I read somewhere recently that your cell phone carries more germs than your toilet- yuk! As it is flu season and we all seem to be carrying around an infestation of germs and bacteria in our pockets, one which we use over and over, coughing and sharing with others, I thought I would take this opportunity to go over some basic tips for disinfecting your commonly used gadgets.
The thing about gadgets is that they end up going in the oddest places and pick up nasty germies along the way. Your earbuds actually stick in your ear and even if you use over the ear or on the ear headphones your still forcing the material of your gear against your dirty hair and skin. Your phone gets a mix of saliva and dirty breath forced upon it and then gets removed from pockets, picked up off tables, falls on dirty floors and back into your unsanitized hands. Your keyboard and mouse as well get touched constantly with an array of germs that you transport around from your face to your hand to your mouse, back to your mouth to block a cough and unless your disinfecting your hand again before you touch your mouse, the bacteria is just sitting there- multiplying!
On top of being incredibly dirty after a long day of use, your gadgets are also very delicate and not exactly water resistant, which makes thorough cleaning a bit difficult. If you want to kill germs, your going to have to use a source of moisture to break the bacterias hold from the surface of your gadget, but you have to make sure not to drown your item in wetness or else it could short circuit!
I find that cotton balls and q-tips dipped in a bit of rubbing alcohol and then compressed to release excess liquid seems to be a good way to clean small items like earbuds and around the keys of your keyboard. For larger items or areas, however, I think the best method of cleaning is through wet wipes as they are pre-moistened with no excess moisture and able to clean a good amount before needing to be tossed. There are multiple types of tech wipes on the market which are safe to use on your gadgets. One very cute brand that I have been noticing lately is Well-Kept which package their tech wipes in stylish colorful and patterned baggies made to be thrown into your purse or briefcase. Of course, style comes at a bit of a price and these wipes retail for about $5 per pack of 15. Another great brand, Wireless Wipes are not nearly as stylish, but they do retail for about $3 per pack and come in a variety of scents.
Although both of these brands are very nice for cleaning your gadgets, they don’t seem to have any anti-bacterial qualities, which is half the problem with our dirty devices. So, I found a solution to this! For about $1-2 per pack, I have been using anti-bacterial Wet Ones! You may already be familiar with Wet Ones, as they are a very popular brand that aren’t geared towards tech and gadgets, however, I have been cleaning my phone, keyboard, mouse and headphones with them and they are excellent. Not only am I confident that I am removing dirt as well as bacteria from my gadgets, but I am spending only a dollar or two on the pack and they have been drying perfectly without any smudges or wipe marks on my iPhone’s screen. They also haven’t caused any harm to any of my gadgets so far, although I am careful of my use around openings on my gadgets. Overall, I am extremely impressed with these inexpensive wipes and I would highly suggest that you pick up a pack of the Citrus Scent immediately. They actually smell like pineapple and have a great fresh scent, unlike some wipes that have a chemical scent!
