How To Disinfect Your Phone Effectively
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has sparked major concern since its discovery in 2019. New precautions have been taken by different governments around the world. It is now more important than ever to keep ourselves and our surrounding clean and disinfected.
Our phones are part of our everyday lives. We use it in the metro, at home, at work and we even share our phone with friends, family and co-workers. This is why it's so important to disinfect it regularly. In this article from OneHOWTO, we are going to teach you how to disinfect your phone safely and effectively.
Why it's so important to disinfect your phone
With the novel coronavirus causing an increasing concern worldwide, maintaining personal hygiene has never been so important. Recent studies have demonstrated that the virus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can survive on plastic and stainless steel for up to 72 hours. This is one of the reasons why it's important to clean and disinfect your phone at least once a day.
Your phone is constantly being used. We leave it on different surfaces, sometimes it's touched by different people and we even bring it up to our faces when making a call. This means that any bacteria or virus on your phone can easily transfer to your skin and infect you.
Washing your hands and disinfecting your surroundings, definitely helps in preventing being infected by this pandemic disease. Disinfecting your phone is another important precaution as we use this device all day. Learn how to safely clean and disinfect your mobile phone by following our easy step-by-step guide below.
How to disinfect your phone from bacterias and viruses
Follow these simple steps to clean and disinfect your phone safely:
- Unplug your phone (from your earphones, charger or form any other cable)
- Take of its case
- Turn it off
- Use disinfectant wipes that contain 70% isopropyl alcohol
- Wipe your phone
- Let it air-dry
Do not use the following products as they may harm your phone:
- Window cleaner: this harsh cleaner will strip your phone from its protective coat, leaving your phone vulnerable to scratches.
- Kitchen cleaner: this is another hash cleaner that will remove your phone's protective coat.
- Paper towels: we should avoid using paper towels because when moist, they shed and may leave our phone dirtier than before. Some may even leave scratches on the screen.
- Rubbing alcohol: this product will wear out the protective coat of your phone. Using it varies times, depending on how thin or thick the coat is, will remove the coat and leave your phone vulnerable to scratches.
- Makeup-remover: many makeup removers have harsh chemicals that can harm electronic screens.
- Vinegar: this liquid substance is too harsh for electronic screens and will strip them of their protective coat.
- Dish washer soap: Many phone companies advise against using dish washer soap to clean your phone.
- Hand soap: Many companies also advise against using hand soap.
How to clean and disinfect your phone case
Now that you've disinfected your phone, it's time to clean and disinfect its case. The best way to clean and disinfect your phone's case, no matter what it's made of, would be to use disinfectant wipes that contain 70% isopropyl alcohol. The same you've used for your phone, wipe and let air-dry.
If your case is made of plastic you could also wash it with warm water and hand soap. As it's not electronic, the hand soap cannot harm it.
What about water-proof or water-resistant phones?
Water-resistant phones are often confused with water-proof phones. Where water-resistant phones can endure some exposure to water, waterproof phones can remain and function in water for a long period of time.
As no phone is 100% waterproof, there are IP ratings to define different levels of water resistance. The best IP ratings so far is the IP68 that can survive up to 30 minutes in water at a 2m depth. If you want to know how water-resistant your phone is, simply check its IP rating.
Many people wonder if they can wash their water-resistant with soap and water, the answer is no. Although your phone is resistant to water, it may have malfunctions with the chemicals the hand soap contains. You can rinse your phone with tap water, but avoid using any other products. To disinfect your water-resistant phone, use disinfectant wipes that contain 70% isopropyl alcohol.
If you want to read similar articles to How To Disinfect Your Phone Effectively, we recommend you visit our Electronics category.
- doi.org/10.1101/2020.03.09.20033217
