Have you been washing your hands every minute of every day? Good! But what about your phone? Disinfecting our phones is essential if we are to keep ourselves clean and reduce the risk of infections. Bacteria and viruses like Covid-19 have been shown to last for several hours on our smartphone screens (even up to 96 hours!) and as soon as we bring them up to our faces, we open our doors to infection. While awareness on what products to use on our hands is increasing, the same is not true for our electronics.
In general, water risks damaging most electronic devices. The moisture seeps into the circuits and may cause irreversible damage to the system. In such cases, electronics should be switched off or unplugged and left to dry, otherwise electrical charge through the circuits will increase the risk of damage. Apple have recently released a statement that alcohol wipes can actually be used to disinfect their phones, with minimal moisture being allowed on ports and speakers. Other manufacturers have advise against alcohol wipes altogether and say the risk of damaging the screen is not worth it. The solution? Here are the top three options we found that can save you and your phone’s life:
1.Microfiber clothes
With minimal moisture, microfiber clothes have been shown to trap bacteria, viruses and other particulate matter successfully. For the best results, dampen the microfiber in soapy water but squeeze to dry
2.UV sanitizers
UV light can kill viruses effectively and one method of cleansing your phone swiftly is with special UV devices that can “wash” your entire phone with UV light. They don’t really come cheap but for the gadget-fanatic, there are loads of options available on Amazon.
3.Phone cover
An easier way to keep your phone clean is to keep it inside a waterproof cover. In this way, the cover can be gently removed, washed with soap and water, dried and re-sleeved on demand.
Whatever option you choose, it is important that you clean your phones as often as you clean your hands: just don’t clean them together with soap and running water!
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