Coronavirus seems to be everywhere you turn now and it’s a virus which means it’s a microbe which we cannot see with our naked eyes but with the help of powerful microscopic devices. But that aside, even when you wear gloves or put on face masks, you still needed to touch your smartphone somehow and this way, you might be infecting your device based on things you’ve touched in different places you’ve been to and so forth.

And don’t forget the fact that the Coronavirus is said to be able to survive on surfaces up to nine days which should really scare you. And the fact that you go about your daily constantly on your smartphone means there are either viruses or bacteria on them and those can easily be transmitted to your body…The smartphone might be another non-living host that can harbor the Coronavirus for 9 whole days (My own non-CDC/no-WHO theory)

We’ve all been instructed to keep our hands clean at all times through constant washing and using of hand sanitizers but some of us use our smartphones in various ways even to the point of being held right with out lips which is thought to be really dangerous.

So how do you keep your smartphone disinfected thoroughly without risking the infectious Coronavirus disease. Well, both Apple and Samsung both announced that you can use disinfectant wipes such as Clorox sheets while Samsung said you can use Alcohol-based solutions (up to 70%) to keep your smartphone well tidied out.

Meanwhile, there are still some really dangerous cleaning agent that can cause damage to your smartphones if you do not use them properly while there are some that we wouldn’t even advise anyone to try on their smartphones because of their toxicity.

So first of all, we’re going to talking about disinfectants which you should use and how to keep your smartphone clean from other dirt as well. Remember we once spoke about ways to keeping your smartphone clean, this one is a little bit of removing coronavirus.

Use Wipes and not Alcohol to disinfect your smartphone

Let’s say you’ve been to public places and touched surfaces such as the cashier’s counter or grocery cart, the public door and so forth and then you held your device with that same hand, there is possibility of transmitting whatever germ on your hand onto your smartphone but then you cannot soak your smartphone into soap and water for 20 seconds the same way you’d do your hands right.

Alcohol might then come to your mind but do not use this agent because it will destroy the oleophobic and hydrophobic coatings on your smartphone. These coatings basically keep your smartphone from being damaged by oil and water.

Some websites suggest creating a mix of alcohol and water yourself, but it’s crucial to get the concentration right. Get it wrong and you could damage your phone. The safest bet is to use disinfectant wipes that contain 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean your phone screen. 

Although there have been instructions in the past to never try disinfectant wipes on the surfaces of our smartphones but now Apple says it’s okay to do so. Even AT&T’s recently revised cleaning guidelines suggest that you “spray a nonabrasive or alcohol-based (70% isopropyl) disinfectant directly on a soft lint-free cloth and wipe down your device while it is powered down and unplugged.”

Even though the company had earlier made it clear that the usage of paper towels that aren’t abrasive can be used on smartphones. Samsung has also recently said you can create an alcohol-based solution of 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol, applied with a microfiber cloth.

Other cleaning methods includes the usage of UV Light such as PhoneSoap which is said to jill 99.99% of germs right off your device. But you know, there is no way of knowing if it has killed off coronavirus right off your device so you can trust the company as they’re certified.

Removing fingerprint smudges fro your phone during Coronavirus time

Thanks to Apple for answering our heartfelt and long wishes about making the back of their devices frosted. While there are some casing and screen protectors that have the frosted coating that doesn’t hold fingerprint smudges whatsoever, you can achieve this using microfiber cloth which is very efficient and effective.

A really dirty screen needs to be cleaned out using a distilled water to dampen the microfiber cloth with which you can wipe dirt right off your device’s screen. Meanwhile, try and avoid squirting the water directly on the screen. This method can be used on the back and sides of your phone, too.

You can also try a microfiber screen cleaner sticker, which you stick to the back of your phone and can pop off when you need to give it a wipe-down.

How about removing sand and lint

Maybe your smartphone even fell off during this Coronavirus pandemic and that scared you not only did it just get contaminated with possible germs, there are now lint and sands stuck in small ports of the device and that might really cost you ton of cash if you’re using premium devices especially OLED panels.

To get rid of these unwanted objects is using Scotch tape which can be laid along the creases and speaker and then roll it up gently before placing it in the ports. The tape’s stickiness will pull out any lint or sand that may be stuck in your phone.

As for smaller ports such as speaker grilles, you might want to consider tothpick or a vacuum. These tools can also be used for other small appliances or hard-to-reach areas in your car.

Remove makeup safely

Okay this one might be counter-intuitive. But here it is, what if you have your facial make up on and then a call came in and then you place the device on your face only to realize it had eaten up some handful of foundation.

Make up remover might be the first thing that come to your mind. After all, you use it every night right. As far as your smartphone is concerned, do not try this on your device because there are some chemicals tat might be right within the remover that might affect the hardware properties on your smartphone.

But rather than using a makeup remover, you can just other agents so far as they don’t contain agents such as alcohol, chlorine, ammonia or phosphates that could damage the various screen coatings.

You can also use a damp microfiber cloth to clean it — and then throw that cloth in the wash. Make sure to use a spray bottle to spritz the cloth, rather than running it under water. The less water, the better.

Maybe wash a waterproof smartphone

Depending on the rating and certification your smartphone has, if you have a water-resistant device that is certified IP67 and above then you can do a little rinsing in water. Some smartphones in recent times can withstand submersion into water up to 3 feet for 30 minutes and they’ll be fine. So do well to read about the specifications of your smartphone as well as what they’re capable of. Then dry your phone with a dry, soft cloth to remove the water. Make sure to pat dry all speakers and ports.

Dunking the phone in water or running it under a faucet will get water into the ports, which means you won’t be able to charge it until they’re dry, and that can take time. Remember that having a water-resistant phone is more about peace of mind than it is about purposely taking your phone for a swim.

8 things you should never use to clean your phone

PAPER TOWELS: These are very easy to access in the home. But mind you, they should be really kept far away from your smartphone. In case you don’t know, the paper can shred which can make the debris on your phone much more worse and the worst part is scratching your smartphone. Tha won’t make your smartphone attractive.

WINDOW CLEANER: These tools are great house cleaning agents but they’re not meant for smartphone cleaning. Of course smartphones have Gorilla Glass all over them with protective coating, but well, they can get weakened and wear off over time if you stress them with window cleaners over time.

Using harsh cleaners can strip the coating and could leave your phone more vulnerable to scratches. James LeBeau, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at MIT, added that any cleanser with an abrasive agent will likely scratch the surface, so those should be avoided entirely.

OTHER CLEANING AGENTS: Lebeau made it known that the scratch resistance of the protective glass (screen) can’t be modified by any cleaning agents. The problem is that these agents rips off the protections on the screen. Another claim was from Bar Keepers Friend stating that its abrasive formula may harm the protective layer. Bon Ami states not to use on glass with coatings. Apple also suggests not using cleaning products to clean your phone.

MAKEUP REMOVER: Makeup removers aren’t the answer to keeping your smartphone clean. They might in fact be a serious problem in many cases considering the fact that some of these makeup removers have some strong chemicals that aren’t pleasing to electronics

USING ALCOHOL: Rubbing alcohol against your smartphone screen can wear off the protective coating on the device’s screen which can get it prone to scratches everytime and that isn’t very good for expensive smartphones like the Galaxy S10 Plus or Huawei P30 Pro. Even Apple says that it’s well off to avoid the usage of alcohol for the cleaning of your smartphone at all cost.

COMPRESSED AIR: The worst thing to do is blowing an intense amount of air into the device. Smartphones are made with delicate materials which can get ripped off when blown with powerful compressed air devices.

DISH SOAP AND HAND SOAP: Even though your smartphone is rated IP 68 and labelled waterproof or water resistant, be warned not to spill dish soap on it just because you tirelessly want to keep it clean at all means. That will damage the device’s components and render it completely useless. Damp clothing that are extremely clean might be a better option than soaps.

USING VINEGAR: Even though Lifehacker suggests using diluted vinegar to cleanse your phone. However, Android Central says to never put vinegar (or alcohol) on the glass parts of your phone due to the oleophobic coating. 

I hope with these steps, your smartphone should be Coronavirus free. Also it might be fine to just keep your smartphone in your purse whenever you’re out in the public and to not touch them until you disinfect your hands or wash your hands clean which will save you the stress of having to clean your smartphone everytime you forgetfully place it somewhere you think might be infected with the coronavirus.