The Most Persistent Myth in Device Repair
"Put it in rice" is the most commonly given piece of advice for water-damaged electronics. It is also almost entirely useless — and in some cases, actively harmful.
After 14 years of repairing liquid-damaged iPhones, MacBooks, and iPads in Johannesburg, we have seen the consequences of this myth more times than we can count. This article explains, clearly and technically, why rice does not work — and what you should do instead.
Why Rice Does Not Work: The Physics
Rice is hygroscopic — it absorbs moisture from the surrounding air. This is the basis of the myth: people assume that placing a wet device in rice will draw the liquid out.
The problem is that liquid inside a sealed device is not accessible to the surrounding air. Your iPhone has:
Rice sitting outside the device cannot draw liquid out through these barriers. The liquid inside your iPhone will not migrate through the chassis wall because rice is nearby.
What Is Actually Happening Inside Your Device
While your iPhone sits in a bowl of rice, corrosion is actively progressing inside it.
Liquid damage is not primarily about liquid — it is about electrolytic corrosion. When conductive liquid (tap water, juice, coffee, seawater) contacts a powered circuit board, it creates an electrolytic cell. Metal ions migrate away from traces, pads, and component leads. Oxide and hydroxide compounds form on contact surfaces.
This process continues for hours and days after the spill. The longer it runs, the more permanent the damage becomes.
Rice does nothing to stop or slow this chemical process.
The Starch Problem
Rice dust and starch particles are an additional hazard. Fine particles from rice can:
We have cleaned rice residue off iPhone logic boards. It is not helpful.
What Actually Works
1. Immediate power-off
The single most important action. Power off the device immediately — hold the side button and volume down together on Face ID iPhones. This stops electrolytic corrosion from continuing under power.
2. Professional ultrasonic cleaning
The industry-standard method. Ultrasonic cleaners create cavitation bubbles in a specialised cleaning fluid that agitates and removes corrosive residue from every surface of the board — including under chips and in connectors that are physically inaccessible otherwise.
3. Isopropyl alcohol rinse
High-purity (99%+) isopropyl alcohol is water-miscible and evaporates completely. A thorough IPA rinse displaces water and removes conductive residue.
4. Component-level inspection
After cleaning, a stereo microscope inspection identifies compromised components, burned traces, and damaged connectors that need replacement.
The Time Factor
Every hour matters with liquid damage. Our data from over 3,000 repairs shows a clear relationship between time-to-treatment and recovery rate:
No amount of rice changes this curve.
What You Should Do
1. Power off immediately
2. Do not plug in to charge
3. Do not press any buttons (this can push liquid into connectors)
4. Bring it to ZA Support as soon as possible — same day is best
We offer free liquid damage assessments, 7 days a week. No Fix No Fee on all repairs. Call 064 529 5863.