How To Clean Your Phone [Full Guide]

The cell phone is our best buddy that we bring with us almost everywhere every hour. But do you know how dirty it is? And do you know how to clean your phone properly?

• Why we should clean our cell phones
• 4 Steps to clean your phone
• How often should I clean my phone?
• How to keep your cell phone clean

Why we should clean our cell phones

Do you know your phone is a place that contains hundreds of bacterias? It’s one of the dirtiest things we use every day. Even the toilet seat is cleaner than your phone.

In 2018, British specialists found smartphone screens are three times dirtier than a toilet seat. What’s more, the phones with plastic cases are seven times dirtier than a toilet seat, a phone with leather cases is 17 times dirtier than a toilet seat (Daily Mail, 2018).

They found quantities of bacteria in all areas of the phone, escherichia coli, staphylococcus aureus, and influenza virus can stay on your phones for over 24 hours. We can’t expect coronavirus to become an exception. These viruses and bacteria may cause people to suffer from skin diseases and the phone becomes an epidemic prevention loophole.

People are accustomed to carrying phones wherever they go including toilets. Therefore, the cell phone is exposed to the environment with a lot of bacteria. That’s not the worst part, according to the post written in 2018, a third of Brits have never cleaned their phones, but the average Brit touches their phone screen 3,000 times a day.

It’s clear that people pick up bacteria by hand and put them on phones, then put the phone near our nose, mouth, and eyes. Viruses and bacteria may transfer to the human body and cause infection. We know how important it is to clean our hands to prevent infections, but don’t forget our smartphones are an extension of infections and they’re far dirtier than we thought.

During the epidemic, in addition to washing hands and wearing masks, don’t forget to clean our cell phones.

How to clean our cell phones

Preparation

You need 70%-75% alcohol-based sanitizer. Apple recommends using 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.

Why not choosing a higher concentration of alcohol? Like using 100% alcohol to wipe your phone? Not only straight alcohol can strip the screen layer that keeps oil and water from damaging your display and other ports, but also the high concentration of alcohol only stops the outer layer of the bacteria, it’s still alive inside, which means the bacteria is not dead. But 75% of alcohol can have both protein coagulation and penetration effects to achieve complete sterilization.

Right now you can have 100PCS Disposable Alcohol Prep Pads for $8.99.

I don’t recommend you mix alcohol and water yourself, because you don’t know the concentration. In the end, you may waste your time and material for nothing.

4 Steps to clean your phone

1. Unplug all cable and turn off your phone.
2. Take off your phone case.
3. Use the alcohol pads to wipe the entire phone smoothly. Don’t forget the phone case, wipe it thoroughly.
4. Put your phone and phone case on the table and wait for the alcohol to evaporate.

Are Clorox wipes safe to use? The Clorox-branded disinfecting wipes are safe to use according to Apple. The wipe won’t affect the delicate phone screen. If you don’t have Clorox wipe at home, microfiber cloths are good materials to use.

Microfiber cloths are cheap and good for electronics. They can remove fingerprints, oil, and other smudges from your screen without scratching your delicate phone screen. Here’s the recommendation for the microfiber cloths for electronics.

6 PACK for $8.99

6 PACK for $8.99

But if you’re an environmentalist, you can take a look at the UV-Clean Portable Sanitizer.
The benefit of this device is you don’t need wet wipes or microfiber cloths to clean your phones manually.

There’re some articles saying you can hang your phone using the power of ultraviolet light. It’s true that UV light can kill bacteria and viruses at the DNA level, but it takes time and needs the amount of UV light that you cannot get from 10 minutes of sunlight. The machine can provide enough energy to kill bacteria and viruses. It’s safe, fast, and environmentally friendly.

NOTE: We don’t know how UV light affects COVID-19 yet.

Don’ts

1. Avoid abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels, or similar items. Use only a soft, lint-free cloth. 
2. Don’t get moisture into any openings.
3. Don’t use aerosol sprays, bleaches, or abrasives.
4. Don’t spray cleaners directly onto the item.
5. Don’t use cleaning products or compressed air.

Please note, don’t use hand sanitizer to clean your phone. Some hand sanitizers have fragrances and ethyl alcohol which is not good to electronics, you’d better keep it away from your phone. Hand sanitizer is only for your hands not for electronic devices.

How often should I clean my phone?

It’s better to wipe your phone screen every day. Wipe it down is effective and won’t take long. You don’t need to do a thorough cleaning every day but you need to do it when you’re out and feel like you’re under risk of the COVID-19.

How to keep your cell phone clean

? Clean your cell phone thoroughly every time you back home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Try not to use your cell phone when you’re in public transit. I know it’s hard, so if you did, you need to clean your hands and wipe your phone after back to home.

? Keep your hands off your face.

When you understand how many bacteria can live on your phones, you’ll realize how dirty our hands are. Keep your hands off your face can protect yourself from infecting bacteria through your eyes, nose, and mouth. Also, it’s a good habit that will reduce the risk of having acne.

? Don’t bring your cell phone into the bathroom.

In Why we should clean our cell phones section I’ve already told you, the scientists’ experiments shown the bacteria will stick on your phones and go out with you. The best way to avoid germs lurking in your phones is not to bring your phone into the bathroom.

? Use devices like headphones and Bluetooth technology to keep your phone away from your face.

Avoid phones touching your face can reduce the risks. If you can see how many germs on the phones, you wouldn’t want to touch it with your pretty face.

That’s all, things you need to know about how to clean your phone. Protect yourself from COVID-19but don’t ignore these details.

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By Iris Zheng

I have worked as a content writer for years and have found great joy and meaning in this profession. As a member of a company's writing team, I have benefited from continuous training and learning opportunities. These experiences have not only improved my research skills and learning abilities but have also enabled me to quickly find valuable and accurate information in the vast sea of data.

My previous work in banking instilled meticulous work habits in me. I carefully inspect and verify information I collect with the aim of providing readers with authentic and reliable content. My skills and cautious nature not only allow me to offer robust support to readers in my professional life but also position me as a source of information and advice for my family and friends in my personal life.

I derive immense enjoyment and a profound sense of accomplishment from assisting others. If my articles are able to assist you in any way, it would be both an honor and a personal achievement. This motivation will continue to inspire me to pursue constant improvement and produce more valuable content.

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