One Tech Tip: Don't use rice for your device. Here's how to dry out your smartphone

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Oops, you slipped next to the pool and dropped your phone into the water

LONDON — You were walking next to a swimming pool when you slipped and dropped your phone into the water. Or it slipped out of your hand when you were next to a filled bathtub or toilet.

However your smartphone got wet, you now need to dry it. But what do you do? There's lots of advice on the internet, some of it conflicting. Apple inserted itself into the debate recently when it put out an advisory that included a warning against using rice.

Here are some things to keep in mind next time your phone has an unintended encounter with a liquid.

Dry off the exterior with a towel or clean cloth, even your shirtsleeve — anything that's absorbent. Take out the SIM card and holder. If possible, remove the back housing and battery to wipe them dry. Also, if possible, turn the phone off.

iPhones can't be disassembled so Apple recommends tapping it gently against your hand with the connector ports facing down so liquid can flow out.

Samsung, which is the biggest maker of Android phones, recommends using a cotton bud to get moisture out of the earphone jack and charging port. In contrast, Apple says cotton buds shouldn't be inserted into iPhone openings.

If it's not water but another liquid — a drink, seawater or chlorinated pool water — Samsung advises soaking the phone in clean water for a few minutes then rinsing it to get rid of any impurities or salinity that could speed up corrosion of the circuitry inside.

Both companies say it's best to leave the phone out in a well ventilated area (perhaps with a fan) to dry it out. Google says leave the device to dry at room temperature.

Don’t use a hair dryer or compressed air on your phone. Don’t put it in a