how to disinfect your smartphone, tablet and others

The Coronavirus crisis has alerted us all and the authorities recommend some hygiene tips to try to avoid infecting us. But what about our mobile? We spend practically all day with him and it has always been said that he is one of the main sources of germs since we leave him on the tables, we constantly manipulate him… Should we disinfect him? And at that point … how do we disinfect it?

Go ahead that Even if your smartphone is waterproof, it is not recommended to wash it under the tap nor apply soap to it.

Do I have to disinfect my mobile phone due to the risk of Coronavirus?

Avoid spraying cleaning products on your equipment.

As pointed out from the New York Times, Unless your smartphone has come into contact with the mucosa or saliva of a possible infected, you should not worry Too much for the bacteria that swarm on the screen of your phone, because after all they are the same that are already in your body. Also, in general, mobiles are only used by the owner so, most of the time, they are not exposed to the same risks as public surfaces or elements.

On the other hand, it is worth remembering that the virus seems to be able to survive on surfaces such as metal, grass or plastic for hours up to nine days, according to studies carried out. As we already know, the Coronavirus is unstable outside the human body.

However, if you are determined to disinfect your mobile to scare away the Covid-19, there are some tips you can follow (and thus not destroy the terminal).

Wipes soaked in 70% alcohol, your best allies

Manzana It has been one of the first to update its support page to answer one of the questions that users are asking the most these days, and we could almost extrapolate this message to other products that are not from the company.

Can I use a disinfectant to clean my Apple product?You can pass carefully wipes impregnated with 70% isopropyl alcohol or disinfecting wipes from the Clorox brand for the hard, non-porous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, and other external surfaces. Do not use bleach. Prevent moisture from entering the openings and do not immerse your Apple product in any cleaning agent. Do not use disinfectants on fabric or leather surfaces.

On Amazon you can find a variety of 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes, although it seems that like the hand sanitizer gel, the delivery times are somewhat uncertain at the moment.

Similarly, Apple also remind us that we should not spray any cleaner directly on the device, neither aerosols, nor abrasive agents, nor far; advice that we can also apply to other teams of any brand.

Then, when we proceed to clean the appliance, it is convenient that it is unplugged from the power at the same time that we maximize the care so that humidity does not accumulate inside the cavities of the same.

Furthermore, the manufacturer WikoIn addition to the #YoMeQuedoEnCasa campaign, it offers these basic cleaning guidelines:

  1. Make sure that the smartphone is not connected to the electrical network or any other source and turn it off.
  2. Prepare a mixture of water (50%) and alcohol (50%) and put it in a spray bottle.
  3. Uses a soft cloth or a disposable cotton pad to slightly moisten it with the water and alcohol solution.
  4. Clean the surface of the smartphone with the cloth. Be careful and don't rub hard logos or printed parts.
  5. With a second soft and disposable cloth, if possible, and avoiding towels or other textile materials that may generate residue, dry the device carefully.

The company reminds us to carry out this process once a day and wash our hands after handling the smartphone for greater effectiveness.

In summary:

  • Clean your mobile with wipes impregnated with 70% alcohol or a mixture of 50% water and 50% alcohol.
  • Do not use abrasive cleaning products.
  • Do not directly spray disinfectant products.
  • Do not use alcohol directly.
  • Do not wash it with soap and water.
  • In case of superficial cleaning do not use paper or towels, use a soft damp cloth to avoid scratching the screen.
  • Wash your hands after using the smartphone.

All these cleaning tips can also be used on devices like tablets, smart watches, headphones, computers, remote controls… Yes, before proceeding with disinfection we recommend visiting the manufacturer's website to see what information they provide for their products.

Via: TheWireCutter, Cnet