might get stuck in a line with everyone else for an hour while everyone else who also didn’t drop their phones in toilets ask them to do a diagnostic test on their phone. If your phone is fixable, congratulations. If you turned on your phone right after you dropped it in the toilet and they said it had wire damage, read on.
7. Ask about your plan and see if you are eligible for a discount for a future phone. If your phone has wire damage and you are not due for a discount off a new phone, you have a few options…
8. Purchase a new phone, buy a refurbished phone or ask your friends for one of their old phones. It is worth asking your cell phone provider if they have any refurbished phones lying around. The phone company can easily activate a new phone for you, typically again, free of charge.
9. Do not put cell phone in back pocket or purchase insurance for your plan. I would highly advice either of these plans, since it can get expensive dropping phones in toilets. Get in the habit of not bringing your phone to the ladies room. Insurance may be worth its wait in wet cell phones if this is a common phenomenon for you.