Liquid damage is one of the most common laptop repairs we see in Melbourne. The good news: many laptops survive liquid spills if handled correctly in the first few minutes. The bad news: most people instinctively do the wrong thing.
Do This Immediately
1. Power off immediately. Hold the power button for 5 seconds until it cuts out. Don't wait for it to shut down normally. Electricity flowing through wet components is what causes permanent damage.
2. Disconnect from power. Unplug the charger. If it's a laptop with a removable battery, remove it now.
3. Tilt to drain. Hold the laptop upside down and open at 90 degrees (like a tent) to help liquid drain out rather than deeper into the motherboard.
4. Blot — don't wipe. Use a dry cloth or paper towels to blot visible liquid from the keyboard and ports. Wiping pushes liquid further in.
5. Do not use a hair dryer. Heat drives moisture into components and can damage plastics and cables. Room temperature air drying or silica gel packets are safer.
What Not to Do
Don't try to turn it back on to check if it works — even after an hour of drying, there may be liquid in the board that powers on fine initially then shorts out as remaining moisture spreads. Don't put it in rice — this is a myth. Rice absorbs some atmospheric humidity but isn't effective at removing liquid from inside a laptop.
How Long to Wait
Ideally 48–72 hours of drying before attempting to power on — and even then, a professional inspection is safer. Oxidation from liquid continues after the liquid evaporates. A technician can clean oxidation from the board with isopropyl alcohol and inspect for damaged components.
What to Expect
Clean water spills caught immediately have a good survival rate. Sweet drinks (coffee, juice, soft drink) are more damaging because the sugar residue attracts moisture and causes ongoing corrosion. Even successfully dried laptops sometimes develop delayed failures weeks later as corrosion progresses.