It’s one of the basic warnings you receive when you buy a laptop or for that matter most electronic devices –you should avoid contact with water. With laptops, you’ll probably remember countless warnings from family and friends about drinking water or juice with the notebook perched on your lap. While its easy to be complacent and brush off what you consider unnecessary patronising, it is vital to remember that spilling water can be lethal, especially if you accidentally slop a whole glass.

Now, the problem with water spilling on your laptop is not because it gets your circuits and motherboard wet. Water itself won’t harm the motherboard. It is the electricity running through the machine when the water is spilled that’ll cause the damage.

So, if water is spilled on your notebook (by you or someone else), firstly turn your laptop upside down, so that the water that could have dripped into your machine drains out. Simultaneously reach for the A/C cord and yank it off. Also remove the battery. By removing the A/C cord and the battery you have cut off all power to your machine, thereby ensuring minimal damage to the motherboard.

Hold the laptop upside down till you’re convinced the last of the water is drained out. You can dry of the keyboard and the rest of the exterior with a paper towel or cloth.

If you’ve been prompt with cutting the power supply, your laptop should be fine. Don’t switch on the laptop until you’re convinced the insides are completely dry. The steps mentioned above are only applicable if you’ve spilled water, but if you’ve spilled some other beverage like coffee or cola, it will necessitate taking the laptop apart.

If you aren’t familiar with laptop hardware and haven’t tinkered with your machine hardware, then it’s best to consider a computer repair shop for the job.

It may cost you some money, but unless you are familiar with electronics, it is the safest option of ensuring minimal damage to your machine. However, if you’ve followed the preliminary precautions mentioned above then your motherboard should still be in working condition.

Of course, the simplest option (unless you have a water-proof laptop) is and will always be to keep water and other liquids away from your machine.