Just admit it. Sometimes you spend longer than needed in the bathroom because you get carried away scrolling through your social media feeds and reading your emails. Even though this is a harmless act, millions of germs collect on the surface of devices. To ensure that your business does not follow you outside of the bathroom here’s how to properly disinfect your devices.
Why Should I Care?
Viruses and germs such as COVID-19 can live on commonly touched surfaces for up to three days according to the CDC.
Think about every surface you intentionally touch every single day. You touch the screen of your phone, your laptop’s keyboard, your remote control. As you go throughout your day, disinfecting your hands is not enough to prevent further spread.
These germs are not like a software virus you can get on your phone or computer. Rather, they can make you sick if they happen to enter your system.
What is Living on My Device?
To put everything into perspective, here are stats provided by Seatle Times Journalist Bobby Caina and Mashable.
- Toilet seats: 1,201 bacteria per square inch
- Kitchen counter: 1,736 bacteria per square inch
- DoorKnobs: 8,643 bacteria per square inch
- Phones: 25,127 bacteria per square inch
These stats show that phones carry about 20 times more bacteria than the surface of a toilet seat.
Studies found that phones, tablets, and computers carry bacteria, such as Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, E. coli, Enterococcus feacalis, and MRSA.
How do I Disinfect My Device?
So now that you are aware of what is on the surface of your device, here are tips provided by the CDC to ensure that you properly disinfect your device.
- Unplug your device before cleaning
- Use a slightly damp cloth or wipe
- Avoid excessive wiping and submerging
- Don’t spray cleaning solution directly onto the device
- Avoid bleach and abrasive cleaning solutions
- Avoid any openings of your device when using liquids
Failing to properly clean your device can result in a lot of damage. If your device has water damage, is no longer charging, or not powering on after you disinfected it, you can visit or send it to iFixYouri to have it repaired for an affordable price.
How to Minimize the Germs
If your device has a cracked screen, wiping its surface may not be enough because bacteria can still collect in the cracks. The best solution is to get your screen repaired to prevent any further spread of germs.
To minimize the germs, the CDC also recommends that you:
- Keep your phone in your pocket or purse when outside of your home
- Use a physical shopping list rather than your phone when grocery shopping
- Use a credit card rather than mobile pay
- Only touch your phone after you have washed your hands
- Use hands-free devices when making a call so your phone is not pressed against your face
https://www.ifixyouri.com/pages/supportYou won’t be able to prevent germs from getting onto the surface of items you use every single day, but what you can do is be mindful of where, when, and how you use and disinfect your devices. If you still have questions about how to properly disinfect your devices, contact iFixYouri.
Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema Via Unsplash.com