How to clean your phone

Since the pandemic, we’re a lot more vigilant about how often we wash our hands. But what about your phone?

You probably put your phone down a lot more than you realise. Putting your phone on the desk next to you while you work, resting it on a wall to take a picture, and even tapping it on a card machine to pay for something can all bring your phone into contact with bacteria and other nasty germs.

All the major phone makers warn against using chemicals, hand gels and abrasive wipes as ways to clean your phone because they can damage the screen’s protective coating. But there are ways to get a shiny clean (and germ-free!) phone, without them.

Method 1: Soap and water

Even using soap and water can banish bacteria and remove viruses from your phone.

What you’ll need:

• Simple household soap (your regular hand soap will be fine)
• Two clean cloths (ideally microfibre)
• Water

Steps:

1. Unplug and turn off your phone and remove the case
2. Dampen (don’t soak) a cloth with water and a little soap
3. Gently rub the surfaces, including the screen and cameras, of your phone with the damp cloth (you can also clean your case at the same time)
4. Be careful not to get moisture in any of the openings (eg charging port, headphone socket). Dry your phone with a clean, dry cloth

Top tip: Take extra care with the fabric lining in some cases.

Method 2: 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes

Apple states that you can use 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes on iPhones. This method should work on other phones too but be sure to check with your manufacturer. Just in case.

While alcohol wipes are unlikely to be as wet as a cloth, it’s still a good idea to be careful around the charging port and speakers.

You can buy 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes from specialist tech shops and many big online retailers.

Top tip: You can buy phone cleaning kits with special attachments to clean the charging port and speakers on your phone

Method 3: Ultraviolet light

You can buy UV phone sanitisers, small devices which sterilise your phone using ultraviolet UVC radiation. They cost between £20 - £40 from online retailers, depending on the model and its features.

UV light is very effective and can remove almost all the bacteria from your devices in just a few minutes.

The downside is that, while they won’t harm your device, some phones and cases could become discoloured with continued use over time.

Get your latest phone from giffgaff

If your current phone is getting a little worse for wear, maybe it’s time to get a new one from giffgaff?

You can get a new phone or a refurbished phone, the quality is basically identical. giffgaff also offers some fantastic SIM only deals if you want the whole package.