Liquid Damage Repair
Spilled a drink, dropped it in water, caught in the rain? We clean, inspect and diagnose liquid-damaged phones, laptops and tablets at component level — and tell you honestly what can be done. The sooner it reaches us, the better the odds.
Device Got Wet? Every Minute Counts
Take a breath — then move fast. With liquid damage, the first few minutes really can decide whether your device needs a simple clean or ends up beyond saving. Here’s exactly what to do right now.
The faster it’s powered off, cleaned and assessed, the more we can save. Don’t wait it out — call us and bring it straight in.
Switch it off now
Don’t turn it on to “check if it still works” — power running through a wet board causes shorts and speeds up corrosion. If it’s on, kill the power.
Pull the battery
If it slides out, take it out. Built-in batteries need professional tools to reach safely — don’t force anything open.
Cards & case out
Remove the SIM, memory cards and case. Tip out any visible water gently — no shaking, no blowing, no tapping.
Get it to us fast
Skip the rice — it does nothing about the corrosion already spreading inside. Every hour matters: the quicker it reaches us, the more we can save.
Never use heat or a hair dryer
Heat warps components and accelerates corrosion. Avoid ovens, microwaves, radiators, direct sun and hair dryers. Drying needs controlled, low temperatures — not force.
What You’re Actually Paying For
The liquid damage fee isn’t a rinse, a soak in rice, or a quick look. It’s hours of careful, skilled work — and it buys you a real answer about your device.
Full teardown, mapped
The device is stripped down completely and photographed under a microscope, so we can see exactly where the liquid reached.
Board review under magnification
Every corroded joint, trace and component is inspected at high magnification — the damage you simply can’t see with the naked eye.
Corrosion removed, shorts tested
Corrosive residue is cleaned out ultrasonically, then we test the board for short circuits and broken connections — point by point.
An honest assessment
You get a clear verdict: what’s wrong, what it would take to fix, and whether it’s worth it — before any repair cost is agreed.
Important: this fee covers the work and the assessment, and it stops the corrosion spreading further — it is not a guarantee that the device can be repaired. It applies even if the device can’t be saved. Often, though, removing the corrosion and confirming there are no shorts is all it takes to bring a device back to life.
Why Every Hour Matters
Corrosion starts almost the moment water meets the board — and races ahead if the device is still powered.
The best window
Shorts can happen within minutes on a powered device. Get it off and get it to us — this is when recovery odds are highest.
Still very treatable
Corrosion is building as water, metal and oxygen react. Professional cleaning in this window often prevents lasting damage.
Damage sets in
Corrosion spreads across multiple components. Repair gets more complex and often needs parts replaced — but it’s still worth assessing.
Not All Liquids Are Equal
What was spilled changes how aggressive the damage is — and how it’s treated. Every case is assessed individually.
Clean water
Tap or distilled water does the least chemical harm, though it still conducts and enables corrosion. Caught early, a clean often restores full function.
Lower riskDrinks & beverages
Coffee, tea, juice and soft drinks carry acids and sugars that speed up corrosion and leave sticky residue. Needs thorough cleaning and inspection.
Moderate riskSalt water
Highly conductive and aggressive — salt ions attack metal fast, causing rapid, widespread damage. Needs immediate treatment.
Higher riskChemicals & cleaners
Solvents and detergents can dissolve components and cause reactions that can’t be reversed. Often the toughest to recover.
Severe riskWhat We Might Find Inside
Liquid damage is unpredictable. The diagnosis tells us which of these you’re looking at — and we’ll always tell you straight.
Often — a clean and a check
Removing the corrosion and confirming there are no shorts is enough. The device works again, no parts needed. This is a common, good outcome when it reaches us early.
Sometimes — a part or two
A corroded charging port, battery, screen or speaker needs replacing. Straightforward once the board is clean and tested — we quote before doing any of it.
Sometimes — board-level repair
Corroded traces or a failed chip need microsoldering — the component-level work most shops can’t do. This is where our specialism matters most.
Occasionally — beyond repair
Deep corrosion, or components burnt through several layers of the board, can’t be undone. And a full motherboard swap often isn’t an option — device motherboards are rarely sold as spare parts. When that’s the case we’ll tell you plainly — and we can usually still recover your data.
Our Professional Process
A systematic approach with proper lab equipment, built to maximise recovery and avoid causing further damage.
Disassembly & documentation
Fully taken apart and photographed under the microscope. We map the liquid’s path and record existing damage before touching anything.
Ultrasonic cleaning
Boards are cleaned ultrasonically in specialised solution, reaching the microscopic spaces that can’t be cleaned by hand.
Controlled drying
Components dried in a controlled, low-temperature environment to remove all moisture without heat damage — vital to stop future corrosion.
Inspection & testing
Post-clean inspection under magnification, plus meter testing for shorts, open circuits and component integrity across the board.
Repair or replace
Corroded components are treated or replaced, and damaged board traces repaired with microsoldering where needed.
Reassembly & full testing
Reassembled and tested end to end — charging, audio, cameras, connectivity and performance under load.
Device Function vs Your Data
Telling us your priority up front helps us focus the work where it matters most to you.
Getting the device working
The goal is a reliable device you can keep using day to day.
- Focus on the critical system components
- Replace damaged parts for reliability
- Full testing of every function
Recovering your data
The goal is your photos, messages and documents — even if the device itself can’t be fully saved.
- Temporary repairs to reach the data
- Direct storage-chip recovery when needed
- Priority on the memory and storage circuits
Our advice: if you haven’t backed up recently and there are irreplaceable photos or documents on there, say so up front. We can often achieve both — but a clear priority lets us spend the time where it counts.
Cleaning & Diagnosis Fee
An upfront fee for the cleaning and full assessment. Any repairs found are quoted separately, before we proceed.
Phones
- Full disassembly & inspection
- Ultrasonic cleaning
- Controlled drying
- Microscopic assessment
- Functionality testing
- Clear diagnosis
Tablets & drones
- Full disassembly & inspection
- Ultrasonic cleaning
- Controlled drying
- Microscopic assessment
- Comprehensive testing
- Clear diagnosis
Laptops
- Full teardown of components
- Motherboard ultrasonic cleaning
- Keyboard & component cleaning
- Controlled drying chamber
- Comprehensive testing
- Component-level diagnosis
Microsoft Surface
- Specialist Surface disassembly
- Motherboard ultrasonic cleaning
- Screen & component cleaning
- Controlled drying chamber
- Comprehensive testing
- Component-level diagnosis
Before you book, the honest bits
Liquid Damage FAQ
The questions we’re asked most about water damage repair and recovery.
Can you guarantee my device will be fixed?
No repair shop honestly can — liquid damage is unpredictable by nature. What we can do is give it the best possible chance with proper cleaning and a real diagnosis, fast. Outcomes range from very likely (clean water, caught early) to unlikely (salt water or chemicals), and we’ll tell you where yours stands.
It still turns on — does it really need cleaning?
Yes. Corrosion keeps working even when the device seems fine, and components can fail days or weeks later from ongoing chemical reactions. Professional cleaning removes the residue that causes those delayed failures.
Won’t rice do the same job?
No. Rice only pulls a little moisture from the air — it does nothing about the corrosive residue left inside, and can push dust into ports and speakers. Ultrasonic cleaning is the only reliable way to remove the damaging deposits.
How long does it take?
Cleaning and assessment takes 1–3 working days if you bring the device in, or 2–5 if you post it to us. If parts need replacing, the full repair usually runs 3–7 days depending on availability. We prioritise liquid damage because it’s time-sensitive.
What if you can’t fix it?
The cleaning and diagnosis fee still applies — we’ve done the complex work to assess and stabilise the device. But we can often still recover your data, and the cleaning stops further deterioration if you want to attempt recovery elsewhere.
Can you recover data if it won’t turn on?
Often, yes. We can sometimes restore just enough function to pull the data off, or in severe cases recover it directly from the storage chip. Data recovery generally has a better success rate than full device restoration.
Should I try to dry it myself first?
No. Home drying can’t remove corrosive residue and risks heat damage. The most useful thing you can do is get it to us quickly, while the damage is still reversible — every hour of delay lowers the odds.
Do you help with insurance claims?
We provide a detailed repair report and documentation you can submit to your insurer. We can’t guarantee their decision — policies vary — but you’ll have everything you need for the claim.
Related Repair Services
Liquid damage often overlaps with these — and we handle them all in-house.
Device got wet? Don’t wait it out
The sooner it reaches us, the better the chances of saving it. Book the cleaning & diagnosis and we’ll tell you exactly what it needs.