Coronavirus: How to clean your smartphone and avoid any risk of spreading?

Let’s face it: a smartphone contains seven times more germs than a toilet bowl. This terrifying figure was revealed in November 2018 by the Daily Mail, thanks to a study by the firm Initial Washroom Hygiene. In these times of the spread of coronavirus, ensuring the perfect hygiene of your inseparable digital terminal can be, among other things, a preventive measure.

Use a microfiber cloth

Preferable rather than a paper handkerchief or paper towel which could leave residues in certain interstices of your smartphone, the microfiber cloth (of the cloth type for the household) is your ally. Non-abrasive, it won't risk scratching your screen either. It is associated with a non-abrasive and alcohol-free product such as isopropanol (about 15 euros per litre), a disinfectant and antiseptic product which is part of the composition of the hydroalcoholic gel with which you disinfect your hands. If your smartphone has a screen covered with Gorilla Glass, you can simply use a small amount of window cleaner. If it is covered with a protective film, an antiseptic wipe is ideal.

Clean the ENTIRE smartphone

Disinfecting the screen of your smartphone is not enough: the back shell, of course, but also the edges require your attention. Using a cloth, clean it thoroughly, insisting on the on/off button and the Volume keys which are often in contact with the skin.

Invest in a UV sanitizer

A device like PhoneSoap claims to eradicate 99.99% of bacteria that may be present on a smartphone thanks to UV rays. All you have to do is place your device in it, which will also recharge its battery. It can be found online, from 40 euros. A device of the same type, such as the DigRepair Phone Sterilizer does the same job while perfuming the smartphone according to the principle of aromatherapy!

Equip yourself with an antibacterial screen protector

Already in 2015, Corning, the manufacturer of the resistant Gorilla Glass lenses that equip many smartphones, had developed an antibacterial screen protector. This could eradicate 99% of bacteria. More recently, the company Otterbox presented at CES in Las Vegas a protective film containing ionic silver, a chemical agent preventing the deposit of bacteria. Its name: the Amplify Glass Antimicrobial screen protector. Alas, it should only be on sale… in the next few weeks only.

Do not wash your smartphone with water

Even if most high-end smartphones are now resistant to splashing water, even immersion, washing them is not a good idea. The reason ? Even if they have a protection index (IP67, IP68), this does not validate the fact that they can follow you in the shower. What's more, the oxidation that a smartphone that has drunk the cup can suffer from is not covered by its warranty.

Adopting good habits every day

Not lending your smartphone, not touching the metro hook-up bar and then your terminal, wearing gloves in transport, washing your hands... are so many essential actions to adopt on a daily basis. Without forgetting another gesture that it seems more than ever useful to remember: not to give in to the ambient psychosis.