What if I accidentally washed my USB flash drive in the washing machine?

A flash drive is a versatile device that can store a huge amount of information.

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

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

Will it work after washing?

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

And they don't have to have a waterproof case or some other special protection.

The most common memory card will work after washing, but for this you need to properly provide it with "first aid". The more time a person is inactive, the less chance of saving the source of information.

Factors that reduce the likelihood of a full device recovery:

1. Prolonged exposure to the washing machine. The longer the wash cycle, the higher the risk of mechanical damage.
2. Composition of powder and other detergents. The more aggressive it is, the worse.
3. Water temperature. Boiling water significantly worsens the prognosis.
4. PH level of water. Soft water is not so harmful to the device.
5. RPM speed.

First aid

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

Open contacts must be wiped with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol... This will avoid oxidation.

There is no need to disassemble or take any additional action. When the connector dries out, you can check the device's performance, but you cannot do this earlier than a day later.

How do I restore my device?

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

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

Stages of memory card resuscitation:

1. Disassemble the drive case.If it is cast, then you should not try to open it. The whole device should dry on its own.
2. A toothbrush or cloth is moistened with alcohol and all elements are gently but systematically wiped. Be sure to go through the contacts with alcohol.
3. Another option is to fill any container with vodka and dip a wet USB stick into it for a few minutes. After that, it is cleaned with a brush. This will remove any remaining soap solution. It is the frozen film that most often causes damage to the device.
4. Dry the memory card with a hair dryer.

After finishing the processing, the case is assembled and the device is included in 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. A suitable program is downloaded to the computer. There are 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 run the appropriate software. The program will read the memory card and determine which files can be recovered.
3. The appropriate lines mark and start the process.
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... Therefore, it is so important to qualitatively "alcohol" the drive.

Dry the device as long as possible before using it for the first time. If a hairdryer is used, it should run for at least 30 minutes. When the drive dries in the sun, connect it to your computer no earlier than 3 days later.

Prohibitions

There are several absolute prohibitions that should not be violated:

1. You can not try to start a wet flash drive. Connecting it to a device powered by the mains 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 electric shock increases.
2. It is forbidden to accelerate the drying process of the device using heating devices, namely: a microwave oven, a heating radiator, a construction hair dryer. Even slight overheating can become critical.
3. Leave the device that can be disassembled to dry at room temperature. The longer the moisture stays 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 repair your Flash card:

1. When using a hair dryer to dry your hair, you must not turn it on at full power, so as not to melt the elements.
2. The unbreakable model is laid out in the sun. You can try to turn it on no earlier than after 2 days.
3. When powder or other detergents have not been used for washing, do not soak the drive in alcohol. You just need to dry it with a hair dryer.
4. For full drying, the memory card can be laid out on the battery, but first it is covered with a thick cloth folded in 2-3 layers. This will avoid overheating.
5. If the information stored on the device is of colossal value for the owner, you need to seek help from specialists. The technicians working in the computer repair service will help you professionally revive the drive, or try to extract all available data from it.

Related Videos

What to do if you washed a USB flash drive in a typewriter, the video will tell you:

Conclusion

You can save a washed memory card if you act quickly and clearly... Haste is needed when providing first aid, but you cannot 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 the soap solution using alcohol. After that, it remains only to dry the USB flash drive and download all the available information from it.