Phone fell in a canal or got soaked in the rain? Water damage first aid

Amsterdam has a lot of water: canals, boats, bikes in the rain. Phones end up wet more often than you would think. Water damage does not always show straight away, so what you do in the first minutes matters most.

Do this right away

1. Switch the phone off. Electricity plus water causes short circuits. Do not check if it still works – turn it off.
2. Do not charge it. Plugging in a wet phone is the most common way small water damage becomes a dead phone.
3. Take off the case and remove the SIM tray. That lets trapped water out.
4. Dry the outside gently with a soft cloth or tissue. Hold the phone with the charging port facing down.
5. Bring it in as soon as you can. The sooner the inside is cleaned, the better the chance it fully recovers.

Do not do this

• No hairdryer or radiator. Heat can damage the screen, the battery and the glue that seals the phone.
• No bag of rice. Rice dries the outside but not the inside, and the dust can end up in the ports. It mostly costs you time.
• Do not shake the phone hard – that spreads water further inside.

"It works again, so it is fine?"

Not always. Canal water and drinks leave minerals and sugar behind, and corrosion on the circuit board can start days later. A phone that seems fine today can fail on your flight home. A check costs you nothing: our diagnosis is free.

What we do

We open the phone, clean and inspect the board, and tell you what is needed before we go further. If a part such as the screen, battery or charging port has been damaged, you get a fixed price first. No cure, no pay: if we cannot fix it, you do not pay for the repair.

Want to know more first? See our repairs and prices.

Where to go

PhonePlus, Binnen Bantammerstraat 4, near the Nieuwmarkt and about ten minutes' walk from Amsterdam Centraal. Walk in without an appointment.

• Monday: 10:00–19:00
• Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00–21:00
• Sunday: 12:00–21:00

Tip for the rest of your trip: a waterproof pouch or case is cheap insurance for canal boat tours and rainy bike rides. Ask about them at the counter or browse our accessories.