One of the dirtiest, germ-laden things you own is something you keep with you all the time, and touch many, many times a day.
Your smartphone is undoubtedly filthy, and in the time of coronavirus, it’s time to clean it up and wipe it down.
That your phone is crawling with bacteria, viruses and even fecal material is not just a matter of speculation. Medical literature is full of studies that show smartphones are crawling with things that can cause disease. And that can include viruses like the type that cause SARS or COVID-19.
For example, a World Health Organization report cited data discovered during the 2003 SARS outbreak that the virus that causes it — and which is of the same type as the coronavirus — can live on glass for up to 96 hours.
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And then, of course, there’s that University of Arizona researcher who, in 2017, declared that your smartphoone is probably dirtier than most toilet seats. Raise your hands if you’ve ever talked on the phone while sitting on the toilet (and then wash your hands).
The question of disinfecting your phone arose this week when Apple reversed its longstanding advice to not use disinfecting wipes on iPhones and iPads. The company had said those cleaning products could damage or remove the screen’s oleophobic coating that repels body oils. This coating is why simply rubbing a microfiber cloth over the screen cleans it easily.
But an Apple support document about cleaning its products now includes a section that says using disinfecting wipes (70 percent isopropyl alcohol) is safe.
That advice can apply to other smartphone brands, since they tend to use the same glass and coatings, though there may be exceptions. For example, if you own a newer folding-screen smartphone such as Samsung’s Galaxy Fold or Flip Z, check the documentation and online support documents for those phones before reaching for alcohol-drenched wipes.
Here are some suggestions for cleaning your phone and keeping it that way. Obviously, wash your hands before you start!
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• Apple’s cleaning instructions are simple and straightforward: “Using a 70 percent 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. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces.” Use a clean, dry, preferably microfiber cloth afterwards to remove any residue.
This can also apply to any screen you touch. Got a Windows 10 PC with a touchscreen? It probably needs disinfecting, too.
• Don’t just clean the screen. Remove the phone from its case, assuming you use one (and you should!), and wipe down the back, edges and buttons.
• I checked with Smartish, the Austin-based smartphone case designer, about how to clean plastic-based cases and screen protectors. Plastic and silicone cases also can be wiped down with alcohol-based disinfecting wipes, or a solution of water and alcohol you make yourself. Smartish recommends not using disinfecting wipes on plastic and glass screen protectors, as they can leave a residue. Use the homemade alcohol-and-water solution. Dry with a clean cloth.
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• Leather cases require a different process. The same Apple document that warns against using disinfecting wipes on leather suggests using “a clean cloth with warm water and mild hand soap,” though it warns cleaning may change the appearance of the leather. And it also says using leather soap will definitely change the appearance.
• Newer, higher-end smartphones are water-resistant, so it is possible you could actually wash your phone with soap and water. If you do this, avoid getting soap into its crevices along the edges of buttons, power ports, headphone jacks and the like. And I would recommend using Ivory soap, which has no oils or moisturizers — it’s the closest thing to pure soap you can buy.
• Got $80 to burn? Phone Soap uses shortwave ultraviolet (UV-C) light to kill bacteria and viruses. Pop your phone in the case and it’s bathed in UV-C light, which has been shown to kill airborn viruses and bacteria on surfaces.
• Perhaps the best advice I can give is to avoid handing your phone to anyone. You may be obsessive about keeping your hands clean, but you don’t know where everyone else’s mitts have been. Fortunately, sharing of smartphones isn’t a common thing.
“Since iPhones are not typically shared widely, I would think this is less of a risk than more publicly accessible items,” Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine, told me via Twitter direct message.
Still, some people do it more often than others. I know someone who uses the headphone-jack device offered by Square to take credit cards as part of her business. She recently ordered Square’s terminal, which comes with a contactless payment system for use with Apple Pay or Google Pay, and its own screen for signatures.
She no longer has to hand her phone to her clients, but here’s hoping she wipes down that new Square screen regularly.
dwight.silverman@chron.com
twitter.com/dsilverman
houstonchronicle.com/techburger
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