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How to Clean and Disinfect Your Phone, Screen and Phone Case

Washing hands to prevent the spread of germs is easy, but what about smartphones? Like door knobs, phones are high touch surfaces that should be regularly cleaned and sanitized, and when necessary disinfected.

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It’s important to remember that mobile phones are high touch surfaces just like toilet handles, which makes a mobile phone a potential germ hotspot. Keeping your phone clean and sanitized with Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes and periodically disinfecting it when needed is easy and helps prevent the spread of illness during cold and flu season and all year long. 

In fact, studies show just how contaminated mobile phones are: they have been linked to the spread of illness in health care environments. Depending on a person’s personal hygiene habits, like how often they wash their hands, germs on a phone may be a problem in the home environment, too. Fortunately, it’s easy and convenient to use disinfecting wipes on most phone screens and cases. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfecting of electronics.

For a full list of phone-friendly disinfecting wipes, check out our products page here.

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Cleaning and sanitizing is fast

Make it part of your daily routine

Sanitizing means reducing germs to a level acceptable by public health standards. It only takes 10 seconds for Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes to sanitize a smartphone. If there’s obvious dirt, wipe it away first, then give the phone a quick wipe down and make sure it stays visibly wet for 10 seconds. Disinfecting a phone requires a longer contact time described below. Disinfecting is a higher level of germ kill than sanitizing, where bacteria and viruses are effectively eliminated. 

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Gather your supplies

Steps for disinfecting your phone screen and case*

  1. 1

    Power down your device

    If your cell phone’s manufacturer’s guide says bleach-free disinfecting wipes are an appropriate way to clean your device, begin by turning off and unplugging your phone.

    Tip

    Apple recommends products like Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes to effectively and safely clean every Apple product.

  2. 2

    Wipe your phone’s screen

    Wipe the screen, tops, sides and back of your phone. Avoid getting any liquid into the buttons or other openings.

    Tip

    To disinfect, use enough wipes for treated surfaces to remain visibly wet for 4 minutes.

  3. 3

    Clean your case

    Clean your phone case thoroughly. Don’t use Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes on fabric or leather cases.

  4. 4

    Dry the phone

    Let the surfaces air dry.

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  • *

    For electronics, please refer to the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use disinfecting wipes on my phone?

Many electronic devices can be safely cleaned with disinfecting wipes, but you should always follow manufacturer’s instructions. For a full list of tech-friendly disinfecting wipes, check out our products page.