Has Anyone Ever Washed Their Ipod?

My husband washed and dried his, it took a few weeks, but then it began to work again. It worked fine for a few more months, and then just stopped one day.

I've been told the same thing about immediately removing the battery or power source then letting the electronic dry out completely before attempting to add power back be it battery or AC.

One of my BIL's lost his cell phone to the bottom of the lake when he and DH went fishing. It didn't stand a snowball's chance because the lake was so deep and both of them were too chicken to jump in after it. I've dropped stuff like that when out on the water when I was younger and since I spent a great deal of time on the water or in it, I jumped in after my phone and a few friends' phones. I used to scuba dive and dive with air tanks so it didn't bother me to jump off the side of a boat depending on how deep water we were in and whether or not I needed a tank of air and whether we had spare air on the boat.

I've actually washed my youngest daughter's USB drive too, like another mom mentioned she did. It did eventually work after I left it out on the counter for about 2 weeks. My hair dryer has a button on it that when pressed, exerts cool air so I used that to ensure it was completely dry especially since this was one of those Cruze drives that collapse and fit easily on a key chain.

The NUMBER ONE RULE in my house when it comes to laundry is that I don't check pockets so if the kids or the husband doesn't want something ruined in the wash or to lose money in the wash, they best check their pockets before tossing clothes in the laundry basket in their rooms. At some time throughout the last 20+ years each of them have learned this valuable lesson. DH learned it after he left a $100 bill in his pocket. It was placed in a tin I named the "laundry fund", which I keep to add all the change and/or loose dollars left in pockets. The first few years, I saved enough money left in pockets to practically buy Christmas for the family. LOL! After a bit of time, they all learned the hard way to check their pockets. The girls even went so far as to pull their pockets inside out to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. I hate housework and since I haven't been able to work away from home for the last 16 yrs or so because of losing my sight and then as of 9 years ago b/c of lupus (SLE) and Sjogren's disease, which cost me my telecommuting job of 10 years as a medical transcriptionist, it got to the point where I couldn't afford to pay the woman who came out twice a week to clean for me. I have always hated cleaning. I hate cooking. I was simply not built or engineered, DNA-coded to be a SAHM. I wouldn't go so far as to say I resent it but I surely don't like it. It finally got to the point where I was unable to handle keeping up with the entire house so I started assigning chores for everyone outside of just keeping your room clean type of thing. My health falters so badly from one day to the next that sometimes I wake up and can't get out of bed and then other days I feel fairly alive. This past year; however, I spent 5 months fighting the H1N1 flu and subsequent infections resulting from it. I was literally wiped out from it. It took it's toll on my immune system and my body in general. Now, I am worried to death that the cysts the doctors have found yet mammograms and ultrasounds can't say if they are cancerous or not will ultimately become breast cancer. I don't know if I can take another ordeal like that. It feels like I've spent 10 years of my life trying not to disappear because I was trapped at home as we live in a rural area where I was losing myself completely and then these last 8-9 years it feels as though I have been fighting just to live. I'm almost tired of fighting. I don't know if I have enough fight left in me to go to battle with rounds of chemo and biopsies and more chemo, etc.... I know how bad it was for my DH's aunt and then my oldest BIL's MIL when she had breast cancer. I'm just tired. but I digress...

As for the refurbished Apple Ipods and phones and such, those are considerably cheaper and work just as well in addition they come with the same warranty as the new ones. I have the Ipod with 120 and my little one's has 80. These are refurbished but have worked great for the last 3 years and were purchased from Apple through their refurbished program. You can also add the accidental and extended insurance to them too. I didn't because in the year I had to add it I didn't have the money to cover the cost b/c DH got sick then last year he suffered 2 heart attacks, a stroke, and needed a quadruple bypass. he can't work now so we are ultimately screwed. I'm fighting for disability for him now. My SSDI only goes so far. If he attempts to return to work and his chest pain returns, as it does regularly, he could have another heart attack and the next one can literally be the one to take him away from us so I am fighting to get his disability as soon as possible but it's a slow process.

Good luck with the Ipods and phones. Just remember to remove the batteries, let them dry completely even if it takes a month or more then try them again. If you can open the phone or Ipod just a bit that will allow more air to flow through the unit to help it dry faster.

I bet you'll get "something" back with the rice trick, but if you are over the age of sixteen I think you deserve an iphone, with maps, and music, and video and pix and everything else you'll EVER NEED! Try to remember what life was like without these gadgets and budget $300 a year (that's 25 bucks a month to keep everything up to date.) Hard-drives will crash, ipods will go thru the laundry, programs will grow out of date, and media will change. It's a new world, and only washing machines and refrigerators are intended to last more than three years.

____@____.com

Glad they replaced it. I guess I need to buy the technology deep sea divers use. I drowned one phone in a class of water in my car and I just recently dropped my replacement phone (say it ain't so) in the toilet. Gross, but true. I managed to revive it and sanitize it, but it won't hold a charge very long now. I really have to be on it, or I will be out and about without a phone, which I dislike.

I put so many things through the washer I eventually started keeping a list. Here it is if you are interested. I keep trying to rationalize that when these things happen it's yet another sign from the universe I was just not meant to do laundry! One can dream, right? http://themommyhood.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/yet-another-...

You can also try those silicon gel packets that say do not eat that come in purses and a slew of other things. If you have any of those you can put them in the container with the rice to help. I have a friend that used them on an Ipod and a phone in a tupperware and it worked!

Yes! I washed my daughter's ipod shuffle (the little ones) and let me tell you, when I saw that little 'pod' at the botom of my washer, I about fainted. Sadly, it was not recoverable and she ended up getting another. Lesson: Always, always check your kids' pockets before washing clothes.

Wait longer. I got my Iphone wet and it took about a month to work again. But now it works just fine! Don't throw it away!

No, but my daughter threw my cell phone in the toilet. It works sometimes but most of the times it is a hunk of junk! My screen is GONE, I can't even see who's calling me, or even try and text somebody! Atleast you can afford to buy a new Ipod! I don't know what I'm going to do. Well, good luck!

yes I washed my daughters Ipod shuffle and it would still light up to charge and say it was charged but it wasnt, the battery was shot and you cant replace the battery so we had to buy another

I had one go through the washer-- I dried it out & it worked fine for about 6- 7 months. I had to replace it. A girlfriend of mine had the same thing happen- though hers lasted a bit longer. I used the "rice" trick" my girlfriend used the "blow dryer" trick. If you get a few more months of life out of it-- you are good. Yes- I do check pockets regularly now & so does the teen child...

no, but I washed and dried my flash drive and it held all the memory. I was so releaved. It is so easy to miss small items! (Some people call it a memory stick)

My husband left his in his pocket and I washed it. It was an iPod nano. It will charge and sync etc when its plugged in, but I believe he has said it otherwise doesn't work. He can't listen to music with headphones or anything like that. He still has it and hasn't bothered to bring it out in a few years. At the time he worked at best buy and found out that all he could really do is replace it. He ended up just buying a shuffle and uses mine from time to time.

Glad Apple replaced yours!

My husband lost his in a snow pile, didn't know it was there for 3 weeks. Snow melted and there it was!!!

It needs to go in the rice for a few days, not a few hours, and leave the top off so the moisture can escape. Also, NEVER put heat on it, it will fry the circuit boards, just like in a computer.
We had his in the rice in a Tupperware bowl battery out in the bowl with the phone for 3 days. Works great now. Just as before.
Good Luck......

My daughter decided to give my itouch a bath. We tried to use a hair dryer, putting it in a box of rice. Nothing worked. It was dead. Good Luck! Unless you have the accidental insurance theres nothing they can do.

I know that the ordeal is all over and you got a new one already but I just wantyed to give you and everyone else a little advice for the future. The key is (with any type of electronic device that gets wet) remove the power, battery etc. That is what damages it permenantly.

My husband clued me in on this piece of advice after I dropped my cell into a cooler filled with melted ice. He grabbed it removed the battery and told me not to put it back in until it was completely dry. Once you put power back to it and it's still wet it is ruined.

He used to work at the Gateway computer store and at Sprint years ago. He also said that they would tell people to put their keyboards through their dishwasher when they get too dirty. Just be sure to make sure it is 100% dry before plugging it back in. I have never been brave enough to try it. LOL!

Just let it air out. Give it a day or two if necessary. We've washed two Ipods on accident. One of them (the shuffle) was also rained on as it fell out of my hubby's pocket and was hidden in the grass overnight. I think it may have been run over by the lawnmower the next morning as well. I digress... Both the Nano and the shuffle are doing fine. While it is obviously NOT recommended to launder the Ipod (ha ha,) if luck is on your side it may survive. Be patient and DO NOT plug in to a power source until it has had sufficient time to dry out. You may notice odd quirks here and there, but you may still get to enjoy your music. Good luck!

I have never washed the iPod, but my oldest child put his brothers shuffle in a glass of water overnight (accidentally) and it works just fine!

I read on MSN in an article that if you drop your cell phone in water (I would think any electronic device) remove the batter immediately (I don't believe iPods have batteries) and submerge the device in rubbing alcohol because it has a drying agent. Good Luck :)

LOL. I did this about a month ago. Except i realized it before it was put in the dryer, I was soo mad at myself. I let mine sit by the window for about 5 days and then put it to charge and it came right back on, with no problems!They say not to turn it on for a few days, and put it to charge first, however these rules were for wash only, hope I can help someone out there who makes the same mistake I did, I can't live without my music!

I didn't see this answer. My friend always took her family disasters and put them on a towel on top of the dryer--hopefully when you are doing laundry---otherwise turn the dryer on for a couple of hours. Worked for her.
God bless

i have baked different cell phones with water damage at 150 degrees for hours. each one came back to life. which makes sense. the inside of your car gets hotter than this in the summer and we leave electronics in the car all the time. remove battery first.

Definitely the hair dryer idea works.

-You set the hair dryer up wedged between and against something and aim it at the phone.

-Turn the hair dryer on low speed and low temp, then just rotate the phone randomly over a 3 day period.

Works like a charm. :)

For future reference, this happened to my son, he washed his iPod shuffle. It didn't work for the first week and he thought it was dead. But after waiting a few weeks he tried it again and it worked. So don't throw it away too soon. I would say wait a few months to make sure it's really most sincerely dead (as the munchkins would say :D)

And btw - gotta love Apple's warranty policies!

Check ebay for phones. Always check the sellers ratings but it will save you money. I got a new blackberry that way. Good Luck!

Hi there! My daughter had her Ipod for one week and then washed it with her jeans! The screen didn't work anymore, but it still played music. This was the Christmas of 2008. It just stopped holding a charge last month. We tried everything to get the screen to work, but no luck. I was happy the music still played though.

ifixipodsfast.com - if it can be fixed, he can fix it! We've had him do all sorts of things for us (we're a three ipod family - my hubby is on his third one...) Blake is amazing and honest. So, before you throw it out, talk to him!

I didn't see anyone mention Square Trade. They sell extended warranties for all your devices. I have a history of wet electronics so ibalways purchase one. Get on the mail list for discount codes.

I recently dropped my iPhone in the water & they told me to go to Apple because they will replace water damage iPhone for $199. Also my warranty transfers over!

I had an ipod that ended up in a flooded tent while camping-- it took a LONG time, but after a few weeks it DID come back to life. Good luck!

i dunked my ipod in the sink while i was doing dishes...it only went in for a minute...but it did the same thing.

the bag of rice works...but left little starch yuckies on it...but it should be done...at least for a day or two

i left it on the counter for awhile because to have it repaired was 80 bucks...and i was prepared to have it repaired...i gotta have my ipod

then on day...i picked it up to complain to a friend about what i had done and it came on....i jumped up and down with joy....

if you have the apple logo and it's charging...that's a good sign...just leave it alone for a couple of weeks...and see what happens before you pay big money to have it fixed....

L.

Yes I have washed my iPod. Back in Feb.2010, washed a load of clothes, I went to put them into the dryer; I head a thump, not supprised bc my boys always have rocks in pockets. Well turns out it wasn't a rock at all..the itouch. I took it and placed it into a bag of rice and left it outside in the sun, left it in front of a space heater and on the dash of my car since it's gotten warmer here. No luck! No signs of life. Then earlier this week(April) I decided to plug it into the charger just one more time to see for life I would try occationally to power it up. This time I saw a faint lighting bolt(the charging symbol) but that was all. Last night(April 8) I decided to charge it longer and it powered on. It works, after all this time. Only thing is the battery won't charge more that the red.

if you have to buy a new iPod... I highly suggest you save yourself some money and buy a refurbished one from Apple. You get what you want and it has already been tested to great lengths, ANND the best part is that is is cheaper AND it comes with the same warranty that you have when you buy a new one. Look it up on their web page. :-)

Good luck!

my husband did the same thing. we tried the rice and it didn't work either. we called apple and they said nothing will work and that we needed to buy a new one unfortunately and that's what we ended up doing. I hope this saves you a phone call to apple!

I dumped my cell phone in water. Rice didn't work. But I took the battery out and opened up the phone and let it set out in the air for 3 days. I put it all back together and voila! It worked.

OK this answer is after the fact but try setting it in the sun, not sure where you live but direct sunlight will dry it out faster. I've done this with a cell phone and a watch with luck. Sometimes it takes a couple days but it does evenutally dry out. Good Luck.

I washed a thumb drive once, it survived!

Try a blow dryer for a while. Try to turn it on every few minutes. But don't let it get too hot or it might melt the insides.

Hot cars work well - too bad it's not summer!!

If you take it to an apple store, they can try to fix it, but more than likely, it's a lost cause. But just so you know, I've gotten the apple logo on my ipods twice, both ipods never worked again. But if they tell you at the apple store that they can't fix it, they will offer you a discount on a new one if you trade yours in. That's what I did the 1st time, and I'm going to go back with my latest loss (I dropped it!). Good luck and let us know if they fixed it for you. (also to answer your question, the only way to replace the battery on an ipod is to contact apple and they will have you mail it in, and they charge $50-$80 depending on which ipod you have)

Yes, I laundered my son's iPod. It did not go through the dryer though. Initially it worked sporadically and then it just stopped working. Four to five months later, we found it again and tried it ... and it has worked fine ever since. My husband speculates that it needed to dry out. I wouldn't throw it out - give it a few months and try it again, if you can wait that long. Good luck!

LOL, with 2 boys, yep, been there done that. From my 18 yrs. experience, this works with cell phones too! Remove battery, seal ipod or cell phone in a plastic bag filled with rice for a few hours. Takes moisture out. Replace with new batteries. Has worked a few times, one ipod had to be replaced cell phones usually survive.

YOU cannot replace the battery on an iPod, but APPLE can. It is fairly expensive, but less than an iPod. On the other hand, if you washed and dried the thing, and it stopped working at the same time, you probably destroyed it. Get in touch with Apple's customer service and ask them if there is any point in trying to get it fixed.

I did the saame thing with my iPod touch two weeks ago. I still have it sitting in a bag of rice... sigh.

Sounds odd, but put your ipod in a ziploc bag full of uncooked rice for a day or two. Bouncing around in the dryer probably wasn't very good for it, and it might be dead, but if the problem is with residual moisture, the rice will absorb it. We had an iphone dropped in a toilet fixed by this trick. Of course, we didn't exposure it to high temperatures and bang it around in a dryer for an hour either though!

GOOD LUCK!

You can also completely cover it in rice in a container.

My husband left his ipod nano in his pocket and it got washed and dried. Unfortunately it also got warped in the drier such that it's hard to lock and unlock it and the piece on the top doesn't stay on anymore. But, if we hold the pieces together with a cover it still works. I would say give it some time to dry out and it's possible it will still work. Good luck.

no, it is probably ruined but don't give up yet.

Daughter dropped a razor phone in the toilet a couple years ago. I too it apart, put it in an airtight Tupperware container with dessicant (little packets you get when you buy new shoes, etc or DampRid) leave it closed up in there a couple of days.

Her phone did work after we did this.

what kind of ipod was it? I doubt there's much chance, but the shuffles have been notoriously sturdier than, say, the original 80gig types, or the nanos. wishing you poddy-luck!

Yes, I once threw my Ipod into the washer with my running clothes. I dried it on the radiator for three full days before turning it on, and it worked like a charm for 6 months. I then took it in to have the connections cleaned since the water and detergent had correded them a bit, and it is still running strong 2 years later. Take it off the charger and let it dry out more. Otherwise see if you can get someone to open it up and clean it out before you junk it.