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When electronics find their way into the washing machine...

cstanton

I do my best to avoid cleaning my electronics hardware and peripherals.

 

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, somehow wearable electronics manage to find themselves in the washing machine. I wasn't even washing my trousers where I usually keep it, no, this time my Wii Fit U Meter found itself among the towels, and spun around in the machine. It wasn't until it was too late, and I saw its depressed features pushed up against the glass, that I realised it had gone through an exciting event and probably inflated my walking score.

 

I didn't try to power it on. Not able to find my Y screwdriver, the only thing I could do was put it in rice.

The rice got damp very quickly after a day on the window sill in 35 degrees C heat, I replaced it a couple of times, found my Y screwdriver and finally took it apart.

I have some cleaning to do, now, what's the best way to clean this?

 

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I also couldn't help but notice a number of test pads, and some that may even be programming pads.

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  • Some advise to take the battery out if you can, and then keep it under water instead of rice, until you have everything in place to properly open it up and dry with air...

    Two to 3 days in rice gives it enough exposure to air to start the corrosion.

  • in reply to Jan Cumps

    Totally agree - it's having power on and water at the same time that is really bad.

    When I clean boards after soldering I use stuff called Safewash which is just strong detergent in water and then rinse several times in de-ionised water.

    Then shake, pat with absorbent paper and dry on a radiator (except if it's too warm for it to be on and then I blow dry with a fan).

     

    Once we had a delivery of boards with liquid trapped under the solder resist - when we powered them up we could see little threads growing between tracks - they didn't work well.

    And because the liquid was under the resist trying to dry them out didn't work either.

     

    MK

  • in reply to michaelkellett

    > and then keep it under water instead of rice,

     

    Reminds me of restoring/preserving items you find from a ship wreck, keep it in the conditions which causes the damage and then slowly bring it back to a different environment.

     

    > And because the liquid was under the resist trying to dry them out didn't work either.

     

    Yeah the altimeter/barometer with temperature sensor in this device appears to be shot/has suffered. It's not returning to life.

     

    I'm wondering if I can find a replacement part for it and do a bit of reflow, I'm going to assume it's this part:

     

    image

     

    I should probably take a better photograph with my microscope.

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  • in reply to michaelkellett

    > and then keep it under water instead of rice,

     

    Reminds me of restoring/preserving items you find from a ship wreck, keep it in the conditions which causes the damage and then slowly bring it back to a different environment.

     

    > And because the liquid was under the resist trying to dry them out didn't work either.

     

    Yeah the altimeter/barometer with temperature sensor in this device appears to be shot/has suffered. It's not returning to life.

     

    I'm wondering if I can find a replacement part for it and do a bit of reflow, I'm going to assume it's this part:

     

    image

     

    I should probably take a better photograph with my microscope.

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