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Why you should clean your phone screen regularly
Living with smartphones for a permanent social media connection exposes them to all forms of environments and bacteria.
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Phones were found to have 140 units per swab of staphylococcus, better known as staph, in comparison to a toilet seat, which had less than 20 units. (Shutterstock/File)
Oily fingerprints, dust and crumbs that end up on the screens of mobile phones are the least of our worries.
They are exposed to all forms of environments and bacteria and were found to have 140 units per swab of staphylococcus, better known as staph, in comparison to a toilet seat, which had less than 20 units, according to Reader’s Digest.
A phone screen has become a common breeding ground for germs, which can lead to conditions such as acne and blackheads, due to it being pressed against the face.
“Your mobile device is something you want to clean regularly,” said Dubert Guerrero, an infectious disease specialist at Sanford Health in Fargo, North Dakota, as quoted by The New York Times.
Phone screens are not the only screens that provide germs with a place to stay -- tablets and other devices are also prone to infestations.
Read also: A how-to guide to fixing a water-damaged phone
Guerrero said cleaning your mobile device’s screen regularly with a damp microfiber cloth was enough to rid it of common bacteria, though he recommended alcohol and bleach to rid it of more dangerous and hardy bacteria such as Clostridium difficile, which can cause diarrhea and inflammation of the colon.
“That devices can be a source of disease transmission is not a subject of debate anymore,” he added.
The report suggested that alcoholic wipes were effective enough to clean marks, dirt, fingerprints and all other conspicuous and inconspicuous substances that have accumulated on your device’s screen, whilst at the same time, disinfecting the area. (acr/kes)
