You spilled liquid on the laptop
I spilled water on my laptop. What should I do right now?
Written by The CommonFixes team · fact checked by CommonFixes review desk
Last updated
Short answer
Liquid causes damage in two stages. Electricity plus liquid causes short circuits immediately, and afterwards corrosion eats the board over days. The quickest thing to try first: switch it off within seconds — Hold the power button until it dies. Do not shut down normally, because every second with power on increases the damage. Most people are done in about 10 minutes.
Full walkthrough below: 5 steps for Windows and Mac, rated careful.
Sounds like this
- •Liquid on the keyboard
- •Keys sticking
- •Sudden shutdown after a spill
Why it happens
Liquid causes damage in two stages. Electricity plus liquid causes short circuits immediately, and afterwards corrosion eats the board over days.
Work through these in order
0% done- 1
Switch it off within seconds
Hold the power button until it dies. Do not shut down normally, because every second with power on increases the damage.
- 2
Unplug and remove the battery if you can
Disconnect the charger and every accessory. If the battery is removable, take it out.
- 3
Turn it upside down like a tent
Open the lid fully and stand the laptop face down on a towel so liquid drains out rather than sinking towards the board.
- 4
Let it dry for at least forty-eight hours
Leave it in a warm, dry, airy place. Do not use a hairdryer, do not use rice, and above all do not switch it on to test.
- 5
Have it opened and cleaned
Sugary drinks, tea and juice leave residue that keeps corroding even after drying. A technician cleaning the board within a few days saves many laptops.
If none of that worked
If it starts and behaves normally after drying, still back up your files. Delayed failure weeks later is common after a spill.
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Who wrote this and how we checked it
The CommonFixes team
Writer and researcher
We are a small group of people who spend our days repairing laptops and desktops for family, friends and small offices. Every guide here starts with a problem someone actually brought to us, and we only write down the steps that put the machine right.
- Everyday repairs
- Windows and Mac
- Plain language
CommonFixes review desk
Technical editor
Before a guide goes live, a second person walks through it on a real machine and checks each instruction against the maker's own support pages. Anything we cannot confirm is removed rather than guessed at.
- Fact checking
- Safety warnings
- Source links
This guide was last updated on 10 August 2026. If a step no longer matches what you see on screen, tell us on the contact page and we will test it again.
A gentle reminder: back up anything you cannot afford to lose before major repairs. If a step ever feels risky, stop and ask a technician. There is no shame in that.