As with any piece of electrical equipment, your laptop is not waterproof and will cease to function if you spill liquid on it. Some liquids can be particularly nasty, such as Coca Cola, which will corrode the components on the motherboard and cause lasting damage.

Liquid damage affects laptops in different ways. Some may appear to work, but functions such as Wireless or Bluetooth will be impaired. Others will not turn on at all. Even if your laptop does turn on and work, it is likely that after a week or so it will completely stop working. This is because the liquid will oxidize on the motherboard components over a short period of time, giving the impression that everything is OK but then resulting in disappointment later.

As soon as you know that liquid has come in to contact with your laptop it is important that you turn it straight off. You should immediately remove the battery and any other external components that can be safely removed without taking the laptop apart. Do not attempt to dry the laptop by placing it on or near a radiator or heater. It is recommend that you towel dry the laptop and then put it to one side.

Do not attempt to power on your laptop. You should immediately book a collection and start the repair process. Your laptop will not dry naturally, and if you try to turn it on without correct cleaning then you could cause more damage. PC Ideals use specialist cleaning fluid and cleaning processes that are designed for electrical equipment. We do not simply dry your laptop and then send it back to you.

This is a heavily involved specialist job and should not be attempted by anyone other than a professional.