Did you know bacteria from your phone can give you pinkeye, diarrhea, and/or the flu? We keep our cell phones close to our hearts, and our mouths, which are laden with bacteria. We also set them down in public bathrooms, restaurants, the gym, wherever we happen to be every day. This hazard goes unnoticed by most people, we don’t even think about it.
For the few people that know their phone is covered with germs, how do you clean it? That varies according to manufacturer. Some people use alcohol, which can damage the screen on a smartphone, others use window cleaner, which can also damage smart screens, and some use microfiber cloths, which wipe away about 99% of germs but do not harm anything. Unfortunately, 99% is not enough.
In a random phone sample all of them contained bacteria found in feces, more than 2000 times the amount in a water sample. Experts state most of the problem has to do with hand hygiene, and that people very often place their phones on dirty surfaces.
Alcohol wipes removed the most germs in a test compared to window cleaner, electronic wipes, and water. Many manufacturers are recommending a UV light that will eliminate all microbes. Until UV lights are affordable the best solution is to wash your hands often, and try to keep your phone clean. Set it on a napkin or paper towel. When you drop it clean it, when you have a cold or any other bug clean it several times a day, following manufacturer’s recommendations and your own common sense.
