Keep it Clean: How to Clean Your Tech Devices

Technology has become an inextricable part of our lives. Throughout the day, we handle items such as smartphones, and naturally, cleaning these items is necessary to keep them looking great. More than that, cleaning your tech devices is an important factor in keeping you healthy. We’ve all read or heard the hard-hitting reports that our smartphones, keyboards, and mice harbour more germs than a toilet seat. While I’m not sure how accurate and scientific some of those stats are, I can’t help but think about how many surfaces those items touch and how many people handle them. So with all that in mind, how do I keep my tech clean of germs and looking new?

 

Smartphones

Some of the stats on germs on smartphones are downright scary and while I take them with a grain of salt I can’t help but think there’s some truth in them. Sure our immune systems are equipped to handle most of the germs we encounter throughout the day but smartphones go through a lot. Think about it, you touch so many germ-infested items throughout the day—doorknobs, ATMs, railings—and then touch your phone. And while you wash your hands regularly, your phone doesn’t get the same treatment. On top of that the crevices on your phone are a hotspot for dust and crumbs. So how do you keep it clean?

 

To start, turn off your device and don’t turn it back on until you’ve given any damp components a chance to dry completely. Once it’s off, you can start by getting any crumbs and dirt out of crevices, such as charging ports, by using a can of compressed air or a damp (not wet) cotton swab. Once your phone is free of debris, you can use a Lysol disinfecting wipe on metal and plastic surfaces—do NOT use these on glass components or touch screens. Read the next section to learn how to properly clean your touchscreen and other glass components of your phone. Naturally, the principles that apply to cleaning your smartphone can be used to clean your tablet.

 

Touch and LCD Screens

Touch and LCD screens not only collect germs but also attract fingerprints and dust. While it might be tempting to break out the traditional glass cleaner, it’s important to understand that these items are very delicate and should never come in contact with harsh chemicals. So, put away the Windex and any other household cleaners and get a cleaner specially formulated for screens. These screen cleaners are widely available and a number of brands produce them. However, my favourite is WHOOSH!, a non-toxic screen cleaner that not only cleans your screen of smudges and fingerprints but also resists new ones! All it takes is a couple of spritzes and a wipe and you have a clean and shiny screen.

 

While the cleaning agent itself is important, it’s essential to choose the right tool to wipe your screen with. Using a cloth that’s abrasive, like a paper towel, can be hard on your delicate LCD or touchscreen so it’s important to use a microfiber cloth. Aside from being gentle, microfiber cloths actually do a better job at wiping away germs than other cloths. This is because they have more fibers that are much smaller (hence the name microfiber) than cloths made of other materials and these tiny fibers do a better job of picking up tiny particles.

 

Keyboards & Mice

Finally we come to keyboards and mice—two more places germs and crumbs love to call home. Again, when it comes to crumbs and dust a can of compressed air does a great job of cleaning crevices between keys and buttons. Using a Lysol wipe is a great way to disinfect these devices, just make sure they’re turned off and dry completely before turning them back on. If you’re really ambitious about keeping your mouse and keyboard clean and germ-free, consider investing in washable ones.

 

With these cleaning tips in mind, you’re ready to tackle all the dust, crumbs, and germs living on your favourite tech items. Happy cleaning!