I still think copious alcohol and compressed air is the best bet for water, after having removed the battery quickly, but I have no answer for vino collapso in television remotes! Perhaps a reversed polarity knackered a diode.

John, here, I believe that they make the alcohols from milk whey. It's just a wonder that little miss Muffett COULD run away.
Isopropyl alcohol is very expensive, but also very clean for cleaning. Meths is used for all sorts of reasons, particularly spirit stoves.