Waterproofing Your Electronics

Here is an interesting fact, in 2006, about 1.2 million mobile phones were accidentally dropped in toilets, drinks and washing machines. How to safe electronic gadgets from water? Waterproofing your electronics is an idea that will protect cell phones, cameras, and even flash drives from moisture and liquids. 

Waterproofing are not longer contained to protecting residential and commercial buildings. For the last few years, cellphone manufacturers are trying to come up with a solution that would help consumers protect their gadgets.  A common solution would be using water protective pouches.  

Waterproof pouches are inexpensive.  They are usually made of heavy-duty plastics with neck or wrist straps. However, there are pouches that proved to be water resistant but not totally waterproof. Why? If an object with a water-resistant pouch is dropped in water and immediately picked up, the electronic gadget inside is safe. But when left for a longer period of time, moisture would start to seep into the gadget inside.  

Such products would work in protecting your gadgets from rain, etc., but not a good idea if you are into water activities and sports which would constantly expose your MP3, phones or camera to water.  Not all pouches are like that, since there are some waterproof bags which are actually 100% water proof.  You could even use the camera under the water. 

A breakthrough in waterproofing gadgets happened when a technology used by the military to prevent soldiers’ clothing from absorbing toxic vapors and liquid chemicals associated with biological weapons.  Adventurists and outdoor enthusiasts were able to take advantage of this solution by using shoes covered with them. 

The technological breakthrough happened in the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in Porton Down, Wiltshire in Britain on the hands of government scientists. Currently, there are cellphone manufacturers who are applying this technology in their products. 

Ion-mask, the protective layer, is bonded to a gadget or device by using plasma or electrically charged gas. The gas is called fluorocarbon monomer which easily bonds to any material when exposed to radio waves.  The coating is so thin that it does not affect the breathability of clothes or shoes.

This coating does not affect the flow of electricity, so, a flash drive can be used easily with the layer.  The thin layer could repel water and oil.  It could seal even the smallest cracks which could make your small MP3 waterproof.  It is also lightweight and easier to carry, compared to bulky waterproof cases and pouches.  

However, some people who used shoes and boots that have ion-mask in them would say that the products start to show leaks and cracks within a year of use.   Would it be the same for electronics? Hope not. But in case the products that had ion-mask coating showed some water-resistant problems, it is best to contact the manufacturer if warrantee would cover such incident.   

Bottomline is, waterproofing could help protecting your electronics against water and moisture. But at the end of the day, how you handle and take care of your gadgets would ensure that they would last for a long time. 
