COVID-19 : How To SAFELY Clean Your Mobile Devices!

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Find out how to protect yourself against COVID-19 by keeping your mobile devices clean, with some help from Samsung!

Note : While Samsung helped us with this article, their cleaning advice will work for mobile devices from other brands as well.

 

COVID-19 : Why You Must Keep Your Mobile Devices Clean!

We are all well-versed about hand-washing and wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19. But most of us forget about cleaning our mobile devices as well!

On average, we pick up our smartphone about 52 times a day. And wearables like smartphones are with us for most of the day. That makes them potential sources of contamination.

After all, the COVID-19 coronavirus – SARS-CoV-2 – has been shown to survive on plastic and metal surfaces for 2-3 days.

 

Warning : Don’t Damage Your Mobile Device!

Before we start, we need to point out that cleaning your mobile devices the wrong way can damage them, or even void your warranty.

For instance, all mobile devices have liquid contact indicators built in. If any come into contact with liquid – including alcohol – it will void your smartphone’s warranty.

Some mobile devices are water-resistant, which makes them easier to clean. But cleaning them the wrong way can damage the oleophobic coating that protects their displays.

So here are Samsung’s recommended methods on how to clean our mobile devices against SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses and bacteria, without damaging them.

 

Best Disinfectant To Clean Your Mobile Devices

To sanitise your smartphone against SARS-CoV-2, you can use a small amount of disinfectant. Samsung recommends :

  • hypochlorous acid-based disinfectant (50-80 ppm)
  • alcohol-based disinfectant (over 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol)

But please note that such disinfectants should only be used on glass, ceramic and metal surfaces.

You should AVOID using them on leather or rubber surfaces.

 

COVID-19 Guide : How To Clean Your Smartphone

  1. Power off your smartphone
  2. Remove its case, cable and any attached accessories
  3. Use a lint-free microfibre cloth to wipe down the exterior of the smartphone
  4. Apply the disinfectant to the microfibre cloth, NOT directly on your smartphone.
    Avoid getting any liquid into any openings, or you can trigger the liquid contact indicators inside.
  5. Gently wipe the front and back of your smartphone with the damp cloth to sanitise it.

 

COVID-19 Guide : How To Clean Your Smartwatch

  1. Power off your smartwatch
  2. Remove its straps
  3. Use a lint-free microfibre cloth to wipe down the exterior of the smartwatch
  4. Apply the disinfectant to the microfibre cloth, NOT directly on your smartwatch.
    Avoid getting any liquid into any openings, or you can trigger the liquid contact indicators inside.
  5. Gently wipe the glass and metal surfaces of your smartwatch with the damp cloth to sanitise it.

 

Samsung Mobile Devices : Where To Buy?

We would like to thank Samsung for their help, and give them a little shout-out.

In case you are looking to upgrade to a Samsung mobile device, here are some online purchase options for the Samsung Galaxy S20, Galaxy Z Flip smartphones, and Galaxy smartwatches :

Malaysia

Singapore

United States

United Kingdom

Australia

 

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