Afterward, turn your toothbrush vertical (parallel to the side of your phone) and clean by moving it in left and right motions. The CDC is still determining how long the current strain of coronavirus, COVID-19, can survive on surfaces, but has recommended that people disinfect "high touch surfaces." You should also remove any case or cover on your phone if you use one. Moisten a cloth or a paper towel with washing-up liquid or hand soap – something that foams, with a detergent in it. being safe for topical use on electronics, just how many harmful germs are found lurking in bathrooms, How to Clean Your Laptop Screen the Right Way, The Best Way to Clean the Carpet in Your House. Instructions Unplug Your Phone and Attachments You can use a hypochlorous acid-based (50-80ppm) or alcohol-based (formulated with more than 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) product and wipe the front and back of your phone gently without too much pressure. Enjoy a cleaner, faster and better iPhone, in almost every way. Please bring photo ID and credit/debit card only if used as payment. "Soap and water won't be as effective as a wipe, but it may also work to reduce the germs living on your phone if carefully applied in the same way you would use a wipe," Forte says. It might not the answer you're hoping for, but Forte says a quick wipe down of your cell phone with a microfiber cloth is most effective if you do it on a daily basis. If you have the ability, remove your battery from the phone prior to cleaning. Cleaning up the contact clutter is easy if you follow a few simple steps. How to properly clean your iPhone's speakers without damaging them Cleaning iPhone speakers with a soft brush. So remember to wash your hands regularly, don’t touch your face, and so on. "Also, avoid any cleaners that advertise 'scrubbing power' or anything similarly abrasive." While you may want to clean your smartphone, some substances can damage the device. How to tell if your phone has a virus (or malware) Like viruses, malware is all about the stealth attack. If same-day delivery is available for your order, you’ll be able to choose that option at checkout. If you're switching to a non-Apple phone, deregister iMessage. Experts say that in addition to washing your hands regularly, you should deep clean your phone at least twice a week. Cleaning products and abrasive materials will diminish the coating and might scratch your iPhone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s important to clean commonly touched surfaces. Clean small speaker grills using a medium bristle toothbrush. If you are connecting via Mac, download the Windows Phone app. All disinfectants have the potential to damage the oleophobic coating on your phone's screen, but 70% isopropyl alcohol is the least damaging of your disinfecting options. Between touching your phone, your face and surfaces including countertops, keyboards and more, spreading germs is likely. All disinfectants have the potential to damage the oleophobic coating on your phone's screen, but 70% isopropyl alcohol is the least damaging of your disinfecting options. Step 3: Connect the phone to a PC and open My Computer. As new iPhone contacts are added, numbers change and some are even duplicates. Keep it parallel to the top of your phone and move it in up and down motions. The iPhone maker on Monday added new language to its page for cleaning Apple products that notes Clorox Disinfecting Wipes and similar … If you forget your Screen Time passcode, you need to erase your device, then set it up as a new device to remove the Screen Time passcode. One type of surface that we touch frequently is our phone touch screen. Restoring your device using a backup won't remove the Screen Time passcode. Step 7: Now, place your dust-free/finger-print free screen protector (sticky side) onto the dust-free/oil-free screen of your phone… Orders must be placed from 8 AM – 5 PM, Mon – Sat, and Sun before 2 PM (excluding holidays). The iPhone and iPad tend to slow down as they gradually get clogged up with unwanted files and apps. One final smidgen of junk to wipe off your iPhone or iPad is the cache for the Safari web browser or other mobile web browsers you use. Wash your hands, then use a disinfecting wipe or cloth sprayed with an alcohol-based cleaner. If your phone has gotten a bit dirty over the past year—which is even more likely if you have a dirt-trapping case on it—you might want to take it off and clean it up. Do use soap and water or disinfecting wipes/spray to wash your phone case, based on the material it’s made of and manufacturer’s instructions. Your phone is a cesspool of germs. Thoroughly wash your hands, using soap and water; scrub for at least 20 seconds. The best way to sanitize a phone involves a Lysol disinfecting wipe. Here's how to get your smartphone screen nice and clean: As a safety measure, remove your phone's battery. Gently wipe down the outside of the phone, including the screen, with an anti-bacterial wipe.Or, spray a soft cloth with an alcohol-based disinfectant cleaner containing 70% isopropyl and use that to clean your phone. For Safari, go … Tap Clear Browsing Data. Do sanitize your tech at least once per day. (You can use this process as a tablet cleaner, too.). To clean your Smart Battery Case, remove your iPhone from the case. Whether you want to re-install your iPhone or iPad as new or you want to sell or give it away to someone else entirely, you first need to make sure you've wiped it clean and erase the iPhone and iPad of all of your data, including your photos, messages, and files. Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth to wipe the outside of the case. Hold it until the animation ends and your phone … When it comes to cleaning your phone, the first rule is that you shouldn't use the same astringent cleaners that you use to wipe down hard plastic and glass surfaces elsewhere in your home, like pure bleach, metal cleaners, or bathroom-specific cleansers aimed at tile or grout. Here’s how: Open the Settings app on your iPhone Select your name banner at the top of the screen Select ‘Find My” Select “Find My iPhone” Toggle all settings off As a rule of thumb, clean your phone and accessories once a day — but disinfecting items more than that is OK too. Phone touch screens can usually be cleaned using disinfecting wipes, but check with the maker of your phone first. Then, after three or four days, I wet and swiped the sterile swab that came with the bacteria-growing kit across the entirety of one of the two phones. Things like glass screen protectors with embedded silver ions are designed to kill nearly all bacteria that may accumulate on a screen. If you don't remember your passcode for your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or your device is disabled, learn what to do. Step 3: Connect the phone to a PC and open My Computer. Just how filthy is the average phone? Most Android phones come with the option to restart in Safe Mode. The safest and most effective way to clean your screen is with a microfiber cloth. If you believe your Android phone or tablet has a virus then the good news is it's really easy to delete. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. A 2017 study published in the journal Germs looked at 27 phones owned by teenagers and found that the screens were playing host to viruses and bacteria including E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Streptococcus, among other icky germs. Select the browsing data you want to delete (cookies, history, cached images and files) and tap Clear Browsing Data. The tried-and-true method for deleting apps from your Android phone or tablet is simple: Long-press on the app's icon until the app shortcut's popup shows up. Clean small speaker grills using a medium bristle toothbrush. This method works on every Android phone. Here are some to-do’s to help guide your choices for tech-safe cleaners, screen wipes and more to help take good care of your devices. With your iPhone’s display covered, you can feel free to disinfect your iPhone with something like small device wipes, Clorox or Lysol wipes, or a … If you are looking for the ultimate Android optimizer tool to clean your Android phone, then here is the Advanced Phone Cleaner app to take care of your smartphone’s cache, junk files, and duplicate photos efficiently and effortlessly. Let the case air dry before putting it back on the phone. A lot of iPhone users are a bit addicted to apps. Keep it parallel to the top of your phone and move it in up and down motions. Using this app, you can easily and quickly clean your phone’s space being taken by junk files. The phone’s screen is where smudges, fingerprints and oils can build up — along with bacteria. Some other apps have this feature as well, so rummage around in their Settings to see if you can clear the cache. “In terms of organization, the apps used most frequently should be on the main screen of your phone,” she says. Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology and bio-statistics in the Department of Environmental Science at the University of Arizona, says that viruses can linger on hard surfaces anywhere from a few hours to a couple of weeks. Before cleaning any of your devices be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions for keeping your tech clean. Earbuds or chargers should be cleaned separately. Gently wipe down the outside of the phone, including the screen, with an anti-bacterial wipe.Or, spray a soft cloth with an alcohol-based disinfectant cleaner containing 70% isopropyl and use that to clean your phone. Frequency of cleaning … How to Clean Every Surface in Your Home Like a Pro, This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. Elevator buttons, handrails, gas pumps, door handles: It's impossible to avoid germ-infested surfaces in our daily lives, which is why it's essential to wash your hands thoroughly and regularly. Don’t use 100% alcohol cleaning products; they can damage a phone’s protective coatings. Good Housekeeping participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. If you're using Apple Pay, you can remove your credit or debit cards at iCloud.com. Some germs and viruses, including coronavirus, can linger on surfaces anywhere from a few hours or up to several days or more, depending on the surface material and the environmental conditions. It is important to keep your phone clean because recent studies have shown that there are about 25,000 germs per square inch on most cell phones. "Most cold and flu viruses [can] survive from a few hours to up to 9 days, depending on the temperature and relative humidity," says Dr. Gerba. Keeping your cell phone as germ-free as possible takes just minutes a day, but there’s one more step you can take to guard your tech. Below, Forte shares step-by-step instructions for how to safely clean your phone without ruining it. "[However] norovirus can survive on surfaces for up to four weeks.". A few other thoughts on keeping your phone and other tech clean: • A phone case not only protects your device from accidental drops, but viruses do not live as long on the back of silicone or leather cases compared to an all-glass or plastic phone back.Still, phone cases need to be cleaned with nonabrasive sprays or wipes to help you keep the back of your phone virus free. It sneaks onto your phone, lying dormant until you unknowingly activate it, quietly (usually) stealing your sensitive information right from under your nose. After the temporary file is created, system will try to delete some temporary files and cached files, the result may not be shown immediately. Thoroughly wash your hands, using soap and water; scrub for at least 20 seconds. "UV light damages the nucleic acid of the virus, making it no longer infectious," explains Dr. Gerba, adding that the dose of UV light and how close it is to your phone determines how long you'll need to use it. For disinfecting the phone, dampen the corner of your cleaning cloth with a small amount of distilled water or disinfectant. As advised by brands such as Apple and Google, using a 70% alcohol wipe is the best option for cleaning your phone. Phone touch screens can usually be cleaned using disinfecting wipes, but check with the maker of your phone first. Most phone manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung have changed those recommendations to include the use of alcohol-based cleaning or disinfecting wipes. Fill your phone storage quickly and free cache space! Turn off the phone. Step 2: Confirm the action and then wait for the phone to wipe. It only takes a few steps and a few minutes, and it makes sure you're data is protected. Unlike washing your hands, you can’t use soap and water to clean your tech. Tilt the brush toward either the top or bottom of your phone. Don't use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean the … Your order will be held for 3 days from the time it's placed. But both experts agree that washing your hands and using a disinfecting wipe to sanitize your phone is a better option than using UV light. Turn off and unplug your phone. But even though there's no way to guarantee that all public surfaces are routinely sanitized, there is one surface that regularly comes in contact with your hands and face that you do have control over: your cell phone. Do spray any cleaners onto a soft cloth, not directly onto your phone. If the battery cannot be removed, turning off the device will suffice. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, 15 Gifts for the Person Who Loves to Clean, The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning During a Pandemic, 4 Ways a Lint Roller Can Be Your Best Friend, How to Clean Your Phone's Screen the Right Way. Or, you can try a mixture of mild soap and water applied to a microfiber cloth. Based on his own research, Gerba says viruses and bacteria can transfer from a phone onto your hands and then back onto new surfaces in your home and office ("It's like a germ-mobile device," he says). That is a no-no. Avoid getting moisture in openings. Caution: These cleaning instructions are recommended for the glass, ceramic, and metal surfaces of your phone only. Thoroughly wash your hands, using soap and water; scrub for at least 20 seconds. Antibacterial wipe and reading this post is a mobile germ carrier or anything similarly abrasive ''... 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