Can Bheestie Bag save your soaked device?
Your friends call you a klutz, Mom calls you careless, and you beat yourself up every time you drop your phone in the toilet or step on your MP3 player. We can't help you with your overall clumsiness, but there may be a solution for your soaked devices.
The Bheestie Bag is a small, lightweight pouch that draws moisture out of personal electronics using small, liquid-absorbing beads. After the device has been soaked or spilled upon, take the battery out, dry the device, and place it in the bag for 24 to 72 hours. The beads absorb water in much the same way rice absorbs water, as they are made to physically bond with liquid and don't release the moisture back into the bag when they've reached their absorption capacity.
At first, I thought Bheestie Bag was just another mythical solution for rescuing drenched devices, but after putting it to the test using a soaked Insignia MP3 player, I'm far less skeptical.
Other well-known device-drying methods come to mind, of course, the most infamous bring the blow dryer. Unfortunately, it's more likely that you'll further damage your device under the dryer's heat, so it's not recommended.
There's also the "just let it sit" myth. Many, like CNET News reporter Ina Fried, have tried this and seen positive outcomes. But I have a feeling that the success of this method has a lot to do with the inner workings of the device and how crammed the parts are. If there's a sufficient amount of open space in the device for air drying, it's more likely that if you "just let it sit," the device will work again.
The last, less obvious tactic is the bag of rice. Here, you simply dry off your device, remove the battery, and place it in a bag of rice for a couple of days. Since rice is a natural soaking agent, it supposedly removes the moisture from the device. Like many others, I can say this method works.
Despite these available solutions, none have proven to be consistently successful. Luckily, after trying the $20 Bheestie Bag, I can say there's a more dependable solution for those of you who are accident-prone. See our photo gallery for more on our experience with the product.
Sharon Vaknin is the CNET Labs' go-to intern. When she's not testing MP3 players, blogging, or making the lab look presentable, she can be found playing computer games. Sharon formerly worked for Best Buy and is currently studying journalism at San Francisco State University. E-mail Sharon. 
You could probably store away the moister soaking packs that come in various medicine bottles. Keep them in something like a Glad plastic storage container until you need them. Then just drop the device in the container (that reusable sandwich meat container comes to mind) and it should work. I don't really know how much those packs will draw out.
Dude, lighten up. Most folks don't have an exit strategy contingent on deep pockets and large lines of credit where they can simply kiss off their toys without trying to save them first.
You are correct, my friends and family have assigned me the roll of "official tech carrier". My soft supple hands are perfectly built for this task.
I take it those who've dropped their cell phone in the toilet were yapping on their cell phone while doing #1 or #2? =/
I mean can't some people wait until they leave the bathroom first and then use their phone?
Wouldn't be a bad idea for everyone to keep one of those bags on hand, just in case. $20 insurance policy.
- by 678beep54 November 11, 2009 3:01 PM PST
- Something that works very well: Dry & Store. Marketed for removing moisture from hearing aids and cochlear implant speech processors, some Dry & Store devices are large enough for cell phones and MP3 players. Using dessicant bricks and low, gentle heat, these devices will dry any electronic device (remove as much water as possible 1st!) Google it for more info.
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