Client brought in a waterlogged laptop, I found mold inside the case

Had a guy roll into my shop last Tuesday with a Dell that wouldn't turn on. Said his kid spilled juice on it three weeks ago and he just let it dry out. Opened it up and the whole motherboard had that fuzzy white mold growing on it. Tried cleaning with alcohol but the corrosion was already bad on the charging port. Ended up telling him it was cheaper to buy a used replacement. Anyone else see laptops get wrecked from people waiting too long?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah19818d ago

Oh man, I've been there! The trick that saved me was actually using a toothbrush and 90% isopropyl alcohol right away before the corrosion sets in. I scrubbed the board gently and let it dry for a full day in front of a fan, and somehow it fired back up. But yeah, waiting three weeks is way too long, that's pretty much a goner at that point.

henry_moore5515d ago

Did you try rice or a hairdryer first too?

-1

martin.vera18d ago

Sarah's right about the 90% alcohol and toothbrush. I've had luck with that if the spill is fresh, like within a day or two. But three weeks is just inviting the mold to settle in deep. Once you see that fuzz, the board is usually done for unless you get lucky with a ultrasonic cleaner. Better to just replace the whole machine at that point.