By Kim Komando
1. Get cleaning supplies
You have a few options of ways to clean your phone: You can buy products specifically made for that purpose, or you can make your own. Screen wipes make for a great way to rub down your smartphone screen, which is the part of your phone you touch the most. These wipes remove germs thanks to the solution they contain, and also smudges, keeping your phone look better as well as making it cleaner. You can use screen wipes on the body of your phone, too, and use them on tablets and computers just as easily. …
You can also make your own cleaning solution, using what you have around the house or what you can get locally, to clean your phone. For a home cleaner, you just need distilled water, isopropyl alcohol 70%, a spray bottle, cotton swabs and a microfiber or lens cleaning cloth.
2. Remove your phone’s case and accessories
To really clean your phone, you don’t want to just wipe down what’s visible. You want to be able to reach the nooks and crannies, and clean out areas that have started to build up dirt out of sight. Remove your case to see what we mean. There, you’ll find all sorts of dust and gunk have started to settle in areas, and you’ll want that off just as much as you want your phone screen to be less smudged. So remove your phone’s case, and unplug any cords and headphones.
3. Prepare your cleaner, and start cleaning your phone—and its case and accessories too
For most of your purchasable phone cleaners, at this point you can start using them on your naked phone. Use new screen wipes to also clean your empty case so your phone has a clean place to go back to, as well as your headphones and cords. Put your empty case and phone accessories that fit in your UV sanitizer, too, for similar reasons.
To make your home cleaner, mix one part distilled water with one part isopropyl alcohol in your spray bottle. You can mix things in a bowl, too, but a spray bottle will help you get the right amount of liquid and you can store it for later use.
Spray your mixture on your microfiber cloth—NOT on your phone. You never want rogue drops to sneak into open phone ports, so liquid goes on cloth and cotton swabs ONLY! Wipe your phone down with your now damp microfiber cloth, respraying your cloth as needed. Make sure you spray anew and wipe down your empty phone case and accessories as well. Your phone case can be submerged in water and you can use soap on it, depending on its material, but your electronic accessories shouldn’t be.
4. Don’t forget the small spaces!
Headphones and earbuds often have little holes that can get filthy, and phones can build up crud around ports and speakers. Make sure you clean these, in addition to wiping down the big, obvious spots.
5. Once it’s clean, keep it clean
You can’t keep your phone clean forever, but you can reduce the need to clean it all the time by being more careful where you take it with you. Start leaving it outside th
