How To Disinfect Your Phone In The Midst Of Coronavirus

2023 Author: Lynn Laird | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:49

Faced with the coronavirus epidemic, the World Health Organization has declared an international emergency. The coronavirus pandemic is spreading all over the world, at a lightning speed. One of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from contamination is to have particularly strict hygiene. Handwashing remains the primary weapon against the spread of COVID-19, but special care must also be taken not to touch your face and eyes. It should also not be forgotten that the telephone is one of the objects most contaminated by germs and bacteria that we use every day. How to disinfect your phone to avoid possible contamination of the coronavirus? Check out our tips below!

Why is it essential to clean your phone, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic?

According to recent studies, the Covid-19 virus can survive for up to 7 days on the screen of a smartphone. The point is, cell phones are an integral part of our daily lives. From home to the office, on the subway or on the train, on the seat of the bus or the cinema - we drag them everywhere. It is therefore not excluded that our communication devices play a role in the current coronavirus epidemic.

How to disinfect your phone? What you should not do

Before starting to clean your phone, you must know the actions to avoid in order not to damage your device.

1. Do not put your phone under water, even if it is water resistant;

2. Be careful not to apply strong solutions which may damage the screen of the device;

3. Avoid using household cleaning products: detergents, solvents, alcohol or ammonia-based lotions, window cleaners, etc.

The right actions to disinfect your phone

It is already clear to everyone: personal hygiene and disinfecting your home and workspace are the two most important measures to protect loved ones and fellow citizens and stop the spread of the coronavirus. But to leave nothing to chance, it is also necessary to take full responsibility for the disinfection of objects that could be contaminated and, therefore, be dangerous for public health. These include the cell phone that is worn outdoors, in public transport, in stores, in the middle of the crowd and at home of course.

1. Use a microfiber cloth dampened with soapy water to clean the smartphone. Attention: the device must be disconnected!

2. Remove the protective cover, back and buttons from the laptop. It is possible to use disinfectants for these parts of the device, which are often in contact with foreign surfaces and potentially vectors of microbes and viruses.

3. Once the protective shell has been removed, the edges and the on / off and volume buttons must be cleaned and disinfected.

4. If the screen is covered with a protective film or glass, it is sufficient to clean it with an antiseptic wipe.

5. It should be borne in mind that disinfectant wipes, alcohol and cleaning products may damage the smartphone by destroying the coating that protects the screen from fingerprints and scratches.

6. Tissues are also not recommended for cleaning the screen, as they can leave a residue of dirt.

7. If there is any doubt about contamination, it is possible to disinfect your telephone using a cloth soaked in a mixture of 70% alcohol and water.

8. Do not forget to disinfect the charging cable, which is also a carrier of germs and bacteria. The same goes for accessories such as: headphones, USB cables, Bluetooth headset, external battery etc.

Consider changing your habits

Studies warn about the bad habits of smartphone users of touching their devices around 2,600 times a day. The problem here is not so much the addiction to phones, but the fact that right after these gestures, people touch their faces, usually unconsciously. This explains why some doctors recommend, in the face of the pandemic, to clean smartphones and tablets several times a day, as well as the related accessories (smart watches, headphones, etc.). Experts advise above all to try to change your habits, namely: use headphones instead of speaking directly into the device, keep your free hand away from the face and neck, do not rub your eyes with your hands if they have not been washed or disinfected immediately before.

And most importantly, do not forget that after touching the subway bar and your phone, it is very important to disinfect your hands and the device. This is necessary too. Also remember to wash your hands before and after cleaning your laptop and disinfecting your home.