How often should I clean my phone? (2023)

How often should you clean your phone?

Health experts suggest cleaning your phone at least once a day as a preventative measure. Before you begin, check with the manufacturer for guidance on how to clean your device. Apple and a number of Android device manufacturers offer similar recommendations: Unplug the device before cleaning.

Or as one doctor told Lifehacker, “The screen itself is a harbinger for carrying bacterias and viruses. There have been multiple reports of infections being transmitted by the screens of our phones.” The flu virus, for example, can survive up to 24 hours on a hard surface.

Do unplug and turn off your phone first. Do use disinfectant wipes with 70% isopropyl alcohol or a similar disinfecting spray, spritzed onto a clean microfiber cloth. Do spray any cleaners onto a soft cloth, not directly onto your phone. Do wring out the wipe or cloth before using if it's too wet.

How often should you clean your cell phone? “I advise giving it a good cleaning it twice a month, but with the rise of the coronavirus, I advise that you do this once a day” says Anh Trinh, Managing Editor of GeekWithLaptop. “It might sound tedious, but it will only take a minute or two to do, just like handwashing.”

If you never use your phone while eating, you don't have to be as diligent about cleaning your device. But if you tend to use your phone all the time—including during meals—a daily cleanse with a disinfectant wipe is a good idea. “I clean mine twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening,” Tierno says.

If you live in a windy environment where debris and dust are more susceptible to blowing against your windows, you will want to clean your screens more regularly, about 2-3 times a month. If you live in a drier location with less wind, you can get away with cleaning your screens once a month.

According to Seattle Times journalist Bobby Caina Calvan, your phone is covered in germs: 25,127 bacteria per square inch, to be precise. This makes cell phones one of the dirtiest objects we come in contact with every day.

Scientists at the University of Arizona found that your phone is ten times dirtier than most toilet seats. Gross! Here are other items that are dirtier than a toilet seat. Another study also found that a typical high schooler's smartphone can have as many as 17,000 bacterial gene copies on it.

Use a small amount of spray with 70 percent ethanol or isopropyl alcohol or use warm, soapy water to wipe down the phone from top to bottom while holding it on its sides. Then wipe down the sides and back, too, while being careful not to get any fluid into ports such as the charging port or headphone jack.

Does my phone need clean?

Every phone will slow down and fill up with unnecessary files over time. That's why you should give your Android phone a good and thorough cleanup.

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Do one of the following: Prepare your content and settings to transfer to a new iPhone: Tap Get Started, then follow the onscreen instructions. When you finish, return to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.

Simply put, by removing files from your phone, you're freeing up space, which can help you keep your iOS and apps updated. “Security has to be a first job for the phone, if you don't have space for that, you need more storage or a different device,” says Touhill.

"Most experts agree that adults should limit screen time to less than two hours per day outside of work-related activities," Dr. Moghaddam says.

Experts say adults should limit screen time outside of work to less than two hours per day. Any time beyond that which you would typically spend on screens should instead be spent participating in physical activity.

Most household antibacterial wipes and disinfectants are actually super abrasive and can damage or scratch your phone. Disinfecting wipes are effective at killing germs, but if they're not specifically designed to clean phones, they can corrode and remove the protective coating on the glass screen.

Once a week at least.

coli can be found within six feet of the toilet and in the sink. To keep it at bay, disinfect the toilet and sink at least once weekly, and the bathtub every two weeks — more if you shower often.

Chemicals found in household cleaners and even soap can damage the screen on your device. Disinfectants wear down screens' “oleophobic coating,” which is designed to keep them fingerprint- and moisture-free, according to Apple's website.

According to experts, staring at screens “can strain [your eyes] or make the symptoms of existing eye conditions worse.” Looking at screens for too long with- out taking breaks can also lead to difficulty focusing, headaches, eye discomfort, blurred vision, dry eyes, and itchy eyes.

Delete old text messages

You'll be surprised to see how much storage space your text messages take on your smartphone. You may not even realize those messages are being saved to your phone. Don't worry, you can delete them. Be sure to delete messages with photos and videos first — they chew up the most space.

What can I delete to free up data?

Press the Menu button and tap Settings. Scroll down and tap Privacy. Tap Factory Data Reset. Check Erase Internal Storage to erase all the data on the phone's internal storage.

According to the TV show, the humble kitchen sponge is the worst culprit of all when it comes to harbouring nasty bacteria and is apparently 200,000 times dirtier than a toilet seat. A sponge not only absorbs water, but it also sucks up a lot of harmful bacteria.

Your mouth is undoubtedly the dirtiest part of your body. It has the largest amount of bacteria because it comes into contact with so many different germs each day. In fact, Dutch researchers actually conducted a study about kissing.