What to do in case of water / Liquid spill on my MacBook or PC laptop / keyboard?

Liquid Spill On Laptop

Here we want to answer some of your questions such as:

What happens if I spill liquid on my laptop?

What actions do I need to take and what I shouldn’t do?

How do I dry and clean my wet laptop?

How long does it take for a laptop to dry out?

Can a laptop be fixed after liquid spilled on it?

Can I recover my data after a liquid spill on my laptop?


You are not alone! Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think. It is very common to have a

glass of water, juice or cup of coffee next to your laptop and you spill it on your laptop inadvertently.


After a liquid spill, time is of an essence. You need to immediately take some actions.

  1. Completely turn off the laptop. You might have to hold the on/off button for 10 seconds to achieve this.
  2. Disconnect AC adapter/charger and any other external device connected.
  3.  Open the LCD as far back as it goes, turn it upside down with keyboard facing down.
  4. Wrap a towel all around the laptop especially the keyboard area
  5. Lightly use the towel to dry the laptop. Press the towel against the keyboard while it is facing straight

          down parallel to the floor. Repeat pressing on the whole keyboard through the towel. Keep it in this

          position for about 15 to 30 minutes.

    6. Open the screws at the bottom of laptop, remove the bottom plate

  • Disconnect the battery
  • Remove as many components as possible
  • Dry any visible liquid with an anti-static cloth or Q-Tip
  • Put the whole thing in front of a strong fan for half a day to one day.


Most end users cannot do this very important and critical step 6. Please immediately bring it to us or a professional

local computer store to handle this step.

  • Should I try turning on the laptop to see if it works?

    You don’t want to turn on the laptop for 24 to 48 hours after a liquid spill even though it is very tempting!


    All the above steps especially step 6 should be completed before you try that. The smallest residue of liquid on the circuit boards can trigger a short on the logic board and cause irreversible damage to the laptop.


    Even if the laptop turns on there is no guarantee. Days later you could start observing problems as residues of liquid start corroding the chips and circuits inside the laptop. So it is critical that inside components are as dry as possible.

  • Does it matter what fluid spilled on my laptop?

    Yes it does. Water is the best case scenario. Coffee, sugary and alcoholic fluids are more conductive and more corrosive. They can quickly cause permanent damage to your internal components. Don’t turn on your laptop until inside is thoroughly cleaned.

  • Should I put my wet laptop computer inside a bag of rice?

    NO. This is an old myth. It is not effective and probably it does more harm than good. It gives more time for the fluid inside to cause short, corrosion and damage to circuits. So don’t do it.

  • What if my laptop does not turn on or has a problem after the liquid spill?

    At this point it is best to get the laptop to us as soon as you can so we can start doing the drying and diagnostic.

  • Can I recover my data after a liquid spill on my laptop?

    Assuming your computer does not boot to OS, it depends if your SSD drive is built-in into the motherboard or separate.  If separate, then there is a very high chance we can recover the data.  However on many newer laptops after 2017, Apple and other manufacturers have the SSD drive built into the logic board. Please contact us with brand and model number of your laptop and we’ll let you know what type you have.


    If SSD is built-in the logic board needs to get repaired to get to your data.  If logic board is replaced, all your data is gone.


    We are one of the few companies who can do Logic Board Repair. This way your computer gets repaired and you get your data!

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any question.

Please contact us with any questions you might have or bring in your computer for a detailed evaluation.

Who is Advance Computer Corp and how do I trust them?

Advanced Computer Corp. Computer Palace located in West Los Angeles has been in business for over 30 years. We pride ourselves on providing our customers with superior and professional service at most affordable rates. You can see our rave reviews on Google, Yelp and Better Business Bureau A+ rating. We are committed to 100% customer satisfaction, and we won't be happy until you are happy.

We service home and business customers in Los Angeles CA California area including:

  • Santa Monica
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  • West Los Angeles
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