COVID-19: Disinfect Your Cell Phone To Prevent Infection

It is important to disinfect your smartphone regularly to prevent infection with the coronavirus. Today we have some tips for you on how to best go about this. 

In times of the coronavirus, drastic precautionary measures are sometimes necessary to prevent the spread of the disease as far as possible. Curfews, restricted mobility, washing hands and disinfecting the apartment are some of the preventive steps, but the question arises whether the cell phone also needs to be disinfected  to prevent infection with the Covid-19. 

Most of us have our smartphones in hand all the time. We use it to make calls, hold the phone to our face and mouth to send voice messages, or lend it to others to use it.

Although no infections are known to exist in this way,  scientists assume that the virus can survive for a long time on various surfaces, including cell phones. That is why it is very important to clean and disinfect them regularly.

Recommendations for cleaning and disinfecting the cell phone to prevent infection with coronavirus

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that it is important to distinguish between cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning means removing dirt and also some germs. However, disinfection with chemical products kills pathogens that may collect on the surface of various objects.

It is therefore very important to disinfect your cell phone regularly in order to reduce the risk of contracting the coronavirus. After all, we use the mobile phone very often, but we usually rarely clean and disinfect it. But what is the best way to do this?

Avoid harsh chemicals

Cell phones have specific properties that must be taken into account when cleaning and disinfecting. The display is usually protected from traces of grease by an oil-repellent layer. This layer must be treated accordingly so that it does not lose its function. Therefore, you shouldn’t use ordinary cleaning agents for this.

Use a soft cloth

The cloth you use to clean the phone  should be gentle and free of lint. Special glasses cloths are ideal for this. Under no circumstances should you use sponges or an abrasive cloth, which could damage the surface.

Companies like Apple and Google recommend turning off your phone before you start cleaning. To clean it well, you can dampen the soft cloth lightly with water and a little soap. However, be careful not to get moisture inside the device.

Use disinfectant wipes to prevent infection with the coronavirus from your mobile phone

Due to the spread of Covid-19, Apple has updated its website and provided information on how to properly disinfect cell phones. It states that it is safe to use disinfectant wipes to clean your iPhone or other products.

Solution of alcohol and water

In an article published in Health magazine, microbiologist Charles Gerba also gives recommendations on how to properly clean and disinfect cell phones. The expert recommends moistening a  microfiber cloth with a solution of 60 percent water and 40 percent alcohol to disinfect the mobile device.

But caution is advised with this preparation as well,  it should never be applied directly to the smartphone, as it could damage the surface. It is best to only use a small corner of the cloth that has only been slightly moistened.

Wash hands frequently and thoroughly

Regular and thorough hand washing is also very important to prevent infection with the coronavirus. The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that washing hands with soap and water or with a disinfectant gel makes an important contribution to eliminating possible coronaviruses on the hands.

This allows you to supplement the cleaning and disinfection of the cell phone, which is constantly in contact with the hands. You should do this in normal times too!