Despite many warnings to keep all food and beverages away from the computer, many of us still keep water bottles and coffee mugs dangerously close to the keyboard. So it’s no wonder when the cup tips over and liquid spills all over. If this has happened to you, don’t panic. Follow the below suggestions for what to do in this scenario:

Turn Off the Computer Immediately

When there’s still power coursing through the computer system, there’s a real danger that the liquid spill could cause a short circuit in the machine. Therefore, the first thing you should do is to turn off the computer right away. Don’t go through the shutdown process that takes time. Unplug the power cable first and then hold down the power button to manually turn off your computer. Do this without any delay.

Keep in mind that you should get an electric shock from the machine especially if you are wearing wet clothes. So be very careful when removing things off the computer.

Remove All Detachable Parts

To completely eliminate the risk of a short circuit, and also to protect other parts, remove all detachable parts of the computer. Remove all USB devices, headphones, and similar peripherals. You should ideally remove the battery too. In most laptops, the battery is easily detachable by loosening a latch. If it requires unscrewing a lid, open up your computer and hold it down on a flat surface first. Then unscrew the battery compartment and remove the battery.

Quickly Use a Cloth to Absorb the Liquid

Obviously, getting the liquid off the computer should be a priority. The best way to do this is to open up the lid all the way and turn it upside down so that the liquid can drain away from the internal parts of the computer.

You can place the laptop on an absorbent surface like a microfiber cloth or a towel. For those who are comfortable with gadgets, you can try opening the back panel of the computer to wipe away moisture using a lint-free cloth.

You need to allow the liquid to drain out ideally for 24 hours. It must sit like this for 4 hours in the least. Also, make sure the computer air dries. Don’t use popular “hacks” like using rice. Don’t put rice anywhere on the computer as the grains can get inside and cause even more damage.

Find a Proper Repair Place to Recover Your Files

After letting the computer air dry for about a day, you can reattach the battery and try booting it up. However, before you do this, it’s best to take your computer to a professional, fast laptop repair services for an inspection. The pros can safely take all the components apart and assess the physical damage before turning on the machine.

Fair warning though, you might not be able to recover a laptop if you spilled a sugary drink like coffee on it. Sugar can wreak havoc on the sensitive metal parts of your computer. While it’s technically possible to clean off sugar, the process would cost you as much as buying a new computer. In this scenario, it’s best to recover data off the hard drives and get a new machine.

Otherwise, water spills are fixable for the most part. Use the above suggestions to minimize the damage as much as possible so you at least have the chance to recover your data.