You've probably heard that your smartphone can be a germ lab — even before COVID-19 came along.
But what's the best way to keep your phone clean, and functional? And can we really use things like disinfectant wipes or something alcohol-based, to rid your phone of germs?
"For years we've been told not to use things like disinfectant wipes, and be very careful with alcohol, and the reason being is you might strip off the coating on your screen," CJAD 800's tech expert Carmi Levy told Andrew Carter. "It'll look all patchy and it'll be more vulnerable to scratches. It'll affect the ability for the touch screen to do its job."
Levy says two of the world's largest phone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung, have some up with specific instructions for how to clean your phone.
"Apple says you can use dicinfectant wipes. They're okay. Clorox sheets, specifically," Levy says. "Samsung put on its web site that you can use an alcohol-based solution, but very specifically, a 70 per cent alcohol-based solution. And don't just pour it on the phone, you just pour a little bit into a microfibre cloth, a soft cloth, and then put in on your phone."
Levy says a light soap-and-water solution is okay, but window cleaner isn't.
And before you start cleaning, you might want to remove the protective cover on the phone, if you have one. Covers tend to trap months' worth of dirt and dust particles.
And whatever you use, of course, make sure none of it gets too deep inside the phone through its ports.