The right way to clean your cell phone to prevent coronavirus spread

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If you’re like most people, you take your cell phone with you everywhere — even into the bathroom. And wherever you go, you constantly touch that phone with your hands and hold it up to your face to talk. Because of that, your cell phone is crawling with germs and could even be harboring the novel coronavirus.

“Your cell phone is a modern day ‘hotspot’; it makes no sense to clean your hands and not wipe down your phone,” said ABC News’ chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton to Good Morning America.

So if you haven’t already, it’s a good idea to get into the habit of cleaning your cell phone, especially since COVID-19 can reportedly stay alive on surfaces for up to three days. Along with washing your hands, cleaning your cell phone regularly can help prevent the spread of a wide range of illnesses, including the coronavirus.

Tips for Cleaning Your Cell Phone

The good news is that you don’t need a fancy cleaning product to clean your phone. According to Apple, it’s safe to clean iPhones with disinfectant wipes.

“Using a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces,” reads a statement from Apple. “Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents.”

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To protect against the coronavirus, it’s best to choose an alcohol-based wipe. Baby wipes are reportedly not as effective against coronavirus, and neither are wipes made with benzalkonium chloride.

If you can’t find an alcohol-based wipe, you can also use 70% alcohol or just plain soap and water to dampen a soft microfiber towel or lens cloth and use that to wipe your phone. Just make sure to avoid immersing the phone in any kind of liquid, and don’t spray liquids directly onto your phone.

Avoid using an abrasive cloth, as paper towels and sponges may scratch your phone’s screen.

For more advice on keeping your home safe from coronavirus, take a look at these household cleaning products that are effective at killing COVID-19.

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About the Author
Margeaux Baulch Klein
Margeaux Baulch Klein is a freelance writer and digital strategist based in Los Angeles. She has written for publications like the Huffington Post, New York Daily News, Bustle, and HelloGiggles, among others.

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