Rocold Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 This morning I woke up to find my 4 GB ScanDisk Cruzer Micro in the bottom of the washing machine. I have it drying out on top of my computer at the moment. I searched google and found a lot of stories of people washing their thumb drives and they still worked after drying out. Anyone here have this happen to them? What was the outcome? I'm going to let it dry over night before plugging it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaKo Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 You might want to take the electronics apart and wash them with alcohol and distilled water, otherwise the washing machine water might damage the electronics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocold Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 [site was down for awhile....] I will take a look at it when I get home tonight. I can't find anything online about taking one of these apart. I don't want to break it open and not be able to get it back together. I know it might be broke already or break if I don't open it and clean it, but i guess i'll take that chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deleted Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 take the cover off and dry it with a 60watt bulb for a day. try it again when you are sure it is dry, try it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grut Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Second on the alcohol and distilled water. I made the mistake of swimming with mine last year in salt water. I disassembled it and let the pieces dry under my desk lamp for a day then cleaned them with 90% isopropyl and rinsed with distilled water. It worked for a few of weeks after, long enough to get the data off it and let me wait for a good deal on a replacement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moonlit Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 If you take off the plastic you'll be able to use it without the it, and if it still works enough to get your data back and continues to work you can glue the plastic back together, it really shouldn't be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocold Posted May 3, 2007 Author Share Posted May 3, 2007 you can glue the plastic back together, it really shouldn't be a problem. It's one of these: So it's not just a case it has working parts, so it could be a problem. Might not but could be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothCriminal Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 I say just leave it out for a few days+. The longer you wait the drier it will be and if you use it to soon you run the risk of "frying" it. If you need it right away you can take the cover off and put it in your oven at a low heat and keep your eye on it. Becareful nothing starts oozing and then it probably will work fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Oven? Are you mental? Uncap the stick and then soak it in some pleasantly warm liquid (alcohol would be best, water is still a decent substitute) for a few minutes to get any soap residue off of it, then either let it dry for a few days or use a blowdryer. Hold on to the stick as you're doing it. You'll pull your hand away from the heat long before the stick reaches any temperature that would cause it permanent damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanda333 Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 not sure how well this will work.... but soak in alcohol, the alcohol should enter the same way the water did. then dunk in distilled water. repeatedly then dry. dry for as long as you can. the idea is to not use while wet or having any residues on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothCriminal Posted May 3, 2007 Share Posted May 3, 2007 Oven? Are you mental? Uncap the stick and then soak it in some pleasantly warm liquid (alcohol would be best, water is still a decent substitute) for a few minutes to get any soap residue off of it, then either let it dry for a few days or use a blowdryer. Hold on to the stick as you're doing it. You'll pull your hand away from the heat long before the stick reaches any temperature that would cause it permanent damage. Trust me it works. The only negative thing from doing it was one time I was with my uncle, he dropped his cell in his coffee, and I did not have reception. He needed to get a hold of some people so he put it in his oven (works!) and turned the oven up a little to much. Some of the buttons melted but after about 30 mins the cell phone worked like a charm. This is why when you use my method you cannot turn the heat up to high. Besides that time I have had tons of good results from doing it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unasoto Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Never done the oven thing, heard of others doing the oven on low heat for an hour or 2 then turn off oven and let sit for 24 hours, I use the dishwasher no soap on my keyboard. Stop the dishwasher before the dry cycle. then let it dry for 24+ hours. A friend of mine was installing ram into old PC and his 2 year old son grabbed a 64 once orange soda and you guessed it into the case went 62 ounces and power was on. fortenatuly my friend had a power strip on the desk and just killed the who thing and quickly pulled the plug. I took the wole thing apart and ran it through the dishwasher except the HD and 48 hours later I fired it up and it ran fine. and don't forget to take the bios battery out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocold Posted May 4, 2007 Author Share Posted May 4, 2007 I let it sit with the open end pointing in on one of my exhaust fans on my computer over night. I just plugged it in here at work and it is working. Thanks for all the suggestions. I'm copying all the data as we speak just to be on the safe side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
W4RP3D Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 Ive washed 2 of mine a few times, it hasnt seemed to affect them, some are coverd in plastic so they can withsand quite a bit. I think it was on the gagdet show (TV program here in the UK) were they tested a range of them soking them in cola, running them over ect. Most survived the cola even the cheap ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooper Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 A little off-topic, but there was a hilarious program on TV here a few years back where they tested cellphones for their water-resistance. The presenter dialed some phone sex line, then stood under a makeshift shower (watering can with rose sprout) for 5 minutes to find out if it would die, degrade or something. If after 5 minutes it was still going strong (about half of the phones did), he'd dump the phone in a bucket of water, and take it out every minute to see if it was still working. One particular model actually lasted more than 5 minutes submerged. I don't recall them drying them off to see if they would spring back to life again. Just remember that water isn't that big a deal for electronics. When the device isn't in operation there's for the most part only corrosion and the potential for electricity-conducting residue to worry about. And in operation, it's mostly the impurities in water (minerals and stuff) that allow it to conduct, but you'd still need quite a bit of voltage to get it to play ball, or a lot of impurities. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unasoto Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 for the most part you only have to worry if the're energized turned on or have batteries in them after all they're just metal and plastic and cilicon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deveant Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 the only time ive fired mine, is when ive started them moist... though with that i also lost my USB ports so.... but as long as u dry them out, its 7/10 times fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garda Posted May 8, 2007 Share Posted May 8, 2007 Exactly the same thing happened to me a few months ago I think I posted about it on these forums when i put my jeans in the washing machine along with also my mobile Mobile was stuffed, USB came out fine I think that those things are usually nicely sealed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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