Accidents tend to happen and water spills are a common experience for many Mac users around the world. In most cases, once you spill eg. coffee or water on your MacBook, most users would think that is it for their device and it is beyond saving. However, that is not true. If the incident has just happened, you still have a chance to save your Mac from serious damage. It doesn’t matter if you’ve spilled water, soda, coffee, juice, etc. We are here to tell you that there is still a way for you to save your MacBook from becoming completely irreparable, but you must act very fast to prevent the liquid from damaging your Mac’s internal hardware.
So, we’ve put together a quick guide that should help you in the future, if you end up spilling liquids on your Mac.
- Turn Off Your Mac Immediately
The first thing you need to do is to shut down your Mac instantly. It is important that your Mac is powered down and does not have any active circuits that could end up reacting to the spilled liquids. This is because it can create a short circuit and fry the internal hardware of your Mac. This includes frying your eg. fans, hard drive, motherboard, etc. If this happens it’s either going to be impossible to fix your Mac, very expensive to repair, or even worse, get a replacement. Once the spill happens, the first thing you should do is unplug your charger from the laptop.
Now, if you didn’t know already, the thing about wall chargers is that they normally vary from Mac to Mac, but the benefit of owning a USB-C charger is that these devices are very multi-functional, adaptable and safe for any device. This means that even in the event of a spill or power surge, they are less likely to cause a problem that could damage your Mac any further. Additionally, another benefit is that they allow users to charge low and high powered devices. This includes a smartphone using an 18 watts charger or a 45-watt or 60-watt charger for Macs. In other words, by owning one of these chargers, you can charge every USB-C device you own, from smartphones, headphones, and laptops.
Putting that aside, once you have unplugged the charger from the Mac, you should turn the Mac off quickly, by performing an emergency shutdown. You can accomplish this, by holding down the power button for a few seconds until your Mac screen goes dark. In normal situations, it isn’t advised to do this as it is always safer to perform a shutdown the normal way, but since it’s an emergency, this is what you should do.
- Clean Up the Liquid Quickly
Once you’ve confirmed that that your Mac is fully powered down, you need to start cleaning the mess as quickly as possible. Look for some kitchen towels or cleaning cloths and start soaking up all of the spill you can see on top of your MacBook. Even if some liquid has already passed through your keyboard, you need to ensure that no more liquid continues to pass through and reach the motherboard. It is also crucial that you clear the liquid without allowing it to spill further between the keys, so delicately soak up the liquid gently and do not shift the Mac around, until everything at the top is wiped off.
- Dry Off The Inner Components
When you are trying to assess how much damage and liquid has spilled into your computer, it’s as simple as opening the laptop up. Now, depending on the brand of laptop, it shouldn’t take that much effort. However, when it comes to devices like Macs which are often sealed shut, that can be tricky, especially if you do not have the correct tools eg. screwdriver, etc.
If you do have the small screwdrivers or something that can easily allow you to open up the outer shell of your Mac, then you can slowly open it and use a kitchen tool to soak up the liquid around the internal hardware. You should make sure not to use a hairdryer or heater for example, as these can end up generating static electricity, which would just damage your Mac further.
- Flip Your Mac Upside Down
After you have cleared as much of the liquid as you can reach, the next step is to take care of the liquid that is still in the inaccessible areas eg. in the keys. If you do not deal with this before turning your computer back on, it could just damage your Mac badly. So, you need to flip your device upside down and leave it for a few hours to let any standing or remaining liquid ooze out.
Moreover, since it will be tough to deduce just how much water is left in your Mac, it’ll be difficult to know how long you should leave the Mac upside down. So, we suggest placing it upside down and near a window. It's best to leave it for at least a full day before attempting to use it again. This should ensure that any residual water will spill out or evaporate by the time you decide to try and use it again.
- Take Your Mac To A Technician
After you have waited a full 24 hours and think that your Mac is dry, you can try boating it up and see if it works fine. If there are no problems and it restarts fine then congratulations, your Mac is still alive! If your Mac refuses to work after trying all the above solutions, then it’s time to take it to an Apple store or specialised repair store to be check out. If your lucky, they should be able to repair your device or replace the damaged hardware and return it in working order again.
How To Prevent Such Spills From Happening
If you have gone through such an experience or have yet to then prevention is best. And while it can be tough to control external influences, you can always try to equip your Mac with some special accessories like a MacBook case. The benefit of these cases is that they can protect and secure your Mac from moisture, dust, dirt, damage or theft, as you move from place to place. Moreover, with the different variations available from leather, silicone, plastic, hardcover etc. This means there are different options to choose from, making them the perfect investment for those looking to protect their MacBooks from any type of damage or loss.
