For many people, summer means cooling off at a pool, lake or the beach. But what should you do if your cell phone accidentally gets dunked? U.S. Cellular’s wireless experts offer tips to improve the chances that your phone will survive a dive.

* Power down: If your phone doesn’t turn itself off when it gets wet, power it down right away. Once the power is off, remove the battery.

* Dry off: Grab a towel or napkins to get as much excess water off the phone as you can. Remove any skins, covers or faceplates. If you have a flip phone, you should open it up, so air can reach the keypad.

* Just a little patience: Now comes the hard part. You should leave a wet phone powered off for a day or two to give the internal circuitry a chance to dry out.

* Moment of truth: Once you replace the battery, push the “on” button. If the phone turns on, you can breathe a sigh of relief. However, check your keypad. Keys that stick or don’t work all the time are signs of permanent damage. U.S. Cellular’s phone doctors say it will likely get worse with time. If you have phone insurance, most policies require you to report the damage within 90 days of the incident.

* Get technical: U.S. Cellular service technicians might be able to help. You should bring a wet phone to a service technician as soon as possible.

* Don’t lose your contacts too: If your phone can’t be revived, your old phone’s address book can be easily loaded onto your new phone if you have My Contacts Backup, a free service offered to easyedgeSM customers.

This article was originally in the Chicago Herald Tribune