This is really a wood working subject and it involves my cell phone. It quit charging. I tried several chargers without luck. I hated what comes next with all the trouble of getting it repaired and using an old phone during that time. What a mess. Then my wife reminded me that I had the same problem a couple of years ago and I figured it out. Sometimes I will be sawing, turning, etc without an apron on and I have my phone in my shirt pocket with the charging port up. Saw dust and small pieces of wood fall in that port. Then when I plug the charger in, it packs it tight. After more gets in there, the wood prevents the plug from going in far enough to make contact. So I cleaned it out and all is OK.

 

A word of caution if you try this. Do not use anything metal or abrasive to clean it out. You can cause more damage than you want. I used a wooden tooth pick and even it didn't get it all out easily. It was packed tightly. I would pick and blow, repeat.

Good information to know. I keep my phone in my shirt pocket, but it has one of those otter cases on it. Keeps the "stuff" out of the charging port, but I do get dust between the screen protector and the regular screen, PITA to see until I take it all apart and clean it.

Ron, you must have an iPhone.  Just after I got mine the darn thing quit charging so I took it back and they gave me a new one.  A couple months later I had the same problem.  I'd stick the charging plug in and it wouldn't make contact.  Same as you, I had sawdust packed in the hole because I carry it in my pocket with the charger hole facing up.  I use a toothpick to clean it now.

 I had it too with my Nokia. Like Kelly said, the Otter case helps prevent it but collects dust every place else!

thanks ...

if only I had known this a while back...

now I have a spare phone... that works....

Great tip Ron, something I really never thought of, I have my cell phone hooked up to a pair of speakers in the shop playing Pandora, I'll keep it covered up better now.

54 minutes ago, John Morris said:

Great tip Ron, something I really never thought of, I have my cell phone hooked up to a pair of speakers in the shop playing Pandora, I'll keep it covered up better now.

zip lock bag...

doesn't get any better...

protects against spills too...

I don't have a cell phone so it never started working and therefore I'm good.

 

Dan

 I keep it in the top drawer of the tool box, just use the camera & clock in the shop.

Shirt pocket is also hazardous for "out of the blue" rain showers...yank out the battery, bag of rice and still managed to lose a couple

 

Maybe we should develop new phone habits just like we had at one time...can't answer it if you don't hear it, can't hear it if it isn't with you...

 

 

53 minutes ago, Nickp said:

can't hear it if it isn't with you...

My philosophy exactly! 

No cell phone in my shop. Can't think of a call so important that couldn't be left as a voice message. Or, they could call the wife's phone. 

If I need to make a call, it's only a short distance to the house. 

2 hours ago, Nickp said:

Shirt pocket is also hazardous for "out of the blue" rain showers...yank out the battery, bag of rice and still managed to lose a couple

 

Maybe we should develop new phone habits just like we had at one time...can't answer it if you don't hear it, can't hear it if it isn't with you...

 

 

button/snap down pocket flaps..

keeps the saw dust out too...

I have a Survivor Brand cover for my IPhone4. It has a soft rubber outer shell and a hard plastic inner shell that the phone slips into then you snap a clear cover over the front to protect the screen.  It has a tiny mesh cover over the microphone and the speaker opening and flip out rubber covers for the USB port and camera.  I've dropped it at least ten foot with no damage and since my day job is in restaurants the hone gets all kinds of exposure to water and doesn't have any issue. The week point is the belt clip that it clicks into will break if you catch it just right while the phone is out of the holder. The clip is kind of C shaped and snaps around the phone to hold it on your belt. There is a swivel clip that then attaches to your belt and then clicks into a locked position.  I have had an occassional issue with the belt clip coming loose and the phone falling off.  Last weekend I was judging at the MO Knights Of Columbus horseshoe tourney and I went to take a picture and boom no phone.  The whole deal was missing. I freaked out, it had rained cats and dogs off and on and the place was muddy as all get out.  I knew the case would repel the mud but was afraid they would drive over it with a tractor or side by side.  Fortunately it came off in the cab of the side by side I rode up in and I found it after a frantic search. But if I make sure its locked in place it has never come off.

Easy fix... But an induction charger... No plug in's