If you are the owner of a water damaged phone you should not despair. It may not be the case that you will need to spend out on a new handset, there is the possibility of fixing your phone so that it works as if nothing has happened. First of all you should realise that the most critical factor is time.
If your cell phone has only been immersed in water for a few minutes there is every chance that it would not have been permanently damaged, but on the other hand if it has been put in the washing machine or dropped in a river or a swimming pool and not found for many hours prepare yourself for the possibility of buying a replacement.
It is important to take your phone apart if you are to remove the moisture that can cause it to stop working. You will need to take out the battery, SIM card, and possibly the keypad to ensure that any liquid that can cause problems can evaporate fully. As most phones are sealed units there is every chance that only a limited amount of water has come into contact with the important circuit boards.
Once you have separated your phone into as many components parts as possible you should then place the device in direct sunlight. If you have a room that receives the sun all day long, place your handset next to this window and leave it for a few hours. You may find that the moisture quickly evaporates and the phone starts working again.
If on the other hand the device still won't switch on you will need to take further steps in the hope that it will once again work. You may find it useful to place the handset in a bowl of rice. Rice can absorb moisture incredibly fast. If this is a step you are to take make sure that you completely cover the phone and not just leave it on the top of a plate of rice.
To increase the possibility of being able to use it again, you can take the rice and the water damaged phone and put them in the driest area of your home, this is usually an airing cupboard or next to the hot water boiler. If after leaving the phone overnight it still is not responsive you can check whether the problem is because of damage to the battery. Use a spare battery and you may find the issue has been solved.