Can The Coronavirus Hide On You Phone? Here’s How To Clean It

The Coronavirus has everyone worried. The more we hear about the spread of the virus, the more worried we get. Pundits and commentators are writing articles comparing the new virus to the Spanish Flu, driving, even more, fear and worry. 

Should you stock up on supplies? Should you stockpile a vat of hand sanitizer? Most experts say that you don’t need to have a bunker to survive. Just practice good, standard sanitation. Wash your hands regularly, and stop licking the buttons on the elevator. In all seriousness, simple sanitation practices are the best way to avoid infection. 

Good Sanitation Against Coronavirus

Many people say different things about the Coronavirus, but the CDC has these recommendations:

  • Avoid contact with sick people
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
  • Stay home when you’re sick
  • Cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue
  • Clean or disinfect frequently touched objects
  • Only wear a facemask if you are sick
  • Wash your hands with soap and water regularly

These simple procedures can help make it harder to get infected. Notice that the fifth recommendation says that we should clean or disinfect frequently touched objects. We think about washing our hands and covering a cough, but not about our phones. According to the Journal of Hospital Infection, viruses can live on glass or plastic for up to nine days.

How To Clean Your Phone

If you want to sanitize your phone, you can’t simply dip it in hand sanitizer, of course, or wipe the screen with a paper towel. There’s a right way to clean a phone.

What You Need

To clean your phone, you’ll need a few materials:

  • Microfiber cloth
  • Soap
  • Water

How To Clean Your Phone

Cleaning your phone or tablet is a simple process:

  • Before you start cleaning your phone or tablet, turn the device off and make sure it’s unplugged. 
  • Use a dry cloth to wipe off oils and fingerprints. Don’t use abrasive towels like paper. 
  • Wet the cloth with some soap and water.
  • Wipe down the phone with a damp cloth until it’s clean.
  • Avoid getting water in any of the openings.
  • Dry off any damp places with a dry lint-free cloth.

One might wonder whether soap and water is enough. Why not use a hand sanitizer or an alcohol wipe? Soap and water is the most effective way to clean, even for viruses. Even worse, sanitizers or cleaning solutions can damage your phone. 

Different phones can take different levels of cleaners, so you should check your manufacturer’s instructions before you try it. Apple recommends against using cleaning products or household cleansers at all. It might damage the protective coating on the glass. 

There is a way around that, though. If you want to use a cleaner or a sanitizing wipe, you use a case or screen protector. Then, instead of cleansing the phone, you use the wipe on the case or screen protector. 

How To Clean Other Devices

Of course, phones aren’t just the only devices that could use some cleaning. When you work in an office or a home office, you’ll want to clean all your devices, like keyboards, laptops, screens, remotes, and whatever else you have lying around. 

For the most part, the rules are about the same:

  • Unplug and turn off the device.
  • Check the manufacturer’s instructions to know which cleaners you can use.
  • Don’t directly spray the device.
  • Damp a lint-free cloth.
  • Gently wipe the device until clean.
  • Dry any remaining wet spots with a lint-free cloth

In the end, though, it’s unlikely that cleaning your phone or keyboard is what will make the difference. The coronavirus, like any other respiratory viruses, spreads primarily through person-to-person contact. If you want to take extra precautions, you can follow these instructions to make sure your devices are clean and unharmed. 

 

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About the Author: James H.

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