You are living in an age of a pandemic caused by a microbe (the novel coronavirus) of mysterious origins. 

Thus, you have to step up on our cleaning and hygiene game to remain healthy and germ-free. 

Yet, despite your efforts to spruce yourself up to combat the virus, you might often overlook one important device that is a huge possible carrier of unwanted germs and viruses. 

You’ve probably guessed it already – this device is none other than your phone.

How can you keep your device clean and keep yourself safe from the pandemic?

Check the following tips on how to keep yourself and your phone germ-free.

 

Use Disinfecting Wipes

While various phone manufacturers might seem to have differing opinions on how you can clean your phone, a common point they tend to agree on is the use of disinfecting wipes for cleaning.

Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, both Google and Apple indicated that only lint-free cloth materials with some soapy water could be used to clean soiled phones.

However, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, Apple stated in its instructions that one might “gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces” with “70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipes or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes”.

Avoid being over-zealous by creating alcohol and water concoctions to clean your phone, because one wrong move could damage your phone and reduce its trade-in value drastically.

Do not use strong chemicals like bleach, ammonia or other household cleaning detergents that could prove too strong or contain too much alcohol content that could remove the hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings on your phone.

Even ordinary make-up removers are not suitable for the sensitive outer layer of your phone cover and screen.  

Without the essential coatings to prevent water and oil from damaging parts of your phone, your phone will be vulnerable to damages from the external environment.

The best bet is to play safe and abide by Apple’s advice above to stick to wipes, as long as you are not using the wipes on fabric or leather surfaces.

 

Do Not Go All Out To Dunk Waterproof Phones In Water

Perhaps you might have the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max that claim waterproof qualities.

Nonetheless, having one or more waterproof phones does not mean you go all out to wash them in water with or without soap.

Rather, you should prevent moisture from getting into any openings into your device.

 

Avoid Too Much Wiping

Attention to all clean freaks and germaphobes out there – wiping your phone regularly is good, but take care to avoid too much wiping.

This is because excessive wiping can damage your phone screen and the finish of the phone, making your phone more susceptible to external damage and decreasing its monetary value.

Instead, cleaning your phone once or twice daily should suffice to steer all viruses away from it.

Of course, if you have been exposed to potentially contaminated surfaces or people, it would not harm to clean your phone with disinfecting wipes an additional time, just to make sure.

 

Do Not Spray Cleaning Substances Directly On Your Phone

You might get creative when you try to think of ways you can clean your phone to ensure it remains germ-free.

Nevertheless, some ideas are simply off limits.

For instance, if you are thinking of spraying cleaning detergents or concentrated alcohol solutions on your phone, think twice.

As mentioned above, some cleaning agents would be too strong for your phone and destroy its protective coating and finish.

Another reason against using sprays to clean your phone directly would be that sometimes the substances from these sprays might get into openings on your phone and damage the interior components of your device.

 

 Utilise A Phone Case

There are twofold benefits to using a phone case along with your phone.

Firstly, using a phone case will fend off germs and viruses from touching your phone screen and cover. .

Phone cases stop dust, dirt and germs from contaminating your phone.

The second benefit of using a phone case is that the latter functions as a protective cover to shield your phone from scratches and damages caused by impact.

For instance, should you accidentally drop your phone on the floor, your phone case will act as the outer protective shield protecting your phone screen from major cracks.

That being said, a phone case does not alone guarantee that your phone will be germ-free and crack-free.

Continue cleaning your phone regularly with disinfectant wipes and take good care of it to avoid accidentally dropping it.

 

Wash Your Hands and Fingertips Regularly

This point might seem like a no-brainer.

That being said, it does not hurt to reiterate it once again.

All your phone cleaning will go to waste if your hands and fingertips remain dirty and contaminated.

The reason is that most of the dirt and germs on your phone come from your hands and fingers.

Ensure you wash your hands and even fingertips regularly with soap and warm water to minimise any germs or viruses from making your hands their home.

After you have thoroughly cleansed your hands and fingertips, dry them with a dry cloth before touching your phone again.

 

Turn Off All Power Sources When Cleaning

Again, this might sound like another straightforward and obvious rule.

Yet, in this era of panic and anxiety, one can never be too careful when it comes to protecting yourself and your devices from electric shock (that coule be fatal) due to contact with water or other cleaning liquids.

The safest thing to do would be to disconnect your phone from all power sources and to turn the latter off when you are about to clean your phone.

 

Consult Experts At Reebelo

If you are still unsure as to whether you are cleaning your phone properly and keeping it germ-free, you can consult Reebelo’s team of experts and dedicated customer service professionals to help you navigate the process of cleaning your phone as well as answer any additional phone queries.

COVID-19 or any other public health crisis should not completely deter you from continuing to live life as normal as possible.

This means that you can still proceed with your secondhand or refurbished phone purchase with us at Reebelo.

This is because Reebelo has a wide collection of refurbished phones that have been comprehensively cleaned (relief!), inspected and repaired.

What is more, should you purchase a pre-loved phone at Reebelo, you would get to enjoy significant discounts for even the more recent phone models, such as the iPhone 11 Pro!

Enjoy a 1-month warranty that can be extended to up to 6 months at no additional cost!

What is amazing is that in this era of social distancing and physical isolation due to the virus outbreak, Reebelo’s free phone delivery service right to your doorstep will ensure that your purchase with us will be as seamless and as virus-free as possible.

 

Pre-Loved Phones Can Be Like Brand New Ones, If Not Better – At Reebelo!

If you are worried that the refurbished phone from Reebelo’s collection that you have been eyeing might not be as clean as a brand new one, fret not.

We at Reebelo ensure that all refurbished phones in our collection have been completely cleaned – to be germ free!

Do not let the clouds of COVID-19 impede you from making your desired phone purchase from Reebelo here. 

Hurry up while stocks last!

By Angeline Tan