Devices and protection

I spilled something on my laptop

Coffee, water, soda: the laptop is wet and still on.

1 min readWhat to do if

The short version

What you do in the first minute after a spill makes the biggest difference. Power off, unplug, tip it out, and do not switch it back on.

Right now

Turn it off. Hold the power button until it shuts down. Do not wait to save your work.
Unplug the charger and anything connected to it.
Turn it upside down, open in an upside-down V shape, so liquid drains away from the inside.
Wipe off what you can with a dry cloth or paper towel. Do not shake it.

Do not switch it back on to check it. Power running through wet parts is what causes most of the damage.
Do not use a hair dryer or put it on a heater. Heat can damage parts and push liquid further in.
Do not rely on rice. It does very little, and grains can get stuck in the ports.

Call your IT provider. They can arrange a repair or a replacement, and help you work from another device in the meantime.
Tell them what was spilled. Sugary or milky drinks cause more damage than water, and repairers need to know.
Do not worry about your files if they are stored in OneDrive or SharePoint. They will be waiting on the next device.

A laptop that seems fine after drying can still fail days later as corrosion sets in. It is worth having it checked.

Tell us what you run today and what is getting in the way. We will get back to you about how we can help.