How to Get Water out of Your Computer LCD Screen

Water damage can ruin an LCD computer screen or any LCD display. If you have water visible in the display or even a hint of suspicion that water has breached your screen, take action immediately. Leaving moisture unattended will surely cause permanent damage. If you remove the moisture quickly, your screen and entire system has a chance to recover and return to normal display and operations.

After detecting moisture on your computer, and in the LCD screen specifically, unplug your power cord and shut down the computer. If water creeps into a live circuit, it will short your computer and cause serious damage. After the power is turned off and everything is shut down, remove the battery completely from a laptop or remove all cord connects from a monitor display. Take a paper towel and blot the keyboard and screen to absorb water from the exterior. Remove as much water from the exterior as possible to prevent it from working into the computer. Place the computer next to a fan to encourage evaporation while you prepare the next step.

Purchase a large bag of rice and add the rice to a storage bin, bucket or any dry, plastic container large enough to accommodate the computer and the rice combined. Fill half of the bin to start, set the entire laptop or the LCD monitor on the rice and add more until completely covered – then seal the container. The type of rice is not important. Use whatever is least expensive. Rice creates an ultra dry environment and absorbs water. The rice will pull away moisture and dry out your LCD screen water damage. This works for water that has entered most electronic devices. Leave the screen in the rice for a full 24 hours. Pull out the screen and wipe away any residue from the rice with a soft cloth to avoid scratching the screen.

Ideally, your laptop screen water cloud or other LCD water display issue will have been absorbed by the rice. After cleaning the screen, replace the battery or cords and reconnect power. Turn on the unit to test the screen. Watch for flickering and any odd behavior that indicates water is still present. If the screen and computer are performing normally, the water is removed. If the problem persists, return it to the rice bin and leave the unit submerged in dry rice for several days. The process works, but it works slowly. Using kitty litter is another method of absorbing the moisture if rice fails. The litter is made to grab moisture and hold it in clumps. In an extreme case, buying silica gel packets like those found in shoeboxes will also work.