In this new COVID-19 world that we are living in, we have become a lot more conscious about washing our hands, using hand sanitizer and sanitizing items in our daily lives. Perhaps the personal item that has the most germs on it and is exposed to all kinds of bacteria is our iPhone.

Think about all the places you bring your iPhone and all of the surfaces it has touched and now try to think of the last time you sanitized your iPhone..we’ll wait..Now that flu season is just around the corner, what better time than now to learn how to properly sanitize your iPhone. In fact, all kinds of bacteria can live on your phone, including E.coli, influenza and MRSA. So to help you stay safe in this upcoming flu season, here are some tips on how to sanitize your iPhone.

Use antibacterial wipes

antibacterial wipes

If you touch your phone after touching a public door handle or other item in public, you may immediately think to clean it with rubbing alcohol. Straight alcohol can strip the oleophobic coating that keeps oil and water from damaging your display and other ports. So, instead of a harsh chemical, use cleaning wipes to wipe off and sanitize your phone.

Rinse Your iPhone With Water

cloths

This may sound like a crazy suggestion. But, if you have a water-resistant phone,  you can use a damp or wet cloth to clean your phone, preferably microfiber. Then dry your phone with a dry cloth in order to remove the water before it gets soaked into the phone. Here’s what Apple recommends for cleaning Apple products:

Sanitizing your  iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max

  • Unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone.
  • Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth — for example, a lens cloth.
  • If material is still present, use a soft, lint-free cloth with warm soapy water. (iPhone 11 and 11 Pro only for soap)
  • Avoid getting moisture in openings.
  • Don’t use cleaning products or compressed air. Compressed air will just push everything deeper into crevices.

For SE (2nd generation), iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7

  • Unplug all cables and turn off your iPhone.
  • Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth — for example, a lens cloth.
  • Avoid getting moisture in openings.
  • Don’t use cleaning products or compressed air.

For iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE (1st generation), iPhone 5s

Clean your iPhone immediately if it comes into contact with contaminants that might cause stains, such as ink, dyes, makeup, dirt, food, oils, and lotions.

  •  Unplug all cables and turn it off.
  • Use a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth.
  • Avoid getting moisture in openings.
  • Don’t use window cleaners, household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, or abrasives.
  • The front glass surfaces have an oleophobic coating. To remove fingerprints, wipe these surfaces with a soft, lint-free cloth. The ability of this coating to repel oil will diminish over time with normal use, and rubbing the screen with an abrasive material will further diminish its effect and might scratch the glass.

Sanitize An iPhone with a UV Smartphone Cleaner

Products like PhoneSoap are growing in popularity in the wake of COVID-19. PhoneSoap uses two UV-C bulbs to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses and the results are clinically proven. This portable smartphone sanitizer also charges your device while it’s being cleaned (features both a USB-C and USB-A port).

Sanitize Your iPhone With A Homemade Solution

home made sanitizer

You can clean your phone at home using a simple solution of isopropyl alcohol. This is an effective way to eliminate illness-causing particulates from your iPhone, and Apple says that it is safe to use either 70 percent isopropyl alcohol or Clorox cleaning wipes on your devices. To do so:

  • With a cleaning spray or 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, moisten a microfiber cloth until it’s soft, slightly damp.
  • Wipe down the iPhone, front and back, with the microfiber cloth.
  • Dip a Q-Tip or cotton swab and go over the edges of the iPhone to make sure to disinfect all of the crevices.

Other Tips For Disinfecting Your iPhone

  • You’ll also want to make sure that you take your phone out of its case before cleaning it. This way you can disinfect both the actual phone and its case that’s bearing most of the brunt of germs.
  • Before you disinfect, you’ll want to grab a pack of microfiber cloths and wipe down the surface of your iPhone. Paper towels are too rough and toilet paper will leave behind a trail of lint for days.
  • When you wipe down your iPhone, you will want to make sure your iPhone isn’t plugged in, gunk will just accumulate around the charging cable.
  • Don’t use bleach or any other abrasive, high-chemical cleaner. This will only destroy the surface coatings and you are likely to end up with a destroyed device.
  • Repeat often!

Now you should know several methods to sanitize your iPhone. Use some of these methods once daily in order to prevent germs from accumulating on your phone and spreading to other people. Don’t forget other safe practices to prevent the spread of illness and disease including washing your hands with warm water and soap, using hand sanitizer when water and soap is not available, cover your cough with your elbow, stay home when you’re sick and don’t leave home without your face mask.