The Coronavirus or the COVIND-19 has taken over the world and is now nearing a status of being a “Global Pandemic”. What originated from China, has now spread across the globe including America and India. The Virus according to the World Health Organization (WHO) spreads and we quote “When someone who has COVID-19 coughs or exhales they release droplets of infected fluidMost of these droplets fall on nearby surfaces and objects – such as desks, tables or telephones.
People could catch COVID-19 by touching contaminated surfaces or objects – and then touching their eyes, nose or mouth”. It is advised to wear a mask and to watch your hands as much as possible for 20 seconds with soap and to use an Alcohol-based hand sanitizer outside or when watching your hands is not possible. The virus can live on hard and soft (fabric) surfaces for hours leading up to days. A surface that is exposed a lot to the outside elements and is in constant touch with your body is your smartphone.
Smartphones are one of the dirtiest surfaces and are a breeding ground for tonnes of microbes. The display is in constant contact with your skin making the spreading of diseases very easy. The coronavirus outbreak has made cleaning our smartphones the need of the hour and so, here’s our list of methods that you can use to disinfect your smartphones
Isopropyl Alcohol
Isopropyl Alcohol or rubbing alcohol can be found in any drug store near you either in bottles or “swabs”. You can make a 50 part water and 50 part Alcohol mixture to clean your phone with. This will kill all the microbes residing on the surface.
It should be noted that some screens with a special coating such as oleophobic or anti-glare might get damaged over time due to the constant usage of alcohol. If your display has no such coating or you use a screen protector, usage of alcohol should not be an issue.
Commercial Cleaners
If you are unable to use Isopropyl Alcohol on your screen, the next best option is to use commercially available phone cleaners. These cleaners come in a kit with a microfibre cloth included. The liquid itself is usually gel-based and removes dirt and disinfects your phones without damaging the display.
UV light
If you are ready to go all out, you can purchase a UV light phone cleaning set that comes with a contraption in which you insert your phone after which the phone is disinfected using UV light. UV light deactivates the DNA in the viruses making them incapable of reproducing. If the virus cannot reproduce, thus it cannot infect and spread.
Water
It is not advised to spray or drip water directly on to your displays as it will seep in through the gaps between the display and the body thus frying the internal components. Companies like Apple advises using a microfibre which is dampened with warm water and then wiping the display. You can also dissolve soap in the water and use that to dampen the microfibre cloth. The cloth should not be dripping with water.
With these steps, you can now have the peace of mind and the protection that a clean smartphone offers making you less susceptible to diseases and other harmful effects that viruses and bacterias can have on your body.
It is still mandatory to follow other hygiene steps prescribed by a reputed medical body for overall protection from the infamous coronavirus whose roots are deepening into our lives with each passing day and the only way to defeat it is by coming ourselves healthy.