Tech Highlight

Electronic Rice^™: A Smarter Way to Dry

A bowl of rice can't save your tech. Electronic Rice^™ creates an ultra-dry, measured environment that removes hidden moisture from hearing aids, earbuds, and small electronics—quickly, safely, and predictably.

10×

More absorbent than household rice per gram^*

5–7%

Ultra-dry humidity environment (vs 40–60% room air)

129K+

Professional drying treatments analyzed^†

^*R. Zielinski, Electronic Rice™: A Case for End Point Drying (forthcoming)
^†Redux Pro vacuum drying data, Oct 2019–Aug 2022, 532 machines worldwide

How It Works What It Can & Can't Do

TL;DR

Rice doesn't work. It grows in water. Electronic Rice™ is an engineered desiccant that creates an ultra-dry environment (5–7% humidity vs 40–60% room air), measures moisture removal in real time, and tells you when drying is actually complete. Think of it as the difference between guessing and knowing.

Your Body is a Moisture Factory

Your skin constantly releases water to keep you cool—it's how your body regulates temperature. If you hold a humidity sensor near your neck, ears, or wrists, it jumps from normal room humidity (40–60%) to 80–90% in seconds.

👂

Hearing Aids

Live in a hot, humid tunnel. Your ear canal is like a miniature steam room—warm and moist all day long.

💧

Earbuds

Swimming in sweat vapor during workouts—not just occasional splashes, but constant humidity exposure.

📱

Phones & Watches

Hours in pockets, against skin, bathroom steam, and temperature changes causing condensation.

This isn't just "if you drop your device in water"—it's constant exposure during every wear. Hearing aids are worn ~16 hours/day on average. Over time, invisible water vapor builds up inside microphones, speakers, batteries, and circuit boards, leading to muffled sound, shorter battery life, and sudden failures.

Typical Hearing Aid Moisture

~3–6 µL/day

Everyday sweat, humidity, and condensation from normal wear. Devices reach a saturation equilibrium—they don't accumulate moisture infinitely. But even this "steady state" moisture level degrades performance (muffled sound, static, shorter battery life). Regular overnight drying resets the baseline and extends device lifespan.

DryBuddy Mini Capacity

~1,000 µL

Approximately 20 drops of water. 5g Electronic Rice^™ pod provides massive headroom for real-world moisture events.

DryBuddy Capacity

~2,000 µL

Approximately 40 drops of water. 10g Electronic Rice^™ pod handles moderate moisture events with ease.

How Electronic Rice^™ Compares

From household myths to professional solutions—see how Electronic Rice^™ stacks up against every drying method.

Household Rice

The internet myth

Rice literally grows in water. It's cultivated in flooded paddies—not exactly engineered to be a high-performance desiccant.

Pre-saturated from storage. Pantry rice sits at 45–50% RH—about the same humidity as your home. No strong pull for water.

No measurement feedback. You're guessing whether your device is still releasing moisture or already dry.

Not reusable. Rice goes in the trash after one use—landfill waste.

Silica Gel Packets

Disposable desiccant

No feedback. Is it saturated or still working? You have no way to know.

No practical reactivation. While silica can technically be reactivated with heat, generic packets lack the infrastructure for consumer reactivation—unlike Electronic Rice™ which can be USB-recharged for reuse.

No capacity indication. How much moisture can it hold? Variable quality and freshness.

Unknown starting humidity. Packets may already be partially saturated from shipping/storage.

Generic Hearing Aid Dryers

Basic maintenance tools

Reusable. Better than disposable rice or silica gel.

Heat or fan only—no measurement. Many rely on timed heat cycles without monitoring actual moisture removal.

No moisture quantification. You can't measure how much water was removed or confirm drying is complete.

Guesswork on completion time. 3 hours? 8 hours? Overnight? No endpoint detection.

Electronic Rice^™

Engineered for devices

Ultradry starting point: 5–7% RH. Far drier than normal indoor air (40–60% RH). Creates strong vapor pull.

Up to 10× more absorbent than household rice per gram under similar conditions.

Dual sensors + algorithmic endpoint detection. Confirms when drying is complete—no guessing.

Reusable. USB-rechargeable desiccant pods designed for many cycles—reduces environmental waste.

Smart End-Point Drying

DryBuddy doesn't rely on guesswork. It creates an ultra-dry environment and measures how moisture leaves your device over time.

Load Your Devices

Place your hearing aids, earbuds, or small device into the DryBuddy chamber and close the lid.

Ultradry Environment

Electronic Rice^™ activates at very low humidity (5–7% RH), creating a strong pull for moisture.

Moisture Extraction

Water inside your device evaporates and is immediately absorbed. Dual sensors track this in real time.

Smart Detection

Built-in microprocessor analyzes moisture rate of change to detect when drying is complete.

Clear "Dry" Signal

DryBuddy signals when the cycle is done—no guessing whether your device is actually dry.

The difference: Instead of "leave it in rice and hope," DryBuddy gives you a measured, data-driven drying cycle backed by 10+ years of humidity science.

The Technology Behind It

💧

Engineered Desiccant

Can hold up to 20% of its weight in water. DryBuddy Mini (5g): ~1mL capacity. DryBuddy (10g): ~2mL capacity.

⚙️

Dual Humidity Sensors

Two sensors track moisture levels inside and outside the chamber in real time for accurate end-point detection.

🧠

Smart Firmware

Microprocessor analyzes humidity convergence and rate of change to determine when drying is complete.

🔄

Renewable

DryBUDDY can be reactivated with USB heating. DryBUDDY Mini uses replaceable pods—no reactivation mechanism, designed for convenience.

Honest Expectations

No drying system is magic. You deserve a clear explanation of where Electronic Rice^™ shines and where it has limits—backed by real data from clinical use and laboratory testing.

✓

What Electronic Rice™ HANDLES

👂

Hearing Aids & Earbuds

129,042 clinical treatments analyzed

✓

Daily moisture (0.5–1.5 µL): 54% of cases. 72.6% improvement rate.

✓

Moderate sweat (1.5–4.0 µL): 30% of cases. 78–82% improvement.

✓

Brief exposure: Splashes, rain, steam (84% of moisture events).

✓

Preventive drying: Extends lifespan through nightly moisture removal.

📱

Phones & Electronics

Laboratory-tested performance

✓

Light splash (~50 µL): Removed in 6 hours (lab tested).

✓

Spilled drink (~100 µL): Removed in 12 hours (lab tested).

✓

Condensation: Steam, humidity, temperature changes.

✓

Brief submersion: If device powers on, can help dry.

Mini: ~1,000 µL DryBUDDY: ~2,000 µL

Data Sources: Redux Pro clinical data (Oct 2019–Aug 2022, 532 machines, 129K+ treatments) + Laboratory testing by R. Zielinski (Electronic Rice™ author).

When to Use Redux Pro Vacuum Drying

Pool/ocean submersion (minutes underwater)

Washing machine (severe flooding + agitation)

Won't power on (49.3% recovery rate with vacuum)

Salt water/corrosion (chemical damage)

The Escalation Path: Electronic Rice™ for routine events (0.5–4 µL hearing aids, 50–100 µL phones). If device remains non-responsive after 24–48 hours → Redux Pro vacuum drying (6–8 min avg, professional-grade extraction).

The Waterproofing Paradox

Can waterproof phones benefit from drying? Absolutely—and here's why the science is more complex than you'd think.

💧 The Core Paradox

Waterproof seals that keep liquid water OUT can also trap water vapor IN once it penetrates.

How Desiccants Work

Electronic Rice™ adsorbs water vapor from air. Water must evaporate and travel through air to reach the desiccant.

The Requirement

No air pathway = desiccant can't reach moisture—even if it's incredibly powerful.

Real-World Scenarios

✅

EASY to Dry

Surface moisture on waterproof phone

Water on outside, vapor escapes through speaker grills/ports. Electronic Rice™ handles this efficiently.

⚠️

DEPENDS

Water got inside through port

If vapor can escape through same pathway, Electronic Rice™ can dry it.

❌

HARD

Water trapped behind screen

No vapor pathway = desiccant can't access it. Requires professional intervention.

What This Means For You

Act Fast

Place device in Electronic Rice™ before seals re-engage or moisture penetrates deeper.

Open Ports

Open accessible ports/SIM trays during drying to create vapor pathways. Leave open for full cycle.

Escalate if Needed

If device won't turn on after 24–48 hours, water may be sealed inside → Redux Pro vacuum drying.

The Positioning: Electronic Rice™ provides laboratory-grade drying for accessible moisture (the majority of real-world water events). For severely flooded devices or moisture trapped behind waterproof seals, Redux Pro vacuum drying lowers the boiling point of water for aggressive extraction even through waterproof barriers—6–8 minutes on average for most moisture events.

Complete Comparison

Every drying method side-by-side—from household myths to professional solutions.

Feature	Household Rice	Silica Gel	Generic Dryers	Electronic Rice^™	Redux Pro Vacuum
Starting Humidity	45–50% RH	Variable	Unknown	5–7% RH	Vacuum
Endpoint Detection	❌	❌	⏱️ Timer	✅ Sensors	✅ Sensors
Reusable	❌	❌	✅	✅	✅
Measures Moisture Removed	❌	❌	❌	❌	✅
Best For	Nothing	Shipping packages	Daily maintenance	Daily + Moderate events	Severe events
Treatment Time	Days?	Unknown	Variable	*3–6 hours on average**	6–8 minutes* on average
Environmental Impact	Landfill waste	Landfill waste	Reusable	Reusable	Reusable
Data Logging	❌	❌	❌	⚠️ Endpoint only	✅ Report at end
Moisture Capacity	Minimal	Variable	N/A	1–2ml (20–40 drops)	Unlimited
Cost	Free	~$5–10	$20–60	$44–89	Professional service

The Bottom Line: Electronic Rice^™ bridges the gap between ineffective home remedies (rice, silica gel) and professional vacuum drying. It provides laboratory-grade drying for routine moisture events with the intelligence to confirm when treatment is complete—at a fraction of the cost of professional services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Electronic Rice^™ and DryBuddy

No. Electronic Rice^™ is a specially engineered desiccant designed for electronics. We use the name because it replaces the "bowl of rice" myth with real, measured drying technology.

DryBUDDY: Yes, reactivate with USB heating and reuse many times when used as directed.

DryBUDDY Mini: Uses replaceable DryBUDDY Pods—no reactivation mechanism. Pods are designed to be replaced when saturated. If you want renewable drying, choose DryBUDDY.

Yes! DryBUDDY and DryBUDDY Mini are proven effective for light to moderate phone moisture events.

Laboratory test results: DryBUDDY Mini removed 50 µL in 6 hours and 100 µL in 12 hours during controlled testing (results from R. Zielinski, author of Electronic Rice^™ technical paper).

What this means for your phone:

✅ Light splash or rain: ~1–2 drops (50–100 µL) — DryBUDDY handles this
✅ Spilled beverage: ~5–10 drops (250–500 µL) — Well within capacity
⚠️ Brief submersion (seconds): If phone still powers on, Electronic Rice^™ may help
❌ Extended flooding or won't power on: Redux Pro vacuum drying offers faster, more aggressive moisture removal

Bottom line: DryBUDDY is optimized for hearing aids and earbuds, but laboratory data confirms it's effective for moderate phone moisture events too. For severe water damage, Redux Pro vacuum drying is the professional solution.

DryBuddy and DryBuddy Mini have enough capacity for most real-world hearing aid and earbud incidents, including many short splashes or brief submersions. However, if your devices remain non-functional after drying, moisture may have already caused permanent damage to internal components.

DryBUDDY Mini capacity (1,000 µL): Approximately 20 drops of water.

DryBUDDY capacity (2,000 µL): Approximately 40 drops of water.

Real-world examples:

Light phone splash: ~1–2 drops (50–100 µL) ✅ DryBUDDY handles this easily
Spilled beverage on device: ~5–10 drops (250–500 µL) ✅ DryBUDDY can handle this
Brief pool submersion (seconds): ~50–100+ drops ❌ Escalate to Redux Pro vacuum drying

Most real-world moisture incidents are well within Electronic Rice^™ capacity. For reference, 1 drop of water = approximately 50 µL (medical/laboratory standard).

Redux Pro vacuum drying is professional-grade and extremely fast (6–8 minutes on average), but it's designed for severe water damage and clinic environments.

Electronic Rice^™ is perfect for:

Daily preventive care at home
Overnight drying of hearing aids and earbuds
Moderate moisture events you can handle yourself
Cost-effective home solution ($79–99 vs professional service fees)

Redux Pro vacuum drying excels at:

Severe water damage (pool submersion, washing machine)
Time-critical recovery (need device working now)
Dead/non-responsive devices (49.3% recovery rate)
Professional clinic environments with high patient volume

Think of it like this: Electronic Rice^™ is your daily defense. Redux Pro is the professional-grade emergency response when things go really wrong.

Room air is usually 40–60% relative humidity. DryBuddy creates a much drier environment (5–7% RH) and uses Electronic Rice^™ to actively pull water vapor out of your device. Sensors and algorithms confirm when drying is complete, rather than leaving it to chance.

Complete Moisture Protection

From daily defense to professional-grade emergency response—Redux has the right solution for every moisture challenge

For Home or Office

Redux DryBuddy^™

Professional-grade Electronic Rice^™ drying for hearing aids, earbuds, and small electronics.

Handles splashes, sweat, rain, and moderate moisture events—far beyond daily wear

Ultradry 5–7% humidity environment

Dual sensors + smart "dry" indicator

3–6 hours* on average

Learn About DryBuddy

For Travel & Daily Use

Redux DryBuddy^™ Mini

Compact Electronic Rice^™ solution for smaller items and everyday moisture protection.

Handles daily moisture from sweat and humidity—perfect for overnight hearing aid drying

Same ultradry environment & sensors

Portable, travel-friendly design

Ideal for nightly hearing aid drying

Learn About DryBuddy Mini

For Severe Water Damage

Redux Pro Vacuum Drying

Professional-grade vacuum moisture removal for severe water damage and time-critical recovery.

6–8 minutes* on average treatment time

49.3% recovery rate for dead devices

Pool/ocean submersion, washing machine

Available through Redux professionals

Find a Redux Pro Location

Electronic Rice™: A Smarter Way to Dry