The worst part is when there's a computer between the cup and the table. That's when an oops becomes a crisis.
What's the best thing to do when there's a spill on your laptop? Keep calm and carry on:
1. Don't panic.
First, know that your data is safe. Hard drives -- while not hermetically sealed -- are tightly put together. If you act quickly, you can prevent the liquid from getting to your hard disk, and damaging your valuable data. (I'll save the bad news for later.)
2. Turn off the computer.
Even before you run to get a towel, turn the computer off. If you can't shut it down normally (the keyboard won't respond for example), try pressing the power button for several seconds to force the computer to shut down. Unplug the laptop, and disconnect any cables and USB devices.
This prevents the liquid from getting too far into the computer. While the computer is upside down, remove the battery and set it aside.
4. Wipe up the liquid.
All joking aside: use toilet paper. Ounce for ounce, it's the most absorbent material you're likely to have handy. It's also thin, so it can reach down into crevices in and around your keyboard to soak up the liquid. This is especially important for sugary drinks like colas and juice: Sugars are sticky, and if they dry, you'll have a bigger problem.
Next: If you're prepared, you can take your computer apart to clean up any liquid inside.
5. Disassemble and clean the computer.
You can find plenty of information online for how to disassemble your Mac. MacRecycling.com offers videos showing how to disassemble plastic 13-inch MacBooks, and iBook G4s. iFixIt has PDF guides for how to take apart almost any MacBook, MacBook Pro, iBook or PowerBook. Make sure you're electrically grounded, too, before working on your computer. Lightly touch the screw on the outside of a wall switch to ground yourself, or use a grounding strap (if you have one).
With your computer apart, try and find where the liquid has seeped to, and sop it up as best you can. Any liquid you spill is going to have the ability to conduct electricity due to metals, sugars, and salts within. Colas, especially, are very acidic, and can corrode sensitive electronic parts. Even if you drink nothing but food-grade de-ionized water, material on the surface of your computer can be carried by the liquid inside your computer, meaning possible conductivity. Of course, unwanted conductivity is bad for your computer.
If what you spilled was oily or sticky, you can use dilute isopropyl alcohol (IPA, or rubbing alcohol) to try and clean areas with the oil on it. Dip a lint-free cloth in a small amount of alcohol and use the tip of your finger to gently clean areas inside the computer.
6. Let everything dry.
You can use a desk lamp and incandescent bulb to gently warm and dry the disassembled computer. Remember, make sure to clean up anything that will become sticky before you dry the computer. You'll want to make sure everything is completely dry before trying to turn on your computer. No matter how great the compulsion, you should wait at least a day before trying to boot your laptop again.
7. Reassemble the computer and try to boot it.
Have you considered prayer? Prayer sometimes works, too.
8. Test it out.
The keyboard and trackpad will probably be most affected by a spill. Try all the keys and all the functions of the trackpad (like scrolling and tapping). If something isn't working right, there are two possibilities: Either it's not completely dry, or its permanently damaged. Give it another day to dry out, and if it isn't working, chances are it needs to be replaced.
If nothing works, you can still take the hard disk out of the computer, put it in an enclosure and connect it to another Mac. That way, you'll have access to your critical files if you need them.
9. Get Service.
Remember the bad news I mentioned in step 1? Well, here it is: Many warranties (including AppleCare) don't cover liquid damage. In fact, newer Apple laptops include moisture sensors to tell repair technicians if something has leaked inside the case. These sensors -- small dots adhered in specific places inside the laptop case -- are white when dry, but turn red when exposed to liquids. If liquid damage isn't covered, then you have to pay the cost to repair any damaged components. Sorry.
With that hard lesson under your belt, I'm sure you'll make sure to keep drinks away from your computer from now. Even so, there are times when even the most careful among us fall prey to liquid damage: The laptop pictured at the top of the article had an unfortunate encounter with a (what was thought to be tightly capped) bottle of cranberry juice inside a backpack.
Do you have a liquid damage horror story? Vent your spleen and leave a comment.
[with help from WikiHow.]
Also see:
How to save a wet laptop (via Switched)
Coffee shops are, for many, the home office — at least until that fateful day when you spill your latte all over your laptop. Liquid can destroy electronics quickly, but your computer may be salvageable if you act fast. "First of all, don’t panic,” said Joe Silverman, owner of New York Computer Help. “The first thing to do is actually unplug the power cable, then hold down the power button for five to seven seconds until it’s totally off. Don’t waste the time properly shutting down.” If the computer is left on, even for a few extra moments, you could cause a short circuit, leaving the components inside with permanent damage. The quicker you can turn off the machine, the better chance you have of saving the computer. If you can easily remove the battery, that should be your next step. Some laptops still have batteries that come out with a simple latch, while others make you unscrew the entire backplate to access the battery. If you’re comfortable doing so, go ahead and open it up. Otherwise, leave it closed. Remove any USB drives or dongles plugged into the laptop as well — you want to make sure nothing is trying to draw even a trickle of power from the system. In addition, “Safety is the first thing that typically goes out the window when you’re in a panic,” said Kay-Kay Clapp, repair analyst at iFixit. “But I can’t tell you how important it is to remove yourself from any potential shock hazard — especially if you’re standing in water or your clothes are wet. If that’s the case, rather than trying to unplug it from the wall, find the circuit breaker or switch for that source of power and switch it off from there. If you see (or feel) any heat, smoke, steam, bubbling, bulging or melting, avoid handling the device.” Once the device is off and you’re sure the area is safe, you’re ready to do some cleanup.
Take a dry cloth and wipe up any excess liquid from the surface of the laptop — especially near the keyboard, vents or ports — and open the lid as far back as it will go. Turn the laptop upside down, put it over a towel or something absorbent, and let the water drain out of it. You don’t have to open the laptop if you aren’t comfortable doing so, but if you are, remove the backplate and wipe off the components with a lint free cloth before letting it sit to drain.
"I tell people to leave it 24 hours if you can,” Mr. Silverman said. “That’s ideal. If you don’t have the time, I’d say a minimum of four hours. Even though it seems dry, these parts do absorb a lot of water, so that just gives it time to dissipate any liquid.” The longer you can let it sit, the better. But if you absolutely have to use your laptop for work, Mr. Silverman said their testing shows four hours to be a pretty decent amount of time.
And despite what you may have heard, open-air drying is best in these situations — both Ms. Clapp and Mr. Silverman recommend against putting your device in a bowl of rice. “Rice doesn’t do much in the way of fixing a spill,” Mr. Silverman warns. Instead, “What winds up happening is that you have to do more work in cleaning out rice, which could pop some of the components. It really doesn’t work, and if anything, it could harm the system in the future.”
At this point, you could plug the laptop back in and turn it on. In many cases, it should boot back up again. But Ms. Clapp said you should probably take it to a professional repair shop, just in case.
“Just because something works after you dried it out doesn’t mean it’s fixed,” she said. “Once the fluid intrudes, even after it’s dried, it can leave behind minerals that carry electricity where it doesn’t belong — causing increased corrosion damage over time.” This is especially crucial if you spilled something other than water — like soda or coffee — since those will undoubtedly leave damaging residue behind. A good repair shop will clean the components with powerful solvents or ultrasonic cleaning machines that do a very thorough job.
If you’re tech-savvy and don’t want to spend the money at a repair shop, you can take a crack at cleaning the device yourself. Here’s Ms. Clapp’s advice: open up the laptop, grab a toothbrush, dip it in a bit of 90 percent or higher isopropyl alcohol, and scrub away any residue you can find on the components. “Use caution as you clean to avoid damaging or accidentally knocking off small board components,” she advises. “Pay close attention to the connectors and ends of ribbon cables to prevent corrosion of their contact surfaces.” Once the board is clean and dry, you can check the cable ends for signs of corrosion, then reassemble everything and turn it on.
Lastly, Ms. Clapp has one more safety note: if your battery came into contact with any liquid, you should buy a new one. Liquid can not only damage a battery, but it can also render the device unsafe to use. When in doubt, consult a professional.