Yuck! Here’s Why You Should Clean Your Touch Screen

Your mobile device is dirtier than you think

TAKE A LOOK at your mobile device. Do you see oily fingerprints and lint? Dust and crumbs? Is that a hair stuck at the screen’s edge?

We take our electronics into public restrooms, hand them to runnynosed toddlers, pass them around to share photos, and press them against

sweaty skin in gyms. Repeated studies show that what accumulates is germy nastiness worse than what is on the bottom of your shoe. Like your toothbrush, “your mobile device is something you want to clean regularly,” says Dr Dubert Guerrero, an infectious disease specialist. And probably

not something you want to pass around the dinner table.

For Basic Sanitation

Cleaning your device can be tricky because you don’t want to damage it, and manufacturers don’t give you much guidance. It can be done, however, if you’re conscientious. Health experts advise wiping it down with a moist microfibre cloth at least daily, which is sufficient to eliminate fingerprints and dust. Bacteria such as Clostridium difficile (which can cause diarrhoea and inflammation of the colon) and flu viruses may require a sterilising agent such as bleach or alcohol.

This is a problem, since Apple officially warns against using window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, abrasives or cleaners that contain hydrogen peroxide to clean its products.

Nevertheless, disinfectant wipes made for electronics are great at cleaning grime. But it’s far cheaper to make your own solution. To clean his mobile devices, Derek Meister, a repair and online support technician, uses a one- to-one ratio of 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol and distilled water, which can be found at most pharmacies.

Fill a spray bottle with the diluted alcohol, lightly moisten a lint- free cloth, preferably microfibre (no paper towels), and gently wipe down the screen and case. Never spray directly onto the device. To clean corners and around ports, use lint-free foam swabs rather than cotton swabs.

To Keep It Looking New

Using a can of compressed air to blow around ports and between keys will help maintain the look, performance and resale value when it’s time to upgrade. This gets rid of dust and particles that can infiltrate and damage electronics.

Another option is to buy a specialised air compressor such as the DataVac Electric Duster, which comes with all sorts of little attachments for cleaning out your device’s crevices and seams.

“An air compressor gets things really clean,” says Miroslav Djuric, former chief information architect at iFixit, an online do-it-yourself community.

The germy mess on your mobile phone is worse than what’s on the bottom of your shoe