A spilled drink is one of the most common reasons a MacBook comes to us, and one of the most fixable, as long as it’s dealt with quickly. Liquid on a logic board that still has power on it corrodes fast, so what you do in the first few minutes matters.
If you’ve just spilled something
- Switch it off straight away. Hold the power button if you have to.
- Unplug the charger and anything connected to it.
- Don’t turn it on or charge it to check. Corrosion keeps spreading while there’s power on the board.
- Open the lid into an upside-down V on a towel so liquid can drain.
- Don’t put it in rice. Rice doesn’t remove the sugar and minerals left behind.
- Bring it in as soon as you can, and tell us what was spilled. Sugary and salty drinks corrode faster than water.
How we repair liquid damage
We take the Mac apart, remove the logic board and clean it ultrasonically to lift out the residue. Then we dry it and inspect it under a microscope, and replace any corroded components by micro-soldering. Finally we test the battery, keyboard, trackpad, display and ports one by one, so you know exactly what was affected.
On Macs with a T2 or Apple silicon chip, which covers most models from 2018 onwards, the storage is soldered to the logic board or paired with its security chip, and encrypted. A replacement board would mean losing your files, so we repair the original board instead.
Choose your Mac
MacBook Pro
- MacBook Pro 13-inch Unibody (2009–2012)
- MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina (2012–2015)
- MacBook Pro 15-inch Retina (2012–2015)
- MacBook Pro 13-inch Thunderbolt 3 (2016–2020, Intel)
- MacBook Pro 15-inch Touch Bar (2016–2019)
- MacBook Pro 16-inch Intel (2019)
- MacBook Pro 13-inch M1 & M2 (2020–2022)
- MacBook Pro 14 & 16-inch M1 Pro/Max & M2 Pro/Max (2021–2023)
- MacBook Pro 14 & 16-inch M3 family (2023)
- MacBook Pro 14 & 16-inch M4 family (2024)
- MacBook Pro 14 & 16-inch M5 family (2025–2026)
MacBook Air
- MacBook Air 13-inch (2010–2017)
- MacBook Air Retina 13-inch (2018–2020, Intel)
- MacBook Air M1 (13-inch, 2020)
- MacBook Air 13-inch M2 & M3 (2022–2024)
- MacBook Air 15-inch M2 & M3 (2023–2024)
- MacBook Air M4 (13 & 15-inch, 2025)
- MacBook Air M5 (13 & 15-inch, 2026)
MacBook
Price
Liquid damage repair to the logic board is £450 + VAT on any Mac. If other parts such as the keyboard, top case or display were damaged too, we quote for them separately so you can decide. The initial assessment and advice are free, as long as we don't need to open your Mac. If a technician needs to open it and spend time diagnosing the fault, or you need a report for an insurance claim, it is booked in as a diagnostic at £45 + VAT (£54). All prices are subject to inspection, and nothing is done without your approval.
Questions we’re often asked
How long does it take?
Usually a few working days, because the board has to be cleaned, dried and tested properly. We’ll give you a realistic time when we quote.
It seems fine now. Should I still bring it in?
Yes. Corrosion often shows up days or weeks after a spill, typically as charging problems or keys that stop working. Cleaning the board early is cheaper than repairing it later.
Can you write a report for my insurer?
Yes. An insurance report is booked in as a diagnostic at £45 + VAT (£54).
Do I pay if you can’t fix it?
Not for the repair. If it can’t be fixed, you don’t pay for it.
Book a repair
Call 020 7394 2528 or email info@mac-repair.london with a short description of the fault and we’ll come back with a quote.