Your phone needs a wash.
No, seriously. Even if it’s fairly new, there’s about 25,000 germs that live on your phone. That’s more than a toilet seat, which has around 1200 germs per square inch. What a dump!
You probably wipe your screen with the inside of your shirt, or maybe even a tissue once in a blue moon, but there’s more effective ways on getting rid of the unmentionables. Believe it or not, there’s also more to clean than just your screen.
We’ll tell you the do’s and don’ts of applying tender love and care to your phone. If you haven’t already, please wash your hands before you continue reading.
DO CLEAN WITH:
A microfiber cloth. This works great at eliminating fingerprints, makeup stains, and sticky leftovers. You can even dampen the microfiber cloth with distilled water and isopropyl alcohol, 70%, for a better screen wipe. Always remember to apply the water and isopropyl alcohol mixture to the microfiber cloth, not the phone directly.
An ultraviolet light sanitizer, like PhoneSoap. That’s right, soap for your phone. This ultraviolet light product sanitizes and charges your phone at the same time, using a rechargeable battery to power the UV sanitizer. It claims to kill 99.99% of germs, both on your actual phone and on your phone case. If you want to dish out the money for a mean clean, check it out.
Dry cotton swabs. They work well at cleaning the space around the camera lens, ports, and buttons.
Scotch tape. We know it sounds weird, but this trick works perfectly if you happen to get sand or lint stuck in the ports of your phone, right where the screen and the body meet. Just lay the scotch tape along the creases and speaker, roll it tightly and place it inside the ports. It will actually remove any lint or sand that could be built up inside your phone. For the avid beach bum laying on the sand, give this one a try.
Toothpicks. This may also sound strange, but they’re great for cleaning out any filth that’s built up inside your phone’s small speaker holes. We don’t recommend recycling them to pick your teeth after.
DON’T CLEAN WITH:
Bleach. Don’t even think about it. Don’t touch it. Don’t look at it. Forget you even know that word.
Window or kitchen cleaners. These harsh chemicals will interfere with your phone’s protective coating and can actually cause your phone to strip that coating, wear over time, and become vulnerable to scratches.
Paper towels. Although they’re great for cleaning other surfaces, the paper can end up leaving scratches on your screen.
Rubbing alcohol. This can damage the protective coating and allow for more scratches, much like window or kitchen cleaners.
Vinegar. Will also strip the protective coating.
Makeup removers. The chemicals they’re made up of just don’t align with the electronics department. Let’s leave that in the beauty aisle please.
Compressed air. You may think this can help blow the dirt out of your phone’s ports or speaker, but, in reality, it can cause damage to portals like the mic. What’s a phone without some volume, am I right?
Dish or hand soap. Due to its common mix with water, too much of these substances can cause internal issues with your phone.
Excessive water. Even if your phone is waterproof, running it under a faucet will allow water to enter its ports which won’t work unless they’re dry again.
Practice safe mobile hygiene.