More on the rice thing...
I've sent SD cards, USB sticks, and even an MP3 player through the washing machine. A few days in a 20-pound bag of rice dried them all out and I didn't lose any data or functionality. I also didn't use a plastic bag because the point is to draw out the moisture and covering any of the item in question with plastic would impede that process. Besides, the stuff had just been washed, hadn't it?
Also, take the batteries out of the item (and don't power it up). You don't want to risk the possibility of the water causing a short with the device under power.
Rice, however, didn't solve my phone-in-coffee-with-cream-and-sugar problem. That one was a sticky goner.
Moral of the story? If you're gonna baptize your electronics, try to use fresh water for the process (all other things equal). Rice can fix that usually.
