Best Way To Clean iPhone to keep it germ free and not harm the screen
As a self-proclaimed “germaphobe” I’m wary of public bathrooms and, yet, strangely I don’t think twice about using a friend’s phone. I like to think of my own iPhone as a bacteria-free safety zone, but how many door handles do I touch a day before checking my text or email messages?
According to a recent study, the average handheld phone carries 18 times more potentially harmful germs than a flush handle in the men’s bathroom. I can only imagine the journey of tiny microbes of bacteria from surface, to phone, to hand, and to mouth. Gross
For health and sanitation purposes, as well to protect my phone from stains caused by makeup, food, oils and lotions, I now make it a practice to clean my phone. While it might be tempting, it’s best to stay away from using household cleaners.
Cleaning
Fluids such as window cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, alcohol, or ammonia can erode the oleophobic coating on the iPhone and iPads. This coating repels oil, but will diminish over time with normal usage.
So, for serious sanitizing it’s worth investing in antibacterial wipes or sprays designed especially for computer devices. For less than $10 you can get a simple kit with TSA approved sized spray bottle (enough for about 100 cleanings) and a non-abrasive cloth. Try this one from Amazon – Ultimate Screen Cleaner Kit with Microfiber Cloth
To effectively clean an iPhone you can perform the following steps:
Step 1: Make sure your iPhone is turned off and disconnected from any cables. To turn it off, press and hold the “Sleep/Wake” button on the iPhone and slide the on-screen red slider
Step 2: Remove the phone from any third-party case.
Step 3: If you are using a cloth, dampen the corner of the cloth with water or device friendly cleaning fluid. Be mindful never to apply any fluid directly onto the phone. Otherwise, take the anti-bacterial wipe, and gently wipe the surface of the phone in circular motion. Be especially careful not to get any moisture into the phone’s openings.
Step 4: Dry the iPhone with a lint-free or micro-fiber cloth.
Step 5: Don’t forget the case! The case has been collecting as much bacteria as the iPhone itself. You can even use an additional wipe, if necessary, to clean the phone’s cables.
Dusting
It’s also a good idea to periodically clean out the various connection ports on your phone. These include the charging ports, head-phone input and memory card expansion slots. You should use a compressed air that is designed for electronics, as these typically will be low or no moisture.
We can recommend the Dust-Off DPSXL Disposable Duster (about $5 for 10 ounces). This is a great value since it’s a much larger (10 ounces vs. around 4 ounces) amount than you get with other brands. It’s also extremely effective with the included extension tube to get in hard to reach places.
Ideal for workstations, labs, repair benches, household use, on-location photography, etc. Provides potent dust-removing power for practically any task. 100% ozone safe.
It’s safer around curious kids as well, since it contains a bitterant to help discourage inhalant abuse.
Germs
If the invisible germs are what really concern you, rather than the general grit and grime, you may want to invest in an Ultraviolet Light Sanitizer. A UV light sterilizer kills 99.9% of bacteria and germs in about 6 minutes. You can drop your phone in overnight to charge and get cleaned. The UV light automatically shuts off when the sanitizing cycle is complete. As an added bonus, it also works as an aromatherapy essential oils diffuser. You can get soothed with your phone is cleaned and charged.
Pick up one of these on Amazon for under $30 – Portable UV Cell Phone Sanitizer with USB Charger
Summary
You can perform this ritual once a week or everyday. While we can’t live in fear of germs and bacteria, a clean phone feels good to the touch and is one less place to worry about germs.
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