The smartphone has become one of the most used products for many people. But what many people don't realise is how dirty it can be, especially when they leave the house, pick up their device on the bus, at work, at school, in a restaurant or at a nightclub.
In a word, it's worth taking out the phone from time to time to give it a good cleaning! But this is not as easy as you might think. In this article, we've taken a look at what to look out for when cleaning a smartphone and what to avoid.
Tilos!
Let's start with this last category! Please note that so-called harsh solvents such as acetone or benzene should not be used to clean your smartphone. Bleach, strong disinfectants (Domestos, Hypo, etc.) and ammonia should be avoided. Even glass and window cleaners, which many people think are best for cleaning screens, are wrong. The chemicals in these products can cause fatal damage.
It is also worth noting that the display of most devices has a so-called oleophobic coating that repels oils from hands and fingers. The effectiveness of the coating diminishes over time, but using any kind of abrasive on the glass speeds up this process. In other words, such solutions and scrubbing should be avoided.
Some people swear by compressed air, saying that it can clean the dust and dirt out of the product, but this is wrong, it only causes more damage, as it compresses the dirt inside the device.
What is needed?
To clean your phone properly, you only need a few things. A microfibre, lint-free cloth, half a glass of distilled water, half a glass of 70% isopropyl alcohol, a squirt bottle, a cotton swab and a toothpick.
The first step is to remove all accessories (e.g. headphones) from the phone, take it out of its case and switch it off. Do not clean the product while it is switched on! Next, mix distilled water and alcohol, then spray the solution onto a microfibre cloth and wipe the back, front and sides of the product thoroughly. It is important not to spray the mixture of alcohol and distilled water directly onto the machine.
There may be small parts of a mobile phone that are not properly reached by the microfibre cloth. This could be the area around the buttons or, in some cases, the lenses or camera area. This is where the aforementioned cotton wool, toothpick (or ear cleaning stick) comes in handy. This should also be moistened and wiped over the hard to reach areas. Once done, the machine should be put out in the air and left to dry. So there is no need to soak up the moisture from the product with any substance.
Tok
There's no point in cleaning the phone too much if the case is left untouched, so it's worth treating that too. Whether made of silicone, hard plastic or leather, most mobile phone case has serrated, textured edges for a better grip. These parts are worth paying close attention to, as they tend to get very dirty.
The for silicone case just mix a little lukewarm water with a cleanser, dip it in the water and rub intensively over sensitive areas. For plastic, use a solution of distilled water and alcohol, spray a microfibre cloth with it and wipe the case. A cotton swab or an ear cleaner can also be used to clean the openings of buttons and lenses. In the case of leather, it is not so easy for the user, as a special leather cleaner must be used and then the accessory must be lubricated with a leather conditioner.
