Clean Hands But Dirty Phone? Here’s Why You Need To Disinfect Your Device Immediately

As COVID-19 continues spread in India, most of us are following the advisories that have been issued by the health ministry. We are all thoroughly washing hands and keeping them off the face. However, this alone is not going to help and we might still be putting ourselves at risk by overlooking a number of “high-touch surfaces” that need to be duly sanitised as well, our phones being the case in point here.

If you think about it, mobile phones today can actually be viewed as extensions of our hands given how we are constantly glued to them. Additionally, evidence has suggested that the novel virus can live on surfaces from hours to even days depending upon the conditions. Therefore, it only makes sense that we clean our phones as seriously as we do our hands. As per health experts, our phones need to be sanitised twice a day. But there is also a need to be extra careful while cleaning our phones. 

Why Do We Need To Be Extra Cautious While Cleaning Our Phones?

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Unlike our hands, phones happen to be delicate electronic devices that can’t be cleaned rigorously with just anything we can lay our hands on. While phone companies have always maintained a strict stance when it comes to cleaning their devices, Apple recently updated it’s support page and revised the phone cleaning advisory so as to accommodate all the sanitising queries during the COVID-19 scares.

Planning to finally sanitise your phone? Here’s what you should keep in mind:

What Not To Do

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Screwing up our phone is literally the last thing we want as we sit confined in our homes. And while it’s important to disinfect your phone, you should also ensure that you don’t end up damaging it. Here’s a list of things that you should be avoiding at all cost if you want your phone to work just fine during the self-isolation period:

• We all know how moisture can hamper the functionality of our phones and therefore directly pouring sanitiser or disinfectant happen to be terrible ideas. I have seen my friend dunking his phone in an anti-bacterial liquid and it didn’t go well! 
• Using cleaning agents like aerosol sprays and bleach for your phone can damage your phone’s screen
• Aggressively rubbing your phone with abrasive cloths, tissues, towels, or similar items is also not advised.
• Going on a phone cleaning drive while your phone is charging or plugged into some other device is a risky business and can harm you as much as it can harm your phone. 

What You Should Do

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Now that we have established what we shouldn’t be doing to our phones, here’s a list of dos that’ll help you keep your phone all sanitised and safe during the pandemic: 

• Use a disinfectant wipe to clean your phone. As stated on Apple’s updated support page, “Using a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the exterior surfaces of your iPhone.” CDC has also recommended the use of household disinfectants like colin, Dettol, given that they have been registered by the Environmental Protection Agency.

         (You can purchase Clorox Disinfecting Wipes here and alcohol swabs here.)

• Wear disposable gloves while cleaning your phone so that in case your phone carries a trace of any kind of bacteria, it will stay on the glove which can be safely disposed of later.
• Remove your cover while disinfecting your phone, thoroughly clean it inside out, and wait for it to dry before putting it on the phone. 
• Practise social isolation to the T, which involves avoiding passing on your phone to others to show videos, pictures. Your phone is equipped with technology to make that possible sans any physical contact and it’s the smartest way to use your smartphone right now!

Lastly, remember that we are all in this together and as we fight a pandemic, every single step counts. Stay clean, stay safe!

 Featured Image: Instagram

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