WD-40 "bath" for wet flash drive?

[Valantar]

So, a couple of days ago I left a flash drive in my pants when I put them into the laundry. Not the biggest thing to ruin, but I'd still like to rescue it. As soon as the wash was done, I took the drive out and put it in a bag of rice to dry out. After two days, I gather it should be free of any moisture. My question is: should I test it now to see if it's okay, or should i give it a dunking in WD-40 first to clear out any traces of corrosion or other contamination? Would it make a difference?

 

[CiPHER]

I would put it on the central heating for a short while, to warm it up. This will cause any condensed water to evaporate and thus prevent any problems when you plug it in.

Usually water does not damage the components, unless you provide power to the electronics at the time it was still wet.

 

[Burpo]

Better to dry it good.. A little WD40 on the connector won't hurt it and may displace unseen moisture..

 

[MongGrel]

Wouldn't hurt it at any rate.

 

[Valantar]

I would put it on the central heating for a short while, to warm it up. This will cause any condensed water to evaporate and thus prevent any problems when you plug it in.

Usually water does not damage the components, unless you provide power to the electronics at the time it was still wet.

Water, sure. That's not so bad. Water with detergent and fabric softener mixed in? Not too sure about that.

Also, I'm pretty sure two days in a bag of rice, even without any added heat, should have drawn out any moisture. Am I wrong?

Better to dry it good.. A little WD40 on the connector won't hurt it and may displace unseen moisture..

It's not the connector that worries me, more moisture inside the casing. Thus the notion of a WD-40 soaking. Which would, of course, be a serious mess. Which is why I'm asking here if there would be any point. If I could pull off the casing to clean it out I would, but it seems pretty thoroughly glued together.

 

[Coup27]

I would put it on the central heating for a short while, to warm it up. This will cause any condensed water to evaporate and thus prevent any problems when you plug it in.

Usually water does not damage the components, unless you provide power to the electronics at the time it was still wet.

This. I would not use WD-40 on it and would just leave it on top of my central heating boiler for a few days.

 

[Valantar]

This. I would not use WD-40 on it and would just leave it on top of my central heating boiler for a few days.

Just to clarify, you're also saying that two days in a bag of rice is not enough to dry it out completely?

 

[Coup27]

Just to clarify, you're also saying that two days in a bag of rice is not enough to dry it out completely?

It is my understanding that rice dries out moisture from the air so while it will have taken away some of the moisture, I can't see how it can get into every tiny part of the USB stick when the PCB is protected by an outer casing. This is why I would also put it in a warm area for at least 4-5 hours to dry off anything the rice may have not had access to.

 

[Valantar]

It is my understanding that rice dries out moisture from the air so while it will have taken away some of the moisture, I can't see how it can get into every tiny part of the USB stick when the PCB is protected by an outer casing. This is why I would also put it in a warm area for at least 4-5 hours to dry off anything the rice may have not had access to.

There would be nothing "holding" the water inside the drive except for limited airflow, and in a sealed bag, the rice would dry out the air enough for the water to evaporate - water evaporates at nearly any temperature, after all. But what the heck, I'll give it a try. It's not like I need it right away, or more drying out could do any harm. But everyone agrees that there's no need for any anti-corrosive or cleaning? I'm skeptical of what the stuff in the water might have coated its insides with (ideally, I would have rinsed the drive thoroughly when it was already wet, but I didn't think of that until later).

 

[dbcooper1]

If any moisture got in through the USB end, you might be able to reverse the process by either standing it on the USB end and let gravity clear it out or attach a string or cord on the opposite end and spin it for a few minutes to force the water out more quickly.

 

[john3850]

Silica Gel Packets may work better then rice.
I dropped a few phones into commercial dish washers.
It took the phones 8 to 48 hours on top of a forced heating vent to cure or dry them.
I once spun out a Mustang into a few snow banks rushing home.
I opened the hood and removed the snow next to the plugs and cap then sprayed a can WD 40 to get the car started again.

 

[Byte]

I fix water damage phones professionally. Just dunk it in alcohol a few time. I use an ultrasonic machine with iso prop 90%, only need to do it twice at must to get rid of corrosion. Thats about as much as you can really do. I've fixed ipads and laptops this way also.

Without an ultrasonic, you won't be able to clear out the corrosion, but do it to ANY electronics that got wet or maybe got wet before powering up. Get maybe 2 or 3 ziplock bags and soak it in and shake. Do it a few times to clear any contaminants. 70% is fine also.

Also rice is terrible. The starch gets everywhere and doesn't wick the water out fast enough. Find silica or just blow at it with a light fan after. WD40 also is not a good idea. It will dry out and get sticky. Now dust dirt and other contaminants will get stuck and can short it out. Use a little deoxit afterwords with a toothbrush if you can get into the board. The small paint bottle version will probably last you a good couple lifetimes (you can control usage vs the spray bottle and propellant won't dry out)

 

[LurchFrinky]

I second the alcohol idea. It will get anywhere the water has been to "displace" it, but will evaporate quickly and cleanly. 100% isopropyl is non-conductive and I actually ran a computer psu submerged in the stuff for a test. It ran fine and the fan even spun slowly.
Also, WD-40 will displace the water but is itself conductive and will leave a residue. While it may work, I fail to see how it is a good idea.

 

[GrumpyMan]

I would iron it to make sure all the sectors line up nice again. Maybe some starch to hold them in place...

 

[ronbo613]

Alcohol, then I put electronic devices that have been swimming in a plastic bag with holes punched in it and a hair dryer set on low heat in the bag opening secured by a rubber band. Dry air in, moist air out. It's worth a try, you've really got nothing to lose, but the success rate is not 100% by any means.

WD 40 displaces water but leaves a petroleum film.

How do I know this? Been dunking expensive electronic gear in the ocean for decades.

 

[Cerb]

Mine go through the laundry several times a year. I just use them, after they come out. The dryer should have done the job well enough.