What to Do Immediately After a Spill
The first few minutes matter. If liquid enters a laptop that's powered on, the immediate risk is a short circuit — current flowing through components via the conductive liquid. The most important thing you can do right after a spill is:
- Power off the laptop immediately — hold the power button rather than shutting down through the OS
- Disconnect the charger
- Turn the laptop upside down to help liquid drain out rather than deeper in
- Do not try to power it back on to "check if it works"
- Do not use a hair dryer — forced hot air can push liquid further into components
Then bring it to us as soon as you can. The longer liquid residue sits on the board, the more corrosion develops.
What We Do
Water damage repair involves disassembling the laptop fully, inspecting the motherboard and other internal components under magnification, and cleaning away any liquid residue or corrosion using appropriate methods. This is detailed, time-consuming work.
We assess what's been affected — sometimes a spill only reaches the keyboard and the board is clean. Other times, liquid has reached the motherboard, storage, or charging circuit, and the extent of corrosion determines whether repair is viable.
After cleaning, we test the laptop thoroughly to confirm what's functioning and what may still be compromised. If components have been irreversibly damaged, we'll tell you clearly rather than proceed with work that won't help.
Realistic Expectations
Water damage repair outcomes vary. A spill that was addressed quickly, with the laptop powered off promptly, has a much better prognosis than one that sat powered on with liquid inside for an extended period. We can't guarantee outcomes in advance — the extent of damage can only be properly assessed after inspection.
We'll give you an honest assessment of what we find before proceeding with any repair work.
Data Recovery
If the storage drive appears intact after a liquid incident, we can discuss options for recovering data before attempting any repair. This is often a priority for customers who'd rather have their files back than the device repaired. We'll talk through the options.