What to do if you accidentally washed a flash drive in the washing machine?

A flash drive is a universal device on which you can store a huge amount of information.

Modern memory cards are small in size, so they are often stored and carried in a pocket. Not surprisingly, machine-washable miniature devices are far from uncommon.

Read the article about what will happen and what to do if you wash a flash drive in a washing machine, how to dry it and restore the data saved on it.

Will it work after washing?

If a flash card has been in a washing machine, it can be restored. Surprisingly, about 80% of all devices can be fully reanimated.

Moreover, they do not necessarily have to have a waterproof case or any other special protection.

The most ordinary memory card will work after washing, but for this you need to give it “first aid” correctly. The more time a person is inactive, the less chance there is to save the source of information.

Factors that reduce the likelihood of a complete device recovery:

1. Staying in the washing machine for a long time. The longer the wash cycle, the higher the risk of mechanical damage.
2. Composition of powder and other detergents. The more aggressive he is, the worse it is.
3. Water temperature. Boiling water significantly worsens the prognosis.
4. Water PH level. Soft water is not so harmful to the device.
5. Speed ​​of revolutions.

First aid

If you find a flash drive in a washing machine that is in wash mode, you can try to turn off the device, if possible. To do this, press pause and select the “drain without spin” program.The less the memory card comes into contact with soapy water, the better.

Open contacts must be wiped with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.. This will prevent them from oxidizing.

There is no need to disassemble or take any additional actions. When the connector dries, you can check the functionality of the device, but this cannot be done earlier than in a day.

How to restore the device?

To restore a flash drive, you will need the following set:

• vodka or alcohol;
• a toothbrush or any soft cloth that does not leave lint behind;
• hair dryer.

Stages of resuscitating a memory card:

1. Disassemble the drive housing. If it is cast, then you should not try to open it. The whole device should dry out on its own.
2. Soak a toothbrush or cloth in alcohol and carefully but systematically wipe all the elements. Be sure to clean the contacts with alcohol.
3. Another option is to fill any container with vodka and place a wet flash drive in it for a few minutes. After this, it is cleaned with a brush. This will remove all remaining soap solution. It is the frozen film that most often causes damage to the device.
4. Dry the memory card using a hair dryer.

After processing is completed, the case is assembled and the device is plugged into a laptop or computer. If everything was done promptly and correctly, the drive should work.

Provided that it is not possible to open the memory card, but the information stored on it is valuable to the owner, proceed as follows:

1. Download a suitable program to your computer.You can find many of them on the Internet, most of them are free. For example, D-Soft Flash Doctor, Flash Memory Toolkit, Easy Recovery, R-studio, Recuva and others.
2. Install and launch suitable software. The program will read the memory card and determine which files can be recovered.
3. The required lines are marked and the process starts.
4. The marked information will be saved to the computer in a pre-selected location.

It is possible that after drying the flash drive will work, but after a few days or weeks it will become completely unusable. Therefore, experts advise downloading all important information from it.

Most often, subsequent breakdown occurs due to oxidation of the contacts due to incomplete removal of the detergent. That’s why it’s so important to properly “alcoholize” the drive.

You need to dry the device for as long as possible before using it for the first time. If a hair dryer is used, it should run for at least 30 minutes. When the drive dries in the sun, you need to connect it to the computer no earlier than after 3 days.

Prohibitions

There are several absolute prohibitions that should not be violated:

1. You should not try to run a wet flash drive. Connecting it to a device powered by electricity will short-circuit and damage not only the memory card itself, but also the equipment to which it is connected. In addition, the risk of receiving an electric shock increases.
2. It is prohibited to speed up the drying process of the device using heating devices, namely: a microwave oven, a heating radiator, or a hair dryer. Even slight overheating can become critical.
3. Leave the device, which can be disassembled, to dry at room temperature. The longer moisture remains inside, the higher the likelihood that the contacts will oxidize. This will lead either to permanent damage to the device or to its incorrect operation.

Helpful information

Tips that may come in handy when trying to recover a Flash card:

1. When using a hair dryer to dry your hair, you should not turn it on at full power, so as not to cause the elements to melt.
2. The non-separable model is laid out in the sun. You can try to turn it on no earlier than after 2 days.
3. When washing powder and other detergents were not used, the storage unit should not be soaked in alcohol. Simply dry it with a hairdryer.
4. To completely dry the memory card, you can place it on the battery, but first cover it with a thick cloth folded in 2-3 layers. This will prevent overheating.
5. If the information stored on the device is of enormous value to the owner, you need to seek help from specialists. The technicians working at the computer repair service will help you professionally resuscitate the drive, or will try to extract all available data from it.

You will find maximum useful information about washing clothes and various fabric products Here.

Video on the topic

This video will tell you what to do if you washed a flash drive in a washing machine:

Conclusion

You can save a washed memory card if you act quickly and clearly. Hurry is necessary when providing first aid, but you should not rush to insert the device into the computer, as this can lead to damage to both devices.

The main condition that must be met is to thoroughly clean the contacts from soapy water using alcohol. After this, all that remains is to dry the flash drive and download all the available information from it.