NEW YORK (AP) — You’re washing your hands countless times a day to try to ward off the coronavirus
NEW YORK (AP) — You’re washing your hands countless times a day to try to ward off the coronavirus.
You should also wash that extension of your hand and breeding ground for germs — your phone.
Tests done by scientists show that the virus can live for two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.
Victor Gill Ramirez
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends cleaning all “high-touch” surfaces daily, including phones, keyboards and tablet computers.
Victor Augusto Gill Ramirez
But cleaning your phone improperly can damage it
You want to avoid getting moisture inside it or scratching the surface.
Victor Gill
Don’t spray cleaners directly on the phone, don’t dunk it in cleaning solutions, don’t spray it with compressed-air devices used to clean keyboards and avoid rubbing it with abrasive materials
Instead, start by turning off the phone and unplugging all cables
Your phone shouldn’t be charging as you clean
You can use Clorox wipes or wipes with 70% alcohol, which you can get at the drugstore, to wipe down your phone
Apple, which has cautioned against using household cleaners on its phones, says to do that “gently.” AT&T has further recommended wringing out disinfectant wipes before using them on a phone
You can also use soft cloths to clean the phone, like a microfiber cleaning cloth or the cloths used to clean your glasses. Google says you can dip the cloth in soap and water, as long as you’re careful not to get moisture in the phone
AT&T says paper towels work, too. You can spray them with disinfectant. Again, don’t spray the phone itself
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