Covid-19 – How To Clean Your Smartphone And Keep It Free From Coronavirus
The novel coronavirus which emerged less than 4 months ago, has caused a global pandemic and has entire countries and cities in lockdown.
Infecting over a million people worldwide, COVID-19 spreads through contact. And there is still no vaccine to fight the virus.
Hence, we are advised to wash our hands constantly, sanitise all goods that come in contact with others and practise social distancing in order to prevent the spread of the disease.
The virus can be contracted from the simple act of touching a doorknob that’s infected. Which brings us to the questions of that smartphone you carry you around all the time.
Can Your Mobile Phone Be Contaminated With COVID-19 Virus?
The answer is yes! Your smartphone as a ‘high-touch’ surface can harbour the COVID-19 virus for many hours. According to the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention the virus can live for 3 days on stainless steel and plastic.
Can I Sanitise My Phone Without Causing Damage?
Phonepola, Sri Lanka’s premier mobile store to buy the latest mobile phones knows just how special your smartphone is to you. And unlike your hands, you cannot spray on doses of hand sanitiser to disinfect your mobile and keep it free from the COVID-19 virus.
Improper cleaning of your smartphone will damage it. You cannot spray liquids to clean the surface, you risk scratching the screen and letting in moisture to the sensitive interior. Compressed air-devices too will cause damage, remember your mobile is not the same as a computer keyboard. Even rubbing the phone with abrasives will damage the plastic and the screen.
But the good news is you can safely sanitise your phone and keep it free from the dreaded coronavirus. Simply follow the given steps.
How To Clean Your Phone Of Coronavirus
The first step is to unplug your phone, remove all cables and turn it off. It must not be charging when you attempt to clean the phone.
You can use Clorox wipes, or any disinfectant wipe with a 70% volume of alcohol. Apple has asked users to ‘wring’ out the disinfectant wipes before using it on your phone. Once done use the wipes to gently clean the entire surface of your phone.
However, if you don’t already own a set of disinfectant wipes and given the situation, are not in a position to purchase a new batch, try the following method to sterilise your smartphone.
Get hold of soft cloth; a microfibre cloth like the ones you may have to clean your spectacles are ideal. Cut out a small square and dip it in a solution of soapy water. Once dipped in the soap water, wring it out and use it to gently clean your phone, making sure to not get any moisture inside of the ports.
AT&T has advised the use of paper towels too in the event you don’t have a soft cloth. You can take the paper towel and spray it with a mild disinfectant and use it to clean the phone. Do not spray disinfectant directly onto the phone!
Samsung Introduces A Phone Sanitising Service
While not available in Sri Lanka yet, its good to know that Samsung, as the world’s largest mobile manufacturer, is offering a free mobile phone sanitising service. The service is offered at the US Samsung outlets and service centres. The process of disinfecting the mobile phone is done via UV lights, and plans are underway to extend the service to other countries.
For now, though, our part is to make sure our mobile phones are properly sanitised. Deemed high-risk carriers of the COVID-19 virus, the mobile phone must be used with great responsibility.
With coronavirus causing over 80,000 deaths and numbers rising, let’s all do our part to stop the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 virus.