Quick fix: I spilled a drink on my laptop. What do I do right now?

Act fast. What you do in the next few minutes matters most.

1. Turn it off right now. Hold the power button until it goes dark. Don't stop to save your work.
2. Unplug the charger and anything else connected.
3. If the battery comes out easily from the outside, like on some older laptops, take it out. If it's built in, leave it alone.
4. Wipe off any liquid you can see with a towel. Then open the laptop and turn it upside down like a tent so liquid can drain out.
5. Do not turn it back on to test it. Power running through wet parts causes most of the damage.
6. Skip the hair dryer, which can push liquid deeper and overheat parts. Skip the bag of rice too. It doesn't pull liquid out of the inside, and it wastes precious time.

Stop and get help right away. Coffee, soda and other sugary drinks leave sticky residue that keeps causing corrosion even after the laptop dries. The sooner it's opened and cleaned by someone who does this, the better its chances. I can't promise every laptop survives, but quick action helps a lot.

Still stuck? Post your make, model and what you spilled in this topic, or send me a request for a free assessment.