We take our phones everywhere with us even most of the time into the bathroom as well. If you drop your iPhone into the toilet bowl while reading an article or checking your email there is a way to sanitize it using a cleaning kit. The world will not come to an end.
How Often Are iPhones Accidently Dropped In Toilets and Urinals?
According to a search analysis study I did, iPhones are commonly dropped in toilets quite frequently.
“1 in 200 people drop their phones in the toilet. This means that every year approximately 600,000 iPhones are dropped in toilets.”
The next time you’re at the bar having a drink with friends, do not be surprised if someone nearby drops their precious iPhone into the toilet while they are drunk. Chances are that at one point or another, you will be close by when it happens and you may think twice before touching someone else’s phone.
The last time I was at an Apple Store getting my phone repaired for this exact reason I asked the employee how often does this happen, people dropping their iPhones in toilets? He laughed and responded. “You would be surprised, but lots!”
So don’t worry if you are reading this article and feel terrible it happens to the best of us. I decided to go the expensive route and upgraded my iPhone X to the iPhone 12.
What If The Toilet Had Pee Inside It?
I’m going to apologize in advance for the nature of this article but not many writers have the guts to cover this topic or even want to fish it out with a 10 ft pole. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, let me explain.
Most public bathrooms have a drain line where wastewater goes down the drain and because the toilets are made of porcelain and other pieces that come with it that will break apart and clog up the drain line if not flushed away properly.
If you drop your phone into any toilet bowl you’re going to risk your phone being contaminated with the feces of complete strangers. If dropping your iPhone in your home toilet I would say the circumstance would be less severe but still, it would be a monumental “L” to take.
The Hazards Of Not Sanitizing Your iPhone Correctly Afterwards
If you were to drop your phone in a toilet filled with urine the health consequences would be tremendous in a sense because you could risk infections such as:
- streptococcus
- staphylococcus
- Coli
- Hepatitis A
The last thing you want to do is buy a new iPhone only to have a disease that could be cured by properly sanitizing your iPhone. Most of these infections would require antibiotics from your doctor, unfortunately, Apple does not sell medication in case you accidentally drop your phone in a toilet and contract a virus.
Does Apple Care Cover Water Damages If Dropped In The Toilet?
Your first thought may be a sign of relief if your phone has Apple Care but after investigating the Apple forums the information may be conflicting in most cases. Apparently, only Apple Care Plus covers accidental damage events, and with the regular Apple Care, water damage is not covered under warranty. Most Apple Care plans last 1 year and for that amount of time if your phone is damaged by unintended water contact then the full repair cost will be covered.
Can You Get A Free iPhone From Apple?
The short answer to this question is no. Water damage and any liquid damage can void your warranty and in most cases, you will be charged a flat-rate fee to fix liquid damages. Also, you will have to probably come up with an alternate story because if you tell the Apple employee that you had dropped your phone in a soiled toilet they will most likely be reluctant to handle the device or help you.
Here’s What You Can Do To Clean Your iPhone After The Plunge
Time is of the essence after dropping your iPhone in the sh—-r. You will want to hurry and get your device to safety so it will not take on any water damage.
- Find a pair of latex gloves or a stick to fish your iPhone out of the toilet bowl, have a bunch of paper towels to immediately dry it off.
- Don’t panic, don’t turn on your iPhone or attempt to use it, you could damage the screen and the internal circuitry. Also, you should avoid any skin-to-skin contact with your phone until you have a chance to get it properly disinfected.
- Take a bag of uncooked rice and put it inside a plastic baggy, then wrap your iPhone inside this baggy and let it sit for approximately 24 hours.
- Wearing gloves you can now try to power your iPhone back on and use the water eject function. This will help eject any toilet water left in your iPhone using sound vibration frequencies.
Disinfecting Your iPhone
Now that your phone is dry and operational you can do 2 things to sanitize it.
- You can lightly mist it with hydrogen peroxide spray and clean in carefully.
- You can elect to buy our ALL IN ONE AirPod Cleaning Kit.
Both methods will kill all the microbes and bacteria from the toilet but the AirPod Cleaning Kit will leave an antiviral coating to continue to kill germs and pathogens. The cleaning kit comes with 2 brushes; the first brush can be used to scrub away any debris and disinfect.
The second applicator brush administers a coating that will shield your iPhone and continue killing germs for up to 30 days afterwards. It works as a forcefield that kills 99.99% of viruses as soon as they come into contact with your phone.
The AirPod cleaning kit may be used to clean a range of your products too such as your Ipad and Apple watch. You can use it to protect the entire series of Apple products from germs and bacteria that can be present
You can get the AirPod cleaning kit here for only $11.99
The Bottom Line To The Story
If you ever find yourself in a situation where you drop your iPhone in the toilet, don’t do it again. However, if you realize your mistake and you did drop your iPhone in the toilet and did not follow the steps listed above I would highly recommend buying a new iPhone rather than risk contracting anything. If however, you followed my advice on how to sanitize your iPhone properly afterward then I believe your chances of contracting an infection are slim.
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