How to Clean Your Mobile Phone
Looking to for a quality mobile plan?
A 2016 study from dscout revealed that people touch their phones 2,617 times a day on average. This number went as high as 5,427 for heavy tech users. What is even scarier is that this study took place seven years ago! Can you imagine how high these numbers have gotten since then?
As you probably already know, touching your phone, your face, and surfaces such as doors, countertops, etc. makes spreading germs even more likely. Therefore, learning to clean your phone properly is super important. We can benefit by this becoming just as second-nature as washing your hands or your dirty dishes!
How to Clean Your Phone
It is best to not use soap and water on your tech gadgets. Instead, you should consider alcohol-based cleaning or disinfectant wipes.
This is typically best practice for cleaning your phone (tablets and laptops, too!)
- Turn off and unplug your device
- Wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds
- Gently wipe down the outside of your device, including the screen, with either an anti-bacterial wipe or a wet soft cloth with an alcohol-based cleaner that contains 70% isopropyl (This ratio is important – it is enough of a concentration to kill the germs).
- Avoid getting the inside of your device wet by avoiding any moisture getting in the ports.
Cleaning Your Phone Cases and Accessories
It is important to make sure your phone case and accessories are clean, too! After all, you are typically in contact with the case - not just the phone! You probably use the charging cable and earphones relatively often too.
Best practice is to wash your hands first, then use the disinfecting wipe or cloth with alcohol-based cleaner (same as above!) Cases and such might be fine to wash with soap and hot water, but we recommend checking with the products manufacturer first! You can click here for a list of CDC-recommended household infectants.
How Often Should I Clean My Phone?
We recommend once a day - but cleaning more often than this is okay too! You can get into the habit of doing this by including it into your dishwashing or hand-washing routine.
Takeaways:
- Do unplug your phone and turn it off first.
- Do not spray directly onto your phone, but instead use a cloth.
- Do use disinfectant wipes with 70% isopropyl alcohol or similar disinfecting spray, spritzed onto a clean cloth.
- Do not use more or less alcohol. Too much alcohol can damage your phone's protective coatings and too little might not kill the germs.
- Do aim to sanitize your device at least once a day.
- Don’t let any liquid or moisture get into your phone’s ports.
Keeping your phone germ-free and clean is relatively easy so long as you make sure to disinfect it regularly. Another step you can take is to be mindful of who uses your phone, tablet, earbuds, and other accessories. If a family member or friend is sick, it might be a good idea for them to refrain from picking it up or using it. If the situation is unavoidable, be sure to sanitize after sharing your device with others! With a little practice, developing clean habits and keeping your phone germ-free should become a breeze!
Ready to Switch to Optimum Mobile?