When your clothes get dirty, or when your dishes get dirty, you wash them, right? Of course you do because you want to keep things clean. The same can be applied to the phone in your hand. Often, we don’t really think of our phones are something that we need to keep clean, nor do we think that they’re covered in bacteria.
Truthfully, phones do get dirty, and there’s grime and bacteria on them that’s easily transferred from your phone to your face or other parts of your body. This can lead to transfer of germs to other places on your body, and ultimately you could get sick.
According to a small study, it showed that mobile phones are highly contaminated with potentially disease-causing bacteria, which isn’t surprising, but also alarming at the same time. In the study, researchers looked at 27 phones that belonged to 16- to 18-year-old students in Estonia. They found that there were high levels of contamination on all phones. What’s even more interesting is that it didn’t matter when the phones were touchscreen or only keypads, nor did the students gender matter.
The bacteria detected on the phones, such as Micrococcus luteus, exist on the human skin. Researchers said that the bacteria most likely came from the students’ hands from the interaction with their phones.
Germs are a regular part of life, we know this and you know this. Germs are everywhere, but you shouldn’t constantly put yourself in situations where you can get sick over and over. It’s worth noting that some of the bacteria that was found on the devices, such as Staphylococcus aureus, can actually lead to infection. But, what can you do about it?
Always wash your hands
If you wash your hands regularly, you’re practicing good hygiene. According to the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, keeping your hands clean is the best way to protect yourself from infection and spreading that infection. The easiest way to do this is by washing your hands before and after any time you have a scroll session on your phone. Make sure that you scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Practice makes perfect, right?
Watch where you put your phone down
Always be mindful of where you put your device. The surface you put your device on can make the difference of you having and not having some sort of infection. You’ve already heard the “This commonplace thing is dirtier than your toilet” saying, so always be careful where you’re putting down your device.
Your phone doesn’t belong in the bathroom
Your phone doesn’t belong in the bathroom, simply put. The link between your phone, germs and bathroom should be an easy one. You should be mindful of where you put your phone, like it stated in the previous tip. If the area you’re in isn’t entirely clean, you shouldn’t keep your phone in the area. Better to keep yourself clean and safe.
Clean your phone regularly
You should give your phone a good cleaning on a regular basis. Before you do, you should check your manufacturer’s instructions to see what can and can’t be used on your device. When able to you, can give your device a rub down with an alcohol-based wipe which should disinfect your device without damaging anything it. For example, Apple recommends using a “soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth” when you want to clean your phone. If you have a Google devices, you can use a soft cloth, a cleaning wipe, and even a household soap to keep your device clean. With a microfiber cloth, you can give your Samsung device a cleanup on a weekly basis where you wipe it all down to keep it nice and clean.
Stay clean and safe out there. Make sure to regularly wash your hands, too! We at The Jolt Journal are always staying safe.
