Ever since you were a child, you’ve been told that everything you touch has germs on it. From the pole grips on the subway to stairway handles, it’s guaranteed that you will get someone’s or something’s germs on your hands. Strangely enough, we never think about just how dirty our smartphone is. We use it everyday and everywhere; at work, at school, on the train, on the toilet, and yet we never consider the fact that the things we touch on a daily basis make our smartphone almost as dirty as any object in a public place.
What type of germs and just how many?
A recent study from London has shown that roughly 1 out of every 6 smartphones has some type of fecal matter on it, probably from the use of your smartphone in the toilet. In addition, the average smartphone contains almost 18 times as many germs as any normal flush handle in the bathroom. And roughly 80 percent of anything we touch during the day can be found on our smartphone screens. So how does our smartphone get this dirty and what is the best possible way to disinfect them?
CREDIT TO MAXIMUMPC
From the bathroom
Whenever someone uses a smartphone in the bathroom, especially in public bathrooms, it’s guaranteed that dirty germs from the toilet handle, the toilet bowl and the sink will be spread onto your smartphone.
From other people
How often do you pass your smartphone to your friends to show them a video or to let them play a game? Any germs that are on their hands will also end up on your smartphone, so pay attention to who you give your smartphone to!
From public transport
If you grip onto a pole on the subway, you’re taking in dirt and bacteria from every other person that touched that pole. Afterwards, you begin to type on and touch your already filthy smartphone screen. All those oils from that pole are transferred directly from your fingers onto the screen and will remain there until your screen is cleaned.
From your sweat
We never really pay attention to how much our fingers sweat during the day, especially during the summer. The sweatier your hands, the oilier, and all that oil resides on your fingertips. Just imagine how much of that oil and dirt are swiped onto your screen within 24 hours!
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So what’s the best way to get rid of these germs? Wiping it on your shirt may remove any smudges from your screen, but will essentially just smear the bacteria around. Using any alcohol or soap wipes may cause unwanted chemical damage to your phone’s screen, so try to avoid that. Arguably the most effective and safest way to remove bacteria is to wash it out with water on a regular basis! While it may not remove all the germs on your screen, it will certainly help you maintain a more sanitary life!