Tips to sanitize your phone

Reduce the risk of exposing yourself and those you love to germs

We all use our mobile phone for hours a day. To reach out to our family and friends, but also watch videos, follow social media, read the news, take pictures.. It’s not surprising that this all-purpose tool can get a bit dirty during the day.

Studies show more than thousands of bacterial genes are living on our phones. Up to seven (!) times more than on a toilet seat! Some of the bacteria that can be found on mobile phones include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, Clostridioides difficile or E. coli. And they can live on your phone for a long time, some even for months!

We all know the importance of hand hygiene, and wash our hands a lot. But then you touch your bacteria covered phone.

So how does one go about cleaning a phone? First of all, turn it off and take it out of the case.

Now do not spray your phone with disinfectant. This could damage the screen, screen protection, charging port, etc. It’s always recommended to check the instructions from the manufacturer.

There are some wipes available designed for cleaning your phone. They contain about 70% isopropyl alcohol. You can make that solution at home, mixing the isopropyl 70% and distilled water. You can then spray it onto a towel to gently wipe your phone front and back. Make sure not to use too much of the solution, and let the phone dry thoroughly before turning it back on.

Don’t forget to clean your case too. If the case is silicone, you can wash it in the sink with some detergent. Hard plastic cases can be wiped down with the same alcohol-water solution. Same routine for your earbuds, charger and phone stand.

Proper hand hygiene is great to stop spreading germs, just don’t forget to clean your phone too!