Germ spinner
Cleaning your mobile phone: This is why you should disinfect your smartphone regularly
It is now more important than ever to clean your cell phone regularly and thoroughly
© Jens Rother / Getty Images
Have you just washed your hands and have your cellphone in your fingers again? Then you can disinfect your hands again right away – because your smartphone is a dangerous spreader of germs if it is not cleaned regularly.
Did you know that we tap an average of 2,500 times on our cell phone every day? And even if we hold the smartphone in our hands less often, that doesn’t change the fact that millions of germs, bacteria – and viruses – spread on the surface. Although the pathogens can only survive a maximum of three days on stainless steel and plastic surfaces, that is still enough time for the corona diseases, which are spreading faster and faster. So why expose yourself to unnecessary risk when it is as easy to clean your cell phone as it is your own hands? The same also applies to PCs, tablets and laptops: How to properly disinfect all displays, keyboards and touchscreens is summarized below for you.
Which cleaning agents are recommended for displays – and which are taboo?
The display of a smartphone is particularly sensitive and should therefore not come into contact with any aggressive cleaning agents that contain soap (such as glass or window cleaners). Otherwise the oil-free properties of the surface, which is supposed to protect the display from fingerprints and grease, could be destroyed. Under normal circumstances, just using an ordinary screen cleaner would be sufficient. There are a variety of different products, such as a practical cleaning set for when you’re out and about Rye or a screen cleaner including a microfiber cloth from Blum (100 ml), CleanTech (200 ml) as well SUBTAN blue (500 ml).
Alternatively, you can also use a Disinfection device for your smartphone – for example from Cleen! According to the manufacturer, it kills 99.9 percent of bacteria in just six minutes using UV-C light, which has a germicidal effect without harming the cell phone. The practical thing about the device is that it can not only disinfect smartphones, but also objects such as keys, AirPods, glasses or pens. In addition, the Cleen company donates ten euros for every product sold Corona emergency fund of the German Red Cross donates!
In times of the corona crisis, the classic cleaning agents are not enough to completely disinfect the display of your smartphone, tablet or laptop: Most disinfectants usually do not contain alcohol and can therefore only kill bacteria, but not viruses. In order to minimize the risk of infection, it is currently particularly important to clean the cell phone with disinfectants containing alcohol. According to Apple, those products that are 70 percent Isopropyl alcohol (dilute if necessary) or Clorox disinfectant wipes – although it used to be said that alcohol was not recommended for displays. Because of this, you need to be very careful when cleaning it.
Avoid Mistakes: How To Clean Your Phone Properly
- Before cleaning, make sure that your phone is not plugged into a power source. It is best to turn it off completely and let it cool down before you start disinfecting.
- To prevent liquids from penetrating the inside of the smartphone through the openings or connection sockets and causing serious damage, you should never spray the cleaning agent on the display.
- Best to use for cleaning the display Microfiber cloth – it’s soft and lint-free. Moisten the cloth with the cleaning agent and wipe carefully over all surfaces, i.e. the front and back.
- Last but not least, it is not just the cell phone that sprouts germs, but also its cover. If you clean the smartphone thoroughly, always remember to disinfect the case separately as well – otherwise the whole action would be in vain.
How to reduce the germ infestation on the cell phone
To prevent numerous bacteria, viruses and other pathogens from accumulating on your smartphone, you can take a few preventive measures. The first and most important tip is: Do not take your cell phone with you to dirty places where it could be contaminated, such as toilets – especially in public places. It is also advisable not to touch the smartphone after applying lotion to the hands until they are dry again – otherwise the oily residues are the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. This applies to all cosmetics that contain fats. Last but not least: the smartphone has no place on the dining table!
You might also be interested in:
This article contains so-called affiliate links. Further information are available here.