1. While we all know it is best not to have liquids near an electronic item, everyone has been guilty of having a cup of tea while reading emails at some stage. Unfortunately, accidents happen and this is one of those unhappy occasions where your beverage makes it onto your precious, and expensive, Mac.

2. Before you start a Google search on how to fix it yourself, read these myths about water damage and your machine. 

3. Myth 1 – My Mac switches on so it must be fine

4. FALSE

5. We have come across a couple of clients who initially believed their Mac was fine post liquid damage and continued to use it. The fact is that your machine may work in the short- term but corrosion will inevitably cause it to fail. Corrosion does not happen overnight but you can be sure that the process will start the minute liquid hits your Mac. That is one of the reasons why you need to shut down your Mac right away.

6. Myth 2 – Submerge your Mac in rice

7. FALSE

8. Everyone has tried this trick at some stage. Who hasn’t dropped an iPhone in water and attempted to rescue it themselves? While rice may work to a certain degree for a phone submerging your Mac in a pool of rice will not get rid of any liquid inside the machine. At best it may assist with drying out the visible signs of water damage but it cannot reach the innermost components which means you will definitely have rust, it may even play a role in clogging up aux jacks and charge ports.

9. Myth 3 – Get rid of corrosion with a Q-tip and rubbing alcohol

10. FALSE

11. Unless you are an experienced Apple technician we would not advise taking matters into your own hands to get rid of rust on your water-damaged Mac. Firstly opening your Mac and playing with components you aren’t trained in handling is a very risky move. Often you may damage your Mac even further so just don’t do it. You may be able to get rid of some surface corrosion with this method but there are very likely other less visible components that have been damaged. 

12. Myth 4 – Use a hairdryer to get rid of moisture

13. FALSE

14. This is another terrible idea if you spill liquid on your Mac. Using a hairdryer even on a low setting could damage delicate internal components without you realizing it. And if you are only using it to dry the exterior it will do very little to address the moisture inside your Mac. Imagine having liquid damage and then melting the previous components that make up your machine? It just isn’t worth the risk.

15. What you should be doing

16. The very first thing you should be doing is switching your Mac off, using the forced shutdown option if necessary. Do not try to save the document you were working on or backup your data – hopefully, this is something you do regularly. Secondly, unplug your machine from any power source. You can use towels or serviettes to address liquid but do not attempt to open the Mac. Lastly, take it to a Mac expert who can potentially rescue you from a very expensive accident.

You can also check on Apple’s website confirming that they do not cover lqiuid damage: https://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/