Petra:

I don't know about the clocks being out of sync, but the phone in the bathroom makes more sense to me.

Battery connections are subject to carbon buildup and corrosion over time. When your friend wiped the connections, he (or she) removed that build-up which made for a better contact. The moisture in the bathroom will speed up the corrosive process and - all things being equal - you'll need to clean the contacts again in about 4 months.

Interesting about the clocks, though....