Rice cannot save your wet phone, but TekDry can

There is a widespread claim that when your phone gets wet, dropping it into a bag of rice will help it to dry out. The main idea behind this is that when the device is put in rice, the rice absorbs the water, leaving the phone dry again. Well this happens to be not so true according to a scientific study conducted by TekDry.

TekDry is a company that offers rescue services for electronic devices across the United States. TekDry has a unique and patented process that enables it to safely dry wet electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets and laptops in just 20 minutes without any loss of data.

A wet phone cannot be covered by the warranty of the device and would probably cost a lot of money to get the device back in shape. It will also most likely cause all the data in the device to be lost. And this is where TekDry’s value proposition really stands out. Once the wet device is taken to one of their shops, the phone is depressurized with a vacuum pump and the water that remains within it is boiled away with low heat. The whole process costs $20.

TekDry currently has locations in Colorado, Michigan, and New Hampshire. If you live outside of these three places, do not worry. TekDry has included a special package for people that are far beyond the reach of their shops. For $69.99 you can mail your smartphone to them after which they will fix it and send it back to you. If it is a laptop, you only have to pay $99.99. They also include services for smaller electronic devices for $39.99. It is important to note that this does not include shipping costs but the good news is, you only pay when it works. This certainly is better than buying a new phone or laptop.

“More than 22 million Americans lose their mobile devices to toilets, swimming pools, washing machines, drink spills, and other aquatic accidents each year and many believe the commonly held misconception – perpetuated on the Internet and in the media – that using rice to absorb water from a wet mobile device will dry and restore your mobile device to working order, ” says Eric Jones, the co-founder of TekDry. “This study lays the rice myth to rest.”

TekDry have plans of adding 82 new locations in California, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston in mid-October. There will also be new locations in Brooklyn, Bronx and Manhattan, New York City.