Quote:
Originally Posted by theducks
Agreed. I watched components just fall off circuit boards if you got near them, that had been exposed to salt water used to fight a big fire 
After the initial water rinse, do a final rinse with DI (Distilled) water to reduce mineral deposits.
The alcohol (NOT RUBBING which has lubricants) bath is a great idea for most simple boards, do a careful test on the display in a TINY area where cloudy can be tolerated. |
Yes most circuit boards are cleaned by deionized clean water and distilled water after being run through the wave solder machine is as close as you can get, then the boards are passed through a dryer. Tho the components on the boards that are sensitive to water have protective covers (usually speakers and microphones) that are removed later in the assembly process. And anhydrous is-propyl alcohol(99.99%) is also used for cleaning and sometimes helps removing the water.
The big thing is to try to completely dry/remove the water that is trapped under the components that could cause a short or add capacitance/inductance to the circuit. So rinse the boards well and then place the phone in a very warm place, some have used ovens that are turned down very low 45°c to 60°c. (113°f to 140°f) 150-160°F could be used for a shorter time. Or place it in a hot car (summertime) on or near the dash for a couple of hours.
If water has gotten into the microphone or speaker there could be problems because the water can degrade them, also trash/minerals/oils that are trapped under the keypad could also become a problem.
Just some thoughts.