How To Sanitise An iPhone Screen During The Coronavirus Outbreak

Image via CNET
While the COVID-19 outbreak is emerging with more cases than the start, we often have to avoid shaking hands, wash our hands a lot and clean the surfaces more frequently than usual to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Albeit these precautions, we still take our iPhones with us wherever we go and we touch the screens every day. This causes clusters of germs and viruses on the iPhone screen, which means that iPhone users can get ill and sick if they do not clean their iPhone screens and cases regularly.

There are many different methods to sanitise an iPhone screen and its accessories. These consist of using a microfiber cloth, screen cleaning wipes, a streak-free, screen cleaner, and using a UV light to clean off all of the germs from the surfaces of the iPhone. The first method is Apple-recommended as most screen cleaners designed for iOS devices does not ruin any oleophobic coatings on the glass, including the matte finish on the back of the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 dual-camera module.

To clean an iPhone screen and its exterior without damaging its delicate finish, first remove any Lightning accessories, cables, including Lightning EarPods, from the iPhone. Next, remove all cases on the iPhone including skins and stickers. Then grab a clean, soft and non-abrasive lens cloth, spray it with a streak-free, liquid screen cleaning solution and rub the cloth in a non-circular motion on the screen and the exterior areas of the iPhone. Apply a slightly more pressure or dampen the cloth with warm, soapy water to the areas that have sticky residue or anything that is difficult to clean off in a simple swipe.

On the other hand, do not spray the screen cleaning liquid directly on the iPhone, as it will get inside the speakers, microphones and the Lightning port, corroding the components inside the device. Only spray the liquid into a non-abrasive, soft, lens or microfibre cloth. After using the cloth, let it air out by leaving it spread out on a flat surface before storing it away. Wash the microfibre cloth with soap and warm water and let it dry overnight for at least once a week, to remove all the dust and germs stuck on the cloth.

Next, if there is a mark on the frosted glass back of the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, then it can come off easily by cleaning the back. This can be done with a microfibre or lens cloth. Make sure to do not use cleaning products that are not intended to clean iOS device screens, as the cleaners have chemicals that can cause damage to the aluminium, glass or the stainless steel finishes on the iPhone. As of Monday, Apple has updated their official support page regarding this topic that screen cleaning or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are okay to be used on cleaning the surfaces of the iPhone and other Apple products, but the company points out that wipes should not be used to clean leather and fabric and to remove debris from Lightning ports. Abide the specific instructions outlined by Apple when cleaning a leather iPhone case, leather Apple Watch bands and the Sport loops. Wipes should only be used to clean an iPhone up to twice a day, to prevent ruining the oleophobic coatings on the glass screen and back.

Last, if using a screen cleaner and a soft cloth is not an option to disinfect and sanitise your iPhone, then a UV-C light cleaner is an option for those who want to remove all types of viruses and germs from their iPhones. Note that this solution is not recommended by Apple and it is costlier than a pack of screen cleaning wipes and a screen cleaner bottle, so use this method at risk. UV phone cleaners cost from $25-80 and also provide an extra USB or USB-C port to charge the iPhone while sanitising it. Simply put the iPhone inside the box, close the box, plug the cleaning box in the wall (if the UV-C iPhone cleaning box relies on AC power), and wait for at least ten minutes for all of the bacteria and germs to be erased from the iPhone. Take out the iPhone from the box and the device is free for viruses, including the coronavirus. Every aspect of the iPhone including its internals, ports and speakers, are all sanitised. On the other hand, the sanitising box can also remove germs from everything that fits in the box.

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