Save your soaked devices with Bheestie Bag

Sharon Vaknin | Nov 10, 2009

To put it to the test, we "accidentally" dropped this Insignia MP3 player in a fountain. (Photo credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Your friends call you a klutz, Mom calls you careless, and you beat yourself up every time you drop your phone in the toilet or step on your MP3 player. We can't help you with your overall clumsiness, but there may be a solution for your soaked devices.

Bheestie suggests leaving the device in the bag for 24 to 72 hours.
(Photo credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

The Bheestie Bag is a small, lightweight pouch that draws moisture out of personal electronics using small, liquid-absorbing beads. After the device has been soaked or spilled upon, take the battery out, dry the device, and place it in the bag for 24 to 72 hours. The beads absorb water in much the same way rice absorbs water, as they are made to physically bond with liquid and don't release the moisture back into the bag when they've reached their absorption capacity.

These beads absorb water in much the same way rice absorbs water.
(Photo credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

At first, I thought Bheestie Bag was just another mythical solution for rescuing drenched devices, but after putting it to the test using a soaked Insignia MP3 player, I'm far less skeptical.

After replacing the battery and charging it for a few minutes, the device worked normally. (Photo credit: Josh Miller/CNET)

Other well-known device-drying methods come to mind, of course, the most infamous bring the blow dryer. Unfortunately, it's more likely that you'll further damage your device under the dryer's heat, so it's not recommended.

There's also the "just let it sit" myth. Many, like CNET News reporter Ina Fried, have tried this and seen positive outcomes. But I have a feeling that the success of this method has a lot to do with the inner workings of the device and how crammed the parts are. If there's a sufficient amount of open space in the device for air drying, it's more likely that if you "just let it sit," the device will work again.

The last, less obvious tactic is the bag of rice. Here, you simply dry off your device, remove the battery, and place it in a bag of rice for a couple of days. Since rice is a natural soaking agent, it supposedly removes the moisture from the device. Like many others, I can say this method works.

Despite these available solutions, none have proven to be consistently successful. Luckily, after trying the US$20 Bheestie Bag, I can say there's a more dependable solution for those of you who are accident-prone.

Via CNET Crave