How to Disinfect Your Smartphone and Case
By Timothy Tibbetts |
Do you clean or disinfect your smartphone regulatory? While many of us rarely consider disinfecting our smartphones, the Coronavirus has drawn attention to the need to clean your smartphone regularly.
During the Coronavirus scare, the smart move when going to a grocery or drug store is to leave your phone home or in your pocket until you can wash your hands. Using your phone in the bathroom adds the possibility of transmission through fecal matter. Studies have shown that smartphones carry ten times more bacteria than most toilet seats.
You should disinfect your phone anytime you take it out in public where you may have set your phone down, or touched product, then touched your phone.
Disinfect Your Smartphone
Bear in mind that while most smartphones are now water-resistant, running your phone underwater is asking for trouble. Optimally, you want to clean your smartphone using alcohol or disinfecting wipes.
According to the CDC:
“For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.”
According to Apple:
“Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don’t use on fabric or leather surfaces.”
The reason for not using harsh chemicals is that they can accelerate the rate of wear on the oil repelling coating on your screen.
Of course, many of us don't have alcohol or cleaning wipes, so now what? I ignored the advice and used a bleach cleaner sprayed lightly on a microfiber towel. Because I have a screen protector and I buy a new smartphone every one or two years, I'll take safety over worrying about accelerating screen wear. Purchasing a new screen, while that could be hundreds of dollars, still sounds better than a virus, or worse.
Disinfect Your Smartphone Case
Cleaning your case is often easier. You can also use the methods above, but you can run your case under warm water and use any soap you have available to clean the case in and out with a sponge or your hands.
Companies have been selling cleaning devices that use UV rays, but their effectiveness against new viruses, for example, SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, has to be tested for effectiveness. Hospitals use these and they might be worth a try considering many remove 99% of viruses and bacteria. At the time of this article, Coronavirus has not been tested.
Check out Smartphone UV Sanitizers on Amazon or a few of the top-rated products:
If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment, and we'll update the article as needed.
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During the Coronavirus scare, the smart move when going to a grocery or drug store is to leave your phone home or in your pocket until you can wash your hands. Using your phone in the bathroom adds the possibility of transmission through fecal matter. Studies have shown that smartphones carry ten times more bacteria than most toilet seats.
You should disinfect your phone anytime you take it out in public where you may have set your phone down, or touched product, then touched your phone.
Disinfect Your Smartphone
Bear in mind that while most smartphones are now water-resistant, running your phone underwater is asking for trouble. Optimally, you want to clean your smartphone using alcohol or disinfecting wipes.
According to the CDC:
“For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.”
According to Apple:
“Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don’t use on fabric or leather surfaces.”
The reason for not using harsh chemicals is that they can accelerate the rate of wear on the oil repelling coating on your screen.
Of course, many of us don't have alcohol or cleaning wipes, so now what? I ignored the advice and used a bleach cleaner sprayed lightly on a microfiber towel. Because I have a screen protector and I buy a new smartphone every one or two years, I'll take safety over worrying about accelerating screen wear. Purchasing a new screen, while that could be hundreds of dollars, still sounds better than a virus, or worse.
Disinfect Your Smartphone Case
Cleaning your case is often easier. You can also use the methods above, but you can run your case under warm water and use any soap you have available to clean the case in and out with a sponge or your hands.
Companies have been selling cleaning devices that use UV rays, but their effectiveness against new viruses, for example, SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, has to be tested for effectiveness. Hospitals use these and they might be worth a try considering many remove 99% of viruses and bacteria. At the time of this article, Coronavirus has not been tested.
Check out Smartphone UV Sanitizers on Amazon or a few of the top-rated products:
* As an Amazon Associate, we earn a commission if you purchase an item using our affiliate links
If you have any other suggestions, leave a comment, and we'll update the article as needed.
comments powered by Disqus
