How to Clean Your Phone the Right Way

Best way to sanitize your phone

Germs are everywhere, from elevator buttons to door hands and gas pumps, which means it’s literally impossible to avoid germ-infested surfaces in your daily life. That’s why it’s essential to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. But did you know that your phone is a breeding ground for germs, too? After all, it regularly comes into contact with your hands and face.

How dirty are phones?

Very dirty. Many studies have shown that phones carry viruses and bacteria, including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus, among other germs. And some viruses can stick around for longer than you’d think. Scientists have found that viruses can linger on hard surfaces anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity. However, norovirus can live on surfaces for up to four weeks. The CDC is still determining how long coronavirus can survive on surfaces, but they recommend that people disinfect high-touch surfaces frequently.

Avoid using astringent cleaners

When it comes to cleaning your phone, you shouldn’t use the same astringent cleaners that you use to wipe down hard plastic and glass surfaces in your home, such as bleach, tile cleaners, and metal cleaners. You should also never spread anything directly onto your phone and avoid over-saturating your phone with a cleaning product.

How do you even clean your phone?

Here’s a step-by-step guide of how to clean your phone without ruining it:

Step one: Remove your phone from your case and power it down.

Step two: Polish your phone using a microfiber cloth. Gently wipe the exterior of your phone using a clean microfiber cloth to get rid of smudges and crud. This will also help to remove germs physically.

Step three: Gently wipe the screen using a Lysol wipe, avoiding ports. Lysol products are marketed as being safe to use topically on electronics.

Step four: Allow your phone to air dry for up to ten minutes. Like most disinfectants, Lysol is most effective if left to air dry on surfaces for up to ten minutes. But, even if you don’t leave it that long, it’ll still sanitize your phone significantly.

Step five: Wipe down your phone with a paper towel or microfiber cloth once more. Don’t use the same microfiber cloth as in step two, since this can redeposit soil back on surfaces.

Step six: Repeat steps two through five with your phone case.

And how often should you clean your phone?

In ordinary circumstances (i.e., when there isn’t a pandemic happening), you should at least wipe down your phone daily with a microfiber cloth. You don’t necessarily have to deep clean your phone every single day. But, during this coronavirus outbreak, it’s recommended that you use a Lysol wipe once a day. You can also use UV light technology to disinfect your phone.

Finally, how can you keep your phone clean?

Even if you take the time to clean your phone regularly, it can still end up dirty pretty quickly. What are some ways to reduce the number of germs on your phone?

Avoid using your phone on public transit. If you can help it, don’t scroll on your phone while commuting on public transit, since the germs you come into contact with on railings can easily end up on the phone’s screen.

Use recipe printouts. Cross-contamination between your phone and kitchen surfaces can be easy if you’re cooking with raw ingredients. That’s why it’s safer to either have your phone read instructions to you or just use recipe printouts.

Place your phone in an armband at the gym. This is a better option than letting your phone rest on workout equipment that might not have been thoroughly sanitized between uses.

References

“How to Clean Your Phone the Right Way, According to Experts,” Good Housekeeping, March 18, 2020.
“How to Properly Clean Any iPhone Model without Damaging It,” Business Insider, May 22, 2019.