As you go through your daily routine, you will touch shopping carts, gym equipment, door handles, elevator buttons, stair railings, and many other public surfaces. Then, you’ll type a text or scroll endlessly through Instagram on your phone. Did you wash your hands after everything you touched? You most likely didn’t, so that means your cell phone screen is crawling with all the germs and bacteria that were on those railings and buttons. Studies have shown that our phones can be carrying up to 18x more bacteria than in a public restroom — gross! It’s important to sanitize our phones so that the bacteria don’t cause sickness to us — or worse, we bring the germs home and infect our loved ones.   

Disinfecting vs. Cleaning 

8 Steps to Disinfect Your Phone 

1. Remove the Phone Case and Accessories 

First, wash your hands. Then, remove your phone case. This will ensure that you can clean every nook and cranny. Dirt and bacteria can lurk behind your phone case, so sanitizing both the case AND the phone will leave you with a device that’s cleaner than the day you purchased it!  

2. Grab a Q-Tip and Rubbing Alcohol 

Dip the cotton swab into isopropyl rubbing alcohol and clean the metal hardware on your phone, not the glass screen, as the repeated use of the alcohol can damage the screen. Gently wipe the side buttons and near the ports until completely disinfected.

3. Let the Device Air Dry 

Let your phone air dry for about 5 minutes, as this will give the alcohol enough time to kill the bacteria.   

4. Clear Smudges with PhoneSoap Shine  

Take a look at your phone screen. Is it covered with dirt, grease, fingerprints, and smudges? Not only does that grime buildup just feel gross, but it also can cause acne and other skin irritants when you hold your phone close to your face.  

Many newer phones are designed to have an oleophobic coating on the glass screen to protect the device from oil damage. Prolonged cleanings using alcohol wipes can degrade the screen, which leaves the glass subject to exposure. PhoneSoap Shine is a water-based cleanser that is free of alcohol and chemicals, so you can wipe away smudges and grease without causing harm to your expensive phone. It also comes with a microfiber pad attached to the bottle, so you don’t have to worry about losing it.  

5. Sanitize your Phone with PhoneSoap 

Using a PhoneSoap device is the best way to quickly sanitize your phone without causing damage. PhoneSoap devices can kill 99.99% of bacteria and germs, while alcohol wipes and PhoneSoap competitors can only kill 99.9%. With UV-C lights on the top and bottom of the chamber, there’s no need to flip the phone, either. The PhoneSoap Pro can sanitize in 5 minutes, which is a great option for households that have a lot of phones to clean or for the tech-savvy who just can’t wait 10 minutes! 

6. Charge your Phone with PhoneSoap 

What’s the use of a sanitized phone when its battery is dead and you can’t even use it? While your device is in the PhoneSoap, simply feed your personal charging cord through the port and plug it into the USB-C outlet on the back of the product. It will continue to charge your device long after the sanitization cycle ends, which is perfect for when you go to sleep, so you can wake up to a clean and fully charged phone. PhoneSoap devices are compatible with all phone types and charging ports. 

7. Sanitize your Case and Other Belongings with PhoneSoap 

Think of all the bacteria that could be lurking on the inside of your phone case. What about in the pop socket? Yuck! Luckily, you can sanitize a lot more than just phones. The PhoneSoap Pro can fit your Air Pods, credit cards, keys, eyeglasses, jewelry, and much more. Sometimes it can be too much of a hassle to wipe down our glasses or necklaces with wipes, but PhoneSoap makes it easy to quickly sanitize our belongings without any mess or headache.  

8. Be Consistent with Your Sanitizing 

Even after sterilizing your phone, remember that it will get dirty again. Experts recommend that you sanitize your phone at least twice per week to keep disease-causing germs at bay. However, if you’re constantly using your phone at the grocery store, on the bus, and while in the restroom (Hey, we’re not judging. We all do it!), then you can even sanitize it at the end of every day.  

How Long Can the Coronavirus Last on Surfaces? 

Surface	Hours
Plastered Wall	36
Formica (Laminate Material on Countertops)	36
Plastic	72
Stainless Steel	72
Glass (Phone Screens)	96

Source: World Health Organization 

 

What Other Germs Can Live on Your Phone Screen? 

It’s disgusting, but not everyone washes their hands right after coughing and sneezing or using the restroom. Those disease-causing droplets can land on public surfaces, like shopping carts and subway handles. Then, unbeknownst to us, we touch those surfaces and then type on our phones with now-dirty hands. Those germs can cause harmful illnesses to ourselves and our loved ones. Here’s are some of the most common bacteria that have been found on phones: 

Virus/Bacteria	Sickness, Symptoms Caused
Streptococcus	Strep Throat, Pneumonia, Meningitis, Sepsis
Staphylococcus	Folliculitis, Ear Infections, MRSA
Corynebacterium	Diphtheria, Skin Infections, Pneumonia, Endocarditis
E. Coli	Gastrointestinal Illness, Urinary Tract Infections, and Meningitis
Common Cold and Influenza	Fever, Chills, Aches, Vomiting, Cough, etc.

 

Sanitizing your phone screen is just as important as washing your hands. Making a habit to clean your phone at least twice a week will not only preserve the life of your device, but it will protect you from illness that you could contract in public spaces.