Learning how to clean electronics is crucial, as these devices often aren’t included in standard cleaning routines. Laptops, smartphones, and other gadgets not only attract dust, dirt, and fingerprints, but they also harbor harmful bacteria and viruses that could make us sick.
The bacteria and viruses on your hands transfer to your smartphone, laptop, gaming consoles, and keyboard. This constant transfer from hands to devices and back again is a cycle that can spread diseases like strep throat, ear infections, stomach flu, pneumonia, and illnesses caused by Coronavirus.
Before you rush to disinfect all your electronics, continue reading to learn the proper way to clean your phone, laptop, and other devices.
IMPORTANT!
- Always look at the user guide before cleaning your electronics.
- Never spray cleaner or water directly on electronics.
- Unplug your devices or take out the batteries before cleaning them.
How to Clean Your Smartphone: Step-by-Step Guide
The pandemic has changed our daily habits. Nowadays, you wear a mask, avoid touching your face, and wash your hands many times a day. But have you thought about your smartphone? After washing your hands, you touch your phone, transferring all the germs back onto your hands! And every time you make a call, you bring those germs close to your face. This happens around 100 times a day!
So what’s lurking on your smartphone? Studies have found that smartphones can have more germs than a toilet seat—up to 10 times more. This is because the warmth of a phone is ideal for bacteria to thrive. Luckily, most of these bacteria are harmless.
However, the downside is that your phone can also harbor harmful E. coli, viruses, and other pathogens. Remember, your phone picks up everything your hands do, and vice versa. But you can break this cycle by learning how to properly clean your phone.
Health experts suggest cleaning our phones every day to stop bacteria and viruses from spreading. Be careful when cleaning your phone, as it might have a special coating to resist fingerprints that could be damaged. This coating is often also on tempered-glass screen protectors. Take off the phone case and clean it with a slightly wet microfiber cloth, then start on your phone.
Use a damp microfiber cloth or an alcohol wipe to clean your entire phone. Use cotton swabs for small gaps and around the edges of the screen and buttons. To clean tight areas, like where the phone’s body meets the glass, use a dry toothbrush. This helps remove dirt without needing water.
Disinfecting Your Phone: Safe Methods
Cleaning your phone doesn’t guarantee it’s completely free from harmful germs. Knowing how to disinfect your phone is important, especially when there’s a high risk of infection. Here’s how to sanitize your phone after cleaning it:
If your phone’s screen protector doesn’t have a special coating, you can use a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water. Mix equal parts of alcohol and water in a spray bottle. Spray a microfiber cloth with this mixture, not directly on the phone, and then wipe the phone to eliminate germs and other pathogens. Keep this solution ready as you can use it for cleaning most of your other electronics as well.
Keeping Your Smartphone Germ-Free
It’s hard enough to remember to wash your hands, let alone to clean and disinfect your phone too. Here are some tips to keep your phone cleaner and more sanitary between cleanings:
- Don’t let other people use your phone.
- Avoid using your phone in the bathroom.
- Don’t use your phone while eating.
- Keep your phone in your pocket, purse, or leave it in the car when you’re out.
- When going shopping, use a paper list instead of your smartphone.
- Use a credit card rather than mobile payment on your phone.
- Wash your hands before and after handling your smartphone.
- Use hands-free devices for calls.
Effective Cleaning Techniques for Tablets
Use a lint-free microfiber cloth, such as a lens cloth, to gently clean smudges and fingerprints. If there’s dirt and buildup, lightly wet the microfiber cloth and clean the screen first, then the case. Don’t use paper towels or tissues as they might scratch the protective coating on your tablet’s screen. To disinfect your tablet, follow the same steps mentioned earlier.
Laptop Cleaning: A Comprehensive Guide
Since your laptop can be carried around, it easily collects dust and germs. Start by turning your laptop upside down and gently shaking it to remove crumbs from the keyboard. Use a can of compressed air to clean the keyboard, ports, and tight spaces. Make sure to unplug your laptop and take out the battery first.
Use a slightly damp microfiber cloth to clean all the surfaces. For the LCD screen, use a damp microfiber cloth to wipe away dust and smudges. If you have a touchscreen, you can clean it with water or eyeglass cleaner sprayed on a microfiber cloth. Finally, clean the keyboard with a mixture of alcohol and water.
Desktop Cleaning Essentials: From Monitors to Towers
Clean your desktop monitor the same way you clean your laptop screen. Use water and a microfiber cloth to clean the back of the monitor and the frame around the screen. Also, clean your computer tower and dust off your desk to keep your home office area tidy.
Shake your keyboard over a trash can to remove loose debris. Then, use compressed air to clean around and under the keys. Wipe the keys and the rest of the keyboard with a cloth. Use a cotton swab to remove dirt from tight spaces. Finish by wiping the keyboard with a cloth dampened with your alcohol and water mixture. For your mouse, clean it with a damp cloth and use cotton swabs for tight spots. Finish by sanitizing the mouse with the same alcohol and water solution.
How to Safely Clean Your Flat-Screen TV
It might seem easy to use glass cleaner for this task, but don’t use Windex! Glass cleaners can damage your TV screen, especially if it has an anti-reflective coating that’s sensitive to chemicals. Instead, use a microfiber cloth dampened with just water to clean the screen, as well as the frame and base. Also, remember to wipe down any electronics like DVD players or streaming devices.
Remote controls, like smartphones, can collect germs and grime from dirty hands. First, take out the batteries from the remote and shake out any loose debris. Use compressed air to clean around the buttons and use a cotton swab for the dirt around the buttons and in small spaces. Finish by wiping down all surfaces with a mixture of alcohol and water.
Sanitizing Bluetooth and Smart Devices for Better Hygiene
Smart appliances and Bluetooth speakers, like other frequently touched items, gather dust and germs. Always unplug these devices or remove the batteries before cleaning. For devices with screens, use a damp microfiber cloth to clean the screen. You can use the same cloth to clean fabric-covered parts, plastic, and other surfaces. For any grooves and tight spots, use compressed air and cotton swabs to remove debris. Finally, wipe down all parts except the screen with your sanitizing solution.
Guide to Cleaning Game Consoles and Controllers
Game consoles and controllers can become grimy and dirty after long gaming sessions and eating. Before cleaning, unplug the console and disconnect the controllers. Use compressed air to clean the cutouts and inputs, and a soft bristle brush to dust all parts. Wipe all surfaces with a damp microfiber cloth and use cotton swabs for tight spaces.
For the controllers, use a cloth dampened with an alcohol and water mixture. Clean the controller and its cord well. Use a cotton swab dipped in the same sanitizing solution to clean the grooves and around the buttons. Ensure everything is dry before reconnecting the controllers and plugging in your console.
How to Clean and Maintain Fitness Trackers
Your fitness tracker and smartwatch get exposed to sweat and bacteria from your hands. Clean the screen and casing with a microfiber cloth moistened with water. Use a small, soft-bristled brush for any tight spaces and sanitize the buttons with your cleaning solution. If the bands are very dirty, remove them for a deep clean.
Nylon bands absorb sweat, so clean them regularly with a bit of dish soap and a damp cloth. For silicone bands, use a little rubbing alcohol to remove dirt and germs. Clean metal bands with a dry, lint-free cloth; if they’re very dirty, use a damp cloth and then dry them well. Leather bands should be cleaned with water and a microfiber cloth, and treated with a leather conditioner afterwards.
Tips for Cleaning Headphones and Earphones Safely
Your headphones and earphones are touched as often as your smartphone, and they also collect germs, bacteria, sweat, and earwax. Before cleaning them, disconnect your headphones or earphones. If your earphones have removable tips, take them off and wash them with soap and water, then rinse well. Use a cloth dampened with water to clean the rest of the earphones and the cord. Make sure the tips are completely dry before putting them back on.
For headphones, use a microfiber cloth moistened with water to clean any buildup. Wipe down the headphone surfaces and the cord. Use a small soft-bristled brush to clean dust from crevices and grooves. Clean Bluetooth headphones or earphones with a dry cloth to avoid damaging the internal electronics.
Now that you know how to clean and maintain your electronics, try to make it a regular routine. Interested in keeping your home clean and healthy regularly? The Maids offer a range of affordable professional house cleaning services.