Fact or Fiction: Does Rice Dry Out Your Phone?

A friend of mine dropped her phone in the water recently and automatically we all asked her to put her phone in rice. But does this trick really work or is it a myth? It is a common rule now that if your phone falls in water, you should automatically fish it out and immerse it in rice for at least 24 hours. There are numerous testimonials on the internet of people swearing by this trick. You could also find videos on YouTube on the same. But even though this trick works, is there proof that it is foolproof?

These questions led me into a research frenzy trying to debunk the myth behind this trick. While at it, I came across an interesting statement ‘Regardless of the evidence, the rice trick endures because it sounds right, even if it isn’t,’ (Zelenko, 2015). Rice absorbs water, which is key to absorbing a phone. However the key and most powerful property to this trick is time. The reason why this trick works each and every time is because we keep the phone hidden from our view for a couple of hours. The worst thing that can be done to a wet phone is powering it up before it dries completely — doing that is cell phone homicide in the first degree.

Unlike leaving your phone out in the open to air dry or on a sunny windowsill, the trick places the phone out of sight and maybe out of mind. The grain may not guard the device from the destructive villain that is water, but it temporarily removes a much more destructive power that us and our impatient tech driven impulses. Spending a few hours, or even a few days, depending on the instructions you follow, without your phone can be hard. Having it sit in plain view makes it even harder as we end up getting tempted to power it up too soon, killing the very thing we crave. But because we believe in the rice trick, we give it time to work its ‘magic’, time that maybe would have saved the phone with or without the rice. In effect, the rice trick only works because we believe it does.

However this does not mean that the phone is left in mint condition. The water may already have fused the phone’s circuits or left behind traces of minerals that corrode the electronics. Also, rice may get stuck in the headphone socket. Additionally, it can introduce dust and starch into the phone as well. The more I do research the more I realize that the rice trick is a myth. It is advisable that instead of dipping the phone in rice and hopping for a positive outcome, you should rush it to a fundi (repair man) instead.

Why? Well this due to the fact that corrosion is instant when a phone hits water. Just like dropping cotton candy in water, it instantly gets absorbed. Sometimes the corrosion hits important components, sometimes not. If we resist turning the phone on until it dries on the counter, sometimes we get lucky Corrosion will however, continue to spread inside the phone. The next safe bet is soaking the phone in pure alcohol. The alcohol displaces both the water as well as any mineral deposits. It is important to note that pure alcohol is highly flammable and must be treated with the utmost care.

Now I understand why a fundi rolled his eyes at me when I told him that I had dipped my phone in rice after it got soaked. The phone didn’t last long either but I didn’t think that it’s death might have been due to drowning. Anyway have a lovely week ahead. See you next week with another interesting topic. Before I forget, I appreciate all the feedback I got from the cookies series. I am glad I was able to offer information in a way you could all relate to. I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your feedback and I am always open to hearing your thoughts and opinions.

Lots of love,