Washed and dried my freaking key fob !

i wouldn't say waterproof, but they're tough little buggers

 

You're lucky, this happened to mine and I had to get a new one. Totally killed it. $120 lesson as i did the replacement myself.

 

Not water proof for sure. In fact, it is not even dust proof. I had to change the battery inside of the fob other day, there were a lot of dust inside. I cleaned best I can with air-sol duster, but I know it will be dusty in no time.

 

Yeah, I always have a place to hang my car keys. That way I can't ever lose or wash them. I think you lucked out. Did you also dry after washing? That might've helped.

 

Not with enough reliability to be labeled as such.

I.e. good luck was on your side.

 

I did the exact same thing with my Honda Fit fob.
It does have one of those aftermarket extra silicone covers, which may of helped.

But my, I believe lucky experience, was absolutely no damage, works perfectly.
When I discovered that it had happened, I opened it up to look for any moisture, saw none, closed it all up and it's been fine since. In fact, it cleaned it...and it looked brand new.

But of course I'm not recommending anyone do this....it was an accident and I suspect I just got very lucky. Water, and then a high heat tumble dry...can't be a good thing for these types of electronics.

PS.
I don't feel they are function built to be waterproof.
I do recommend those silicone covers, I think they help protect the fob and add a extra level of water resistance.
But if you've ever replaced the battery, it's pretty clear these fobs aren't made to be waterproof.

 

High heat isn't so good for numerous non-cotton clothing items in the dryer either, which is why I always turn the temperature down.

As built, I wouldn't be surprised to see a significant fraction of fobs of this sort survive a laundry cycle. Not a high enough fraction to keep me from panicking if mine was headed that way, but also not low enough to doubt survival reports here. But I'd also expect that survival rate to drop sharply after being opened up for battery replacement.

 

Yeah, I feel I was lucky.
But my fob does have a extra silicone cover, and it went through the whole process in the pocket of a pair of pants. Which probably helped protect it as well.

 

keyfob might only be dry on the outside. I suggest opening it up to make sure.

They can handle a wash like this just fine, as long as you really truly dry it immediately afterwards.

 

I'd open it, and ensure it's 1) clean inside - not full of lint, nor detergent. I'd actually rinse it with very hot water, as, if there is still detergent residue, it could be a problem with either being corrosion or hygroscopic; 2) dry - leave to dry thoroughly.

PS - done that on 3 mobile phones, and they worked fine afterwards. Except for the 4th one which fell in salt water!!!

 

... or conductive, causing electrical leakage between conductors that can impair device function, or even destroy it.

 

I think the drying probably saved it. I'd change the battery though, although it may be working now it probably won't last long if it got wet.

 

Just as a general comment, I really do recommend those silicone protective covers. You can google the term and find several outlets that sell them. This is easily less than a $10 investment.
Also most dealerships sell some version of them at their parts counter.

They don't make your fob waterproof, but I think they increase water resistance. They protect the fob as a whole, scratches, and such. And I would suspect they also help keep dust out.

If you like the way your fob looks, you can go conservative with Black or Gray. Keeps the original look.
If you want to "fob on the wild side "...they come in fluorescent hot pinks, oranges and other colors, I've even seen camo versions.

But anyway for fob protection? It's a small product I really would recommend.

 

There is actually a process that takes circuit boards (primarily for phones) and puts a microscopic coating on them to make them water proof to something like 10m or 20m. At CES, 5 or 6 years ago there were a few companies showing this process with a phone sitting in a filled fish tank and the audio cord coming out and playing the sound for a video that was playing. They were charging something like $50 to waterproof your phone. By now, probably most phone OEMs do this in bulk for a few pennies per phone. So it is possible that newer fobs have had this process applied. And you can't really tell by the mechanical construction of the case...but you still want to keep water out.

Mike

 

OK..but I'm still going with..they aren't purpose built to be waterproof.
I've read too many threads...where the fob does get wet.and problems do occur.

Mine is a 2016 Honda Fob...the OP's is a 2019 Prius fob.
In either case, I think assuming it's NOT waterproof is the best way to go. Separate from the possible physical trauma of a wash and dry cycle, I would say...avoid submergence in water.
With a Key Fob, -well until and unless I had it confirmed it was waterproof? I'd treat it as NOT waterproof, and actually, even if I heard it WAS waterproof? I think I'd still be conservative and avoid exposure to water as much as possible.

I'd rather be wrong about it NOT being waterproof and keep the fob dry.
Then be right about it being waterproof, and get it wet.

 

This is why our fobs are either in a faraday bag, or a little miniature plastic baggie.

.