How to clean your phone and other devices

Today smartphones are an integral part of a person’s body. They are indispensable in our everyday activities such as checking emails, social media, clicking photos, playing games among others. However, have you ever considered how many times you use your phone and how many germs it can accumulate?

Studies show that the phones are contaminated by bacteria including the pathogenic ones like E.coli and Staphylococcus. To your shock, your smart phone could be among the dirtiest objects that you encounter in the course of your day to day activities, even dirtier than the toilet. It is therefore not only about the aesthetic purposes but it is actually important for the hygiene and longevity of the devices.

It is now time to learn how to clean your phone and other devices properly.

1. Start with a Clean Case

Phone cases are notorious for collecting dust, dirt, and bacteria which means they are some of the grimiest parts of the phone. Some of these cases are made from silicone or rubber and are therefore porous and can easily hold bacteria while leather cases require special care.

Steps to Clean Your Case:

1. Remove the case: First of all, make sure you remove your phone from the case so that it does not get wet.

2. Wash with soap and water: For silicone, plastic or rubber cases you should clean them with mild dish soap and warm water. Using a sponge or a cloth, clean the surface of the object while focusing on the borders as the most dirty area.

3. Sanitize: For further cleaning, after washing, one should use a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution to clean the case using a microfiber cloth. This will assist in eradicating the remaining bacteria which may be present on the skin.

4. Dry completely: Make sure that the case is completely dry before you place it back to your phone. It will cause damages in the long run especially at the camera and button cutouts where moisture is likely to accumulate.

For leather cases do not use water as it can warp or stain the leather of the case. Still, it is better to use leather cleaners and the manufacturer’s care instructions on how to clean the leather.

2. Use the Right Cleaner for Your Phone

Your phone’s screen is very delicate and you should never clean it with chemicals that can remove the layer of protection, crack the screen or affect its sensitivity to touch. Because it can damage your device, it is advisable not to use bleach, window cleaner or general household disinfectants on your electronics.

Steps to Clean Your Phone:

1. Turn off and unplug your phone: It is also important not to turn on the phone while cleaning it so that there is no chances of pressing any button accidentally or facing electrical problems.

2. Prepare a cleaning solution: A more secure option is the one that consists of 70% isopropyl alcohol and 30% water. Alternatively, one may use the pre-moistened disinfecting wipes that do not contain ammonia or bleach.

3. Wipe the screen and body: You should use lint free microfiber cloth that should be slightly wet with the alcohol solution not soaked. Swab the screen softly in circular motion with moderate pressure only. This can be done in areas of the screen that are most likely to accumulate fingerprints and oils including the sides of the screen and the home button.

4. Don’t soak the cloth: Water can also get into the device through the charging port, microphone or the headphone jack and may detrimental to the other parts of the phone. If your cloth is too wet then it is advisable to squeeze out the excess water and use the cloth to clean the phone.

5. Dry with a clean microfiber cloth: Lastly, it is better to clean the surface with dry part of the microfiber cloth so as to remove any remaining water marks.

3. Don’t Forget the Charging Port

Dirt and dust particles together with lint from your pockets or bags may tends to collect in the charging port thus preventing the charger from connecting with the phone. It is recommended that one cleans the phone from time to time in order to ensure that the charging speed and the battery life are in the best shape.

Steps to clean your phone’s charging port:

1. Power off your phone: This is important in order to prevent the short circuit or even damage of the components by accident.

2. Use compressed air: This is where a can of compressed air comes in as the best and safest option to use when cleaning the charging port. Take the can and hold it a few inches away from the port and then spray short bursts of air to clean the debris.

3. Use a wooden toothpick: If the dirt is still visible, then use a wooden or plastic tooth pick to remove the dust but never use metal tooth pick. It is advisable not to press on the pins that are present at the port side as they can easily get damaged.

4. Check for moisture: Before connecting the phone to the charger make sure that the port is free of water as moisture will damage the battery and other internal part of the phone.

4. Clean Hard-to-Reach Areas with a Toothbrush

Those difficult to clean areas include speaker grilles, buttons, and camera lenses among others. To clean these areas one has to be very careful not to harm the area and a soft toothbrush is ideal for this job as it does not cause scratches.

How to clean hard-to-reach areas of a phone:

• Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush: Make sure it is a new toothbrush with soft bristles and the toothbrush should not be used before. Another type can be a small paintbrush with very thin and soft hairs for example.

• Use gentle brushing motions: For instance, clean the speaker grille, the microphone holes, and the surrounding of the camera lens. Don’t be too rough, this will only force dirt further into the device.

• Adhesive putty for dust: Sticky dust can be removed with adhesive putty (like blu tack). Apply the putty onto the speaker grille and then pulling it off to clean the dust. This way is quite helpful when cleaning small spaces where there is no need to use water.

5. Cleaning Speaker Grills Thoroughly

Speaker grills are very important parts of the speakers but they tend to get blocked with dust, lint, and grime among other things. If you are experiencing a reduced or distorted sound from your phone one likely reason is that there is debris stuck in the speaker grills. These areas are very sensitive and that is why one has to clean them well without causing any damage to the speaker component beneath them.

How to Clean Phone Speaker Grills:

• Power Off Your Phone: Before going for the cleaning of the speaker grills, ensure that you have switched off your phone to prevent any form of sound production or even damaging of the phone.

• Use Compressed Air: To safely remove the dirt from the speaker grills one has to use a can of compressed air. Press the nozzle a few inches from the grill and use short and soft pressure of the air. Do not apply the nozzle too closely to the speaker or apply too much pressure when cleaning for this may push the dirt deeper to the speaker or even damage the speaker in the process.

• Use a Soft-Bristled Brush: If compressed air doesn’t do the job, then, Clean the speaker grills using a soft-bristled toothbrush or a small paintbrush. It is only necessary to wipe the grills gently to remove any remaining dust and particles from their surface. Do not apply too much pressure when cleaning a speaker because this might simply push the dirt further into the speaker or even damage the speaker grill.

• Adhesive Putty for Stubborn Dirt: If the grill still looks dirty, adhesive putty can be used (Blu-Tack, for example or similar products). Take a small portion of the putty and then roll it into a ball then place it softly on the speaker grill. The remaining dust or debris in the small openings should be removed when you peel the putty away. Rinse the hair brush off in water and repeat this process severally to enhance a proper cleaning.

• Use a Dry Toothpick for Deep Cleaning: When the dirt is stuck in the grill, a wooden toothpick is recommended to be used in removing it gently. One should not push the toothpick too hard and make sure that it does not get stuck into the mesh or the speaker. Wipe the grill gently with the toothpick to get rid of the particles of the dirt that stick to the surface.

• Final Wipe Down: After you have clean the speaker grills, you should clean the surrounding area with a microfiber cloth. This will help to also remove any form of dust that may have accumulated on the surface during the cleaning process.

6. Maintain Regular Cleaning Habits

It is good to clean your devices from time to time, but to be more hygienic and get the best results, it is advisable to clean them often. Regular cleaning can help to avoid a lot of accumulation and it will also help to keep your device in good shape as if it is new.

Best Practices for Long-Term Maintenance:

• Weekly cleaning: It is recommended that you should clean your phone with a microfiber cloth and an alcohol solution at least once a week. This prevents oils and grime from building up and becoming MORE difficult to clean off.

• Protect with a case and screen protector: It can prevent scratches and fingerprints and may be worthwhile to look at a case that is easy to wipe down. Find cases that are antimicrobial so that they can minimize the growth of bacteria on the cases.

• Wash your hands before using your phone: These tips help in making sure that you do not transfer dirt, oil or bacteria from the hands to the device.

• Avoid eating or drinking near your devices: This is because food and other drinks may drip on the phone buttons or get lodged in between them, which may not be hygienic at all.

Things to Avoid:

• One should never use liquid cleaners on the speaker grills. This is because liquids may get into the device and this may damage the internal speakers or cause short circuit.

• Do not apply force to clean the speaker grills since using paperclips or pins for instance may scratch the surface or harm the fine mesh of the speakers.

With these, your phone Speaker grills will be clean from dust and dirt that may affect the sound quality of your device. And if your phone speakers are still sounding a little fuzzy, try my phone speaker cleaning app.