I have this pocket digital device that tells you everything except the time on the moon. It's a clock, timer, alarm clock, compass, barometer, altimeter and thermometer, and a few other things I can't remember. I accidentally sent it through the washing machine, in the pocket of my pants, and it came out clean but not working. There was no way for me to know if it was the water or the spinning in the washer that did it in. Kathy remembered reading an article about someone who dried out their cell phone by putting it in a container of rice and suggested I give it a try. I figured there was nothing to lose and everything to gain since this particular gadget isn't available anymore. A small plastic container was filled 1/2 full with rice and I put the device, wrapped in a paper towel, on top of the rice with the battery cover removed. Fast forward a week and I installed a fresh battery to find the device come to life. So I installed the cover and now I have to find the instructions for how to set it.

I don't know if the thing would have dried enough to work without the rice. The rice is there to absorb the moisture.
Thanks to Kathy for remembering this trick.
What tips and tricks do you know to get an electronic device working again?

My wife's first cell phone ,way back when, was a Nokia.
One day when she was driving the school bus, no kids on board, stopped at railroad tracks and opened the door to get the stop lights to blink. That Nokia fell to the floor, bounced down the stairs to the road, and got run over by the front wheel of her bus. The phone was retrieved and still worked just fine.