# Drowned Kindle resurrected!



## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

I'm so thrilled that I just had to share my story. I am embarrassed to admit that I like to read with my Kindle 3 as I have a nice relaxing soak in the tub. I know there are others like me out there. About two weeks ago I did a head nod and Kindle took a dive, a beautiful headfirst, completely underwater dip. All its little orifices took on water. I grabbed it immediately, thinking I had just committed gadget murder. The screen did some erratic page turns on its own and then froze on the first Home page. I removed the back and gently blotted the inside with a clean towel. Then I placed it in a Ziplock with uncooked rice. My first collection had a black delete mark under it and the screen stayed that way for days. 

I mourned, especially because I had been increasingly less careful with my beloved reader. First, I started carrying Kindle around without its Oberon case because I decided I liked the lightness of a naked Kindle. Then, I began to bathe with it. (Owner hangs her head in shame.) I had also begun to covet a brand new Paperwhite. Oh, the guilt.

I gave up hope and called Amazon Kindle Support, understanding the problem was my fault and that the device was well out of warranty, thinking maybe they would give me some possible last ditch rescue tips. I didn't expect them to be too supportive, and they certainly weren't except to tell me to try a reset. Nothing. Next, support came in the way of offering to sell me a refurbished Kindle Touch. So cold-hearted. I hadn't heard great things about that model and told the rep I would have to think about whether I wanted another Kindle at all. 

Two days later, I tried one more thing: I plugged it into the wall charger, a no-no for water-exposed electronics. Amazingly, Kindle blinked a few times and began to do a reset and charge!  I am astounded that a Kindle that had been completely submerged can live. So far all functions are working and I have promised to bathe without electronics and to not glance at another Paperwhite again. Well, maybe just a peek now and then.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Get a PW -- there's no law against having a back up device.

I think what saved it is you put it right away into a bag of rice and left it there a long time -- so moisture got absorbed.

As for the future, may I recommend  Ziploc Freezer Bag, Gallon Value Pack, 30-Count

 . . . . but not actually joking!


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> As for the future, may I recommend  Ziploc Freezer Bag, Gallon Value Pack, 30-Count
> 
> . . . . but not actually joking!


I use the ziploc Freezer Bags too. Highly recommend them.


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## Not Here Anymore (May 16, 2012)

Glad it's working again! 

Another use for the ziplock bag: 

After my son ran his ipod through the washing machine, we sealed it in a ziplock bag filled with rice and left it there for a week.

Pulled it out and it worked. Don't know if it would work with a kindle, but it couldn't hurt to try...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Rie142 said:


> I use the ziploc Freezer Bags too. Highly recommend them.


I don't actually read in the bath -- but the freezer bags are a little heavier plastic, and the zipper ones versus the slide lock ones are less like to leak if you drop it. Though any would protect against random splashes. The point is to use it BEFORE it takes a swim, rather than afterward as a receptacle for rice.


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Congrats on saving your Kindle from a watery grave!

There's nothing wrong with bathing with Kindles...but as you discovered, they themselves don't much like water! If you use the Kindle in the tub very frequently, which I do, it's well worth buying something a bit sturdier in the way of protection like this sleeve from TrendyDigital:



I have the old one they brought out for the Touch--fits both my PW2 and my iPad Mini, and I had something similar for my K2 and even my full sized iPad. Extremely durable, much more so than Ziplocs, which can develop pinholes. But if you're going to go the Ziploc route, DEFINITELY get the freezer bags!

My waterproof sleeve is a couple of years old right now, and I use it almost nightly. Haven't had a leak yet.


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## Jerry Patterson (Nov 20, 2013)

Wow I killed my Kindle when a glass of water drowned it.  I've given up on it but I'm going to try the plug in deal.  Who knows?


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## Labrynth (Dec 31, 2009)

LOL I just stick mine in a Ziploc if I'm reading in the tub.


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## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

Jamie Warren said:


> Wow I killed my Kindle when a glass of water drowned it. I've given up on it but I'm going to try the plug in deal. Who knows?


But don't charge until you're absolutely sure all parts are dry. You don't want to fry anything.


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## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

I hope I gave some folks hope for wet Kindles and everyone else a good chuckle. Freezer Ziplocks are on my shopping list. Thanks all!


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## alicepattinson (Jan 27, 2013)

Rie142 said:


> I use the ziploc Freezer Bags too. Highly recommend them.


HAHAHA. ZIPLOC is perfect! i used that for my dipped iphone before with a rice on it and worked perfectly


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

alicepattinson said:


> HAHAHA. ZIPLOC is perfect! i used that for my dipped iphone before with a rice on it and worked perfectly


Again. . . . . the point is to use the Ziploc, _without_ rice in it . . . . . . put the kindle in it _before_ taking it to a watery place to read.


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## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

Ann, I think it's so funny that you have reminded us at least twice that Ziplock comes before bath! I actually knew to do that and have in the past, but was sure (for three years!) that I would hold on tight. I didn't think about the possibility of nodding off. There's always a first time, isn't there?


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## VictoriaP (Mar 1, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Again. . . . . the point is to use the Ziploc, _without_ rice in it . . . . . . put the kindle in it _before_ taking it to a watery place to read.





mayfire said:


> Ann, I think it's so funny that you have reminded us at least twice that Ziplock comes before bath! I actually knew to do that and have in the past, but was sure (for three years!) that I would hold on tight. I didn't think about the possibility of nodding off. There's always a first time, isn't there?


If it's any consolation to you both, your words are not falling on deaf ears. This story nudged me to get a waterproof sleeve for my iPhone...because I've been using it in the bath with no protection for years, even though the Kindle & iPad were protected. LOL The phone is usually in there for music, along with a Bluetooth speaker--and yes, I'm just certain I can hold onto it tight enough too!


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't actually read in the bath -- but the freezer bags are a little heavier plastic, and the zipper ones versus the slide lock ones are less like to leak if you drop it. Though any would protect against random splashes. The point is to use it BEFORE it takes a swim, rather than afterward as a receptacle for rice.


I don't read in the bath either. LOL I tried it one time but decided I just don't like it. LOL


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## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

Oh, it's so peaceful with no distractions. Are any of you old enough to remember the "Calgon, take me away," commercials? Audiobooks are good for bath time, too, if you have a Kindle with speakers, but I can't stand that text-to-speech feature. Too robotic and many mispronounced words.


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## LauraB (Nov 23, 2008)

I am also a read the kindle in the bath person, yes I understand the risks. I dropped a kindle pw1 in the tub, well actually kitty kicked it off the edge-but I put it on the edge so my fault. It was in a kindle pw case. I put it in a zip lock bag with about 5 silica packets ( I save them from Ned bottles and shoeboxes because I have stupidly dropped an iPhone and a previous kindle in tub) left it in bag sealed 4 days while I read my touch I keep for back up, the pw  still works great 6 months later. My daughter uses it. I did have to throw the case away, started to smell. I still read my kindles in tub. But don't get iPhone near tub. Realizes that I did get lucky with it and it did eventually work. But I don't have a back up phone!


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## mayfire (Nov 11, 2010)

Well, I guess the fact that our kindles have gone swimming and continue to be our reading companions is a testament to their surprising durability! not that I advise mixing electronics and water.


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