I washed my SanDisk 8gb CF card: Last week I was on a shoot in the mountains. At one point switched out CF cards putting the filled card in the watch pocket of my jeans. I had...

Bamboo Loc: South Carolina

Last week I was on a shoot in the mountains. At one point switched out CF cards putting the filled card in the watch pocket of my jeans. I had forgotten about that card until I was folding my jeans yesterday after they had gone through the washer and dryer. I was amazed to find there was nothing wrong with the card and I am using it today.
Am I lucky or what?

john blue Loc: Lowndesboro, Al

done that before, mine still works.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

They usually hold up but be sure the contact holes have no moisture in them. Water on the contacts in your camera can fry the cameras circuitry very easily. Same with SD cards, but they are easier to dry off due to the exposed contacts.

Bamboo Loc: South Carolina

MT Shooter wrote:

They usually hold up but be sure the contact holes have no moisture in them. Water on the contacts in your camera can fry the cameras circuitry very easily. Same with SD cards, but they are easier to dry off due to the exposed contacts.

Thanks, good point MT that was my concern also. That's why I made sure it was completely dry.

jimberton Loc: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

hahahaha....been there, done that.

glad to know I'm not alone!!!

GummyToo Loc: Eastern Massachusetts

You're a lot luckier than Jodi Arias who is now on trial in Arizona for the murder of her boyfriend. She took many pics of their activities in the bedroom and the shower, also of the gruesome murder scene, threw the camera in the washer along with a lot of the bloody evidence, then stated she had not been there on that date. Looks like that SD card will seal her doom. She's currently testifying in her own defense -- broadcast live on HLN TV.

djtravels Loc: Georgia boy now

I thought that's why you use the "dry" cycle. lol

Al FR-153 Loc: Chicago Suburbs

Bamboo wrote:

MT Shooter wrote:

They usually hold up but be sure the contact holes have no moisture in them. Water on the contacts in your camera can fry the cameras circuitry very easily. Same with SD cards, but they are easier to dry off due to the exposed contacts.

Thanks, good point MT that was my concern also. That's why I made sure it was completely dry.

Dry is the word. When you think it is dry..... allow it another 24 hours, just to be sure. Most SD cards have a seam all the way around them, with the electronics (memory) sandwiched in-between. Any retained moisture can short out within the card.

For historical interest, in the computer repair business, we often took some disgusting looking keyboards (soda, orange juice, coffee with sugar, and basic crud) into a dishwasher with detergent and cleaned them up. Then, we would allow about a week before we applied any power to them. The success rate was about 90-95%. Some were already fried before we tried to salvage them.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Bamboo wrote:

Last week I was on a shoot in the mountains. At one point switched out CF cards putting the filled card in the watch pocket of my jeans. I had forgotten about that card until I was folding my jeans yesterday after they had gone through the washer and dryer. I was amazed to find there was nothing wrong with the card and I am using it today.
Am I lucky or what?

I've inadvertently washed lots of stuff. I might have originated the term "money laundering." When I put everything in the dryer and hear a clunking, I know I've washed more than I intended.

Nrmn61

I did the same thing thou I don't use the card for anything I can't reshoot.

RichieC Loc: Adirondacks

The only way to remove "dirty" pictures....

I have the cleanest wallet in the country as my wife refuses to check my pockets when she grabs my pants off the hook on our bedroom before stuffing them in...

Those chips are pretty well sealed, I've had luck with some thumbdrives too, though I've found that even after a prolonged stint in zip lock with desiccant, a good amount of water can remain in the case of a thumbdrive. So I go to the trouble of cracking open the case, or sliding it out carefully, etc. then zipping it up to dry out. Obviously, it's the short circuit that will fry em if water is present and electricity.

Biker Loc: Allentown, PA

I have found that these digital memory cards are very good and can take a beating from all the stories I have heard. If I had a situation like that I would be very glad that I downloaded the images from the card and then get rid of it. I just wouldn't trust it anymore but in your case it has still taken a beating and kept on ticking. I'm just sayin' Congrats'.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Biker wrote:

I have found that these digital memory cards are very good and can take a beating from all the stories I have heard. If I had a situation like that I would be very glad that I downloaded the images from the card and then get rid of it. I just wouldn't trust it anymore but in your case it has still taken a beating and kept on ticking. I'm just sayin' Congrats'.

How do you like that three-wheeler? I see loads of them on the road in the good weather. It looks like someone finally came out with a decent product that he can sell in numbers. So many have tried and failed over the years.

Biker Loc: Allentown, PA

I don't know Jerry, but this one really does work. It's very fast and quick off the throttle. It handles extremely well in the corners as long as you can hang on. I love it.

Duane D. Loc: Kalkaska, Michigan

I was not so lucky when washing a partial pack of smokes. OOOOOH what a mess!!!