Do not use rubbing alcohol, paper towels, compressed air, dish soap or vinegar. All of these can damage your phone: Paper towels can scratch your screen, and vinegar could damage its coating. Do not use hand sanitizer on your phone screen, but do sanitize your hands before touching your phone.
Alcohol Can Damage Your Phone
There's one more important reason why you shouldn't use alcohol or other liquid cleaning chemicals on your devices, and that's the oleophobic coating. This is the special coating on your phone's screen that prevents fingerprints, smudges, and scratches.
And never hand sanitizing gel, which tech experts say can damage your devices. The distilled water, or water-vinegar, water-isoproply solution should always be spritzed onto a microfiber cloth, then rubbed on to the phone or laptop. Experts say make sure the cloth is damp but not wet.
Some hand sanitizers have additional ingredients like perfumes that give it a scent other than alcohol gel. Those will likely leave a residue and can make your screen blurry, and they'll leave a scent on your phone. Any hand sanitizer with glitter in it will, of course, leave glitter everywhere.
Trinh recommends wiping down your iPhone or Android with a microfiber cloth every day. If wiping down your phone daily sounds unrealistic, you might change your mind after you learn how dirty your phone screen actually is.
Rub some sanitizer into the bristles and let dry. Make glass surfaces shine even when you don't have glass cleaner. Remove paint stains, including from brushes. Remove scuff marks from your shoes.
You should never use Clorox or Lysol wipes on your phone's screen to rid it of germs or viruses. Getting your devices clean again can be easy if you know what to use. Here's how you can properly clean and disinfect your Android phone with the right tools in hand, all from the comfort of your home.
Use disinfectant wipes or the right alcohol-based solution
Don't. Straight alcohol can strip the oleophobic and hydrophobic coatings that keep oil and water from damaging your phone's display and other ports.
Health experts suggest cleaning your phone at least once a day as a preventative measure. Before you begin, check with the manufacturer for guidance on how to clean your device. Apple and a number of Android device manufacturers offer similar recommendations: Unplug the device before cleaning.
Isopropyl alcohol removes oils, adhesives, fingerprints, soldering flux and other contaminants, making it ideal for cleaning electronics. However, it is important to note that only alcohol with a grade of 90% or more should be employed on circuit boards and other internal electronics.
Avoid direct application.
If you are using alcohol or disinfecting wipes, you may consider wringing them out slightly before using them to avoid applying too much of the solution. You should also avoid using compressed air or aerosol sprays on your device.
Polish with a microfiber cloth.
Gently wipe the exterior of your phone with a clean microfiber cloth to get rid of smudges and crud. "This will physically remove germs, due to the friction between the cloth and the glass surface," Forte says.
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, abrasives, or cleaners containing hydrogen peroxide to clean your iPhone unless following the instructions for disinfecting your iPhone.
Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75 percent ethyl alcohol wipe, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the exterior surfaces of your iPhone. Don't use products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide. Avoid getting moisture in any openings, and don't submerge your iPhone in any cleaning agents.
Do not ever use Clorox, Windex, or Lysol cleaning products on your electronic devices. Smartphone screens should only be cleaned with alcohol-based cleaners, such as lens cleaning wipes you would use to clean your eyeglasses. Another option would be to use a screen cleaner designed to be used on computer screens.
Don't ever use Clorox wipes on skin. This one may seem obvious, but it's an important one: Don't use the wipes as diaper wipes or for personal cleansing or sanitizing. Clorox's sanitizing claims are based on using the wipes as directed on hard and soft surfaces, not human skin.
Last but not least, hand sanitizer can be used to clean away smudges on glass surfaces. Yes, this means your precious iPhone or computer screen can be smudge free with a simple spray and wipe.
Some people have turned to hand sanitiser as a remedy for underarm body odour thanks to its bacteria-killing effects. While this might work, it's not recommended to use hand gel on your underarms. You risk upsetting the natural balance of the delicate skin in this area, similar to use on the face.
At most, experts said you can use a solution of 1 part distilled vinegar to 5 of 6 parts water. Or, many experts say, never use rubbing alcohol. And never hand sanitizing gel, which tech experts say can damage your devices.
Clean up junk files on your iPhone by opening Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Open individual apps to delete downloads and data files. You can also uninstall and reinstall apps to clear your iPhone's junk files and update your apps at the same time.
A 1:1 solution of water and rubbing alcohol can be used to remove fingerprints. Simply mix the solution in a bowl or spray bottle, then use it to dampen a microfiber cloth.
Most household antibacterial wipes and disinfectants are actually super abrasive and can damage or scratch your phone. Disinfecting wipes are effective at killing germs, but if they're not specifically designed to clean phones, they can corrode and remove the protective coating on the glass screen.