How to Clean Your Cellphone: 5 Easy Steps to a Cleaner Phone Safety Family Health

Many people are stocking up on hand sanitizers and antibacterial soap due to the coronavirus outbreak, but we may be overlooking one critical thing that we handle every day: our cellphones. When was the last time you cleaned your phone?

“Cleaning your cellphone is a far more effective preventative measure than something like wearing a face mask,” Debra Goff, Pharm.D., founding member of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Prevention.com. “People handle their phones hundreds of times a day. That means potentially exposing yourself to what’s on those surfaces every time.”

What’s the best way to clean your smartphone? Here are some tips Goff shared with Prevention. These five steps can also be used to clean your tablets, Kindles and other hand-held electronics.

1. Power Down: Turn off your phone and unplug it from the charger.

2. Use Microfiber Cloths: Microfiber cloths pick up more particles, bacteria and viruses. Goff says to think of a microfiber cloth as a “virus magnet.” After using, wash them in the “sanitize” cycle of your washing machine.

3. Stock Up on Rubbing Alcohol: To disinfect your phone, use a solution of 60 percent water to 40 percent rubbing alcohol. Dip the end of the microfiber cloth into this mixture and gently rub it on your phone, then dry with another section of the cloth. Do not spray any liquid onto your phone.

4. Skip Abrasive Products: To protect your phone’s screen, do not use window cleaners, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide or any abrasive product.

5. Clean Regularly: Make it a habit to clean your phone on a daily (if possible!) basis. How many times do you look at your phone in the bathroom? Think about that.

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