How to Sanitize Your Smart phone You probably don’t clean your smartphone as much as you should. Whether you’re concerned about corona-virus or just common flu and cold germs, regularly disinfecting your smart phone will help lower your overall risk of getting ill. Here’s how to do it. Should You Use Cleaning Products or Not? Smart phone manufacturers from Samsung to Apple have instructions to help you safely clean your smart phone. These generally involve wiping it down with a damp lint-free cloth and avoiding harsh chemicals, abrasive cleaners, and pressurized air. Harsh cleaning products can accelerate the rate of wear on the oleophobic (oil repelling) coating on your screen. This coating will gradually degrade as you use your device over several years. Using alcohol and household sprays may speed up the process. Using bleach and other harsh chemical cleaners will strip it away completely. Apple recently updated its official cleaning advice. According to Apple, it’s now safe to clean your iPhone with disinfecting wipes. You still shouldn’t spray your device directly with a cleaning spray. Here’s what Apple says: “Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, you may gently wipe the hard, non-porous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. We recommends that everyone “clean all “high-touch” surfaces every day” to protect against the spread of COVID-19. These surfaces include smart phones, tablets, keyboards, and other frequently-used items of technology. The other option is to use a smart phone sanitizer device that cleans using UV rays. However, these have not been tested for effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19. First, Clean Your Case You can effectively clean your smart phone case by taking your smart phone out of it and washing it in warm soapy water. Since cases are relatively cheap and replaceable, you can also use 70% rubbing alcohol or a wide-spectrum cleaning spray to disinfect it thoroughly. If you’re going this route, try the following: • Using 70% rubbing alcohol: Dip a soft lint-free cloth into the alcohol and apply it to your smart phone case. Get into any nooks and crannies and wipe down the case in its entirety. Allow the alcohol to evaporate. It won’t leave smudge marks like water will. • Using an alcohol-based cleaning spray: Take a soft lint-free cloth and spray it with your cleaning spray of choice. Work the cleaning spray into any nooks and crannies, then wipe down the smooth surfaces. Allow the spray to evaporate. With your case clean, you can now move on to cleaning your smart phone itself. Disinfecting Your Smart phone Most modern smart phones are water- resistant, but it’s not the best idea to hold them under a running tap. For example, all iPhones since the iPhone 7 have been “water- resistant,” but Apple still only recommends that you clean the iPhone with a damp cloth rather than submerging it completely. Water- resistance is there just in case. Many factors could jeopardize your device’s water- resistance, including damage from dropping it and cracked screens. People with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and their household members to prevent the spread of the disease further. While most people reading this don’t fall under this category, the advice provides sound examples that should help stop the spread of disease, including: “For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA- registered household disinfectants should be effective.” For your smart phone, you should use 70% rubbing alcohol or alcohol-based disinfectant spray to wipe down the back and sides of your device. Don’t use bleach. Take a soft lint- free cloth and dip it into alcohol or spray it well with cleaning spray, then wipe down your device and let it dry. You can also use a disinfecting wipe that comes pre-soaked in a cleaning solution—as Apple says, a “70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe. When it comes to your screen, Apple’s advice is to use a 70% rubbing alcohol solution to wipe down the screen while taking care to reach the corners. Buffing the display with a dry, lint-free cloth to remove excess cleaning solution may help minimize the adverse effects on the oleophobic coating. Glass screen protectors also use an oleophobic coating. Since they can be replaced relatively cheaply and easily, you can probably be a little more carefree with your disinfectant. Once you’ve cleaned your smart phone, wash your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds, as per the CDC recommendations.