How to Clean Your Phone

With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, cleanliness is on the brain of many. Grocery store shelves are often empty or slow to restock items like disinfectant spray or Lysol wipes. Everyone is cleaning everything, and often. Doorknobs, light switches, heavy traffic surfaces are all being sprayed and wiped more than ever. But what about your most used items? Remote controls, steering wheels and yes, your cell phone. Knowing when and how to clean your phone is important. Do not neglect the touch screens and carrying cases of your phone.

Research has varied on just how many germs are crawling on the average cell phone, but a recent study found more than 17,000 bacterial gene copies on the phones of high school students. Scientists at the University of Arizona have found that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.

Do you need to be cleaning your phone?

“What if I wash my hands all the time? Do I also need to clean my phone?”

It is important to wash your hands regularly. If you wash our hands thoroughly before touching your devices, that would be enough to prevent transferring germs through touch. However, as often as we touch our devices, washing our hands before every new contact with the device would be impractical. 

In fact, according to a 2019 survey by research firm dscout, the average person touches their cell phone 2,617 times a day. You would definitely run out of soap.

So, when you do go to wash your hands, wipe down your phone first. Then you will have a clean phone and clean hands. 

How to clean your phone

First, you will want to consult the website for the manufacturer of your phone and phone case for any specific instructions that they might have for cleaning. You don;t want to cause damage by using the wrong cleaner or wipes.

Many manufacturers, including Apple, have provided recommendations due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Is it OK to use a disinfectant on my iPhone? Yes. Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the exterior surfaces of your iPhone. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any openings, and don’t submerge your iPhone in any cleaning agents.

Clean your phone immediately if it comes in contact with anything that might cause stains or other damage — for example, dirt or sand, ink, makeup, soap, detergent, acids or acidic foods, or lotions. Follow these guidelines for cleaning:

• Unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone.
• Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth—for example, a lens cloth.
• If material is still present, use a soft, lint-free cloth with warm soapy water.
• Avoid getting moisture in openings.
• Don’t use cleaning products or compressed air.
• Your iPhone has a fingerprint-resistant oleo-phobic — oil repellent — coating. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will diminish the coating and might scratch your iPhone. 

How often should you clean your phone?

If you have been near someone who is coughing or sneezing, it would be a good idea to clean your phone. Even if that someone is you.

It is also a good idea to clean your phone “on a regular basis,” although not necessarily every time you touch it. Once or twice a day, plus anytime someone coughs or sneezes, should suffice.

Don’t be afraid. Unless you are in a home with someone who has SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it’s unlikely that your phone has any virus on it.

For more helpful tips and how-to’s, visit Houston iPhone Screen Repair’s blog.