How many times have you touched your phone today?

If your answer is “too many times to count,” you’re not alone.  Estimates place the number of times the average person touches their phone to more than 2,500 times a day.  As we refrain from going out to prevent the spread of COVID-19, that number is probably tenfold nowadays.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, health experts suggest cleaning your phone at least once a day. 

Keeping your phone clean is a simple preventative measure that will give you some peace of mind.

Use the right tools

As our techs will tell you, a microfiber cloth is best for cleaning phones. Microfiber cloths can be used both when dry to get rid of smudges and dust, as well as when slightly damp with a disinfecting solution.

Microfiber is small enough to reach microscopic dirt particles that normal cloth fibers would just brush past and it attracts dust particles like a magnet.

Microfiber is absorbent, it won’t leave streaks if a disinfecting solution is used. In addition, microfiber cloths dry quickly, making it hard for bacteria to grow on it.

When it comes to choosing which disinfecting solution to use on your phone, experts recommend using something that is alcohol based. Do not use bleach. Apple also recommends warm, soapy water. Samsung also recommends using a hypochlorous acid-based solution or distilled water.

To prevent liquids from getting inside your device and damaging the hardware, do not apply a disinfecting solution directly onto the phone or submerge your phone in a cleaning solution. Instead slightly dampen a cloth, then wipe the phone gently.

If no microfiber cloth is available, an alcohol or disinfecting wipe or any lint-free cloth are acceptable

A quick and easy way to disinfect your phone is to use an ultraviolet (UV) light sterilizer, like this portable UVC sterilization box, which is available in the IT&E online store. Use promo code SAVE10 and get 10% off!

Check it out:

Devices that use UV-C light to kill viruses and bacteria on surfaces have been in use for many years. Some hospitals and clinics around the world use this technology to sanitize facilities. 

The UV light sanitization only takes a couple of minutes and there’s no worry about scratching or damaging your phone. However, keep in mind UV light should only be used on objects and surfaces.

Change up your habits

Other than getting the right materials to clean and disinfect, there are also some personal habits that will keep a phone germ-free.

Avoid setting your phone down on frequently touched surfaces like store or bathroom counters. There are a whole bunch of creepy crawlies on these surfaces that can get onto your phone, then from your phone to your hand and then from your hand to your face or eyes.

Close the toilet lid when flushing. This may sound weird, but when the toilet is flushed the bacteria and other microbes floating around in the bowl can be spewed. These germs can land on anywhere in the bathroom, including on your phone. Usually, this is not enough to make a person sick, but the thought of germs from inside a toilet bowl landing on something you constantly touch is concerning, to say the least.  

And as we are always reminded during this pandemic, wash your hands frequently. On a day-to-day basis we touch surfaces that may have germs and these can be transferred to our phones when we touch them. Most especially wash and dry hands after eating or touching sticky or wet materials.

It’s important now, more than ever, to take more care in keeping our personal belongings and surroundings clean.

Keeping your phone clean and sanitized is a great place to start and it’s easy to do with the right tools and habits.