Laptops, tablets, ear buds, desk phones, keyboards and perhaps the most dirty of them all mobile phones. How and how often should you clean them? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately as I can’t walk out of my house without someone talking about flu shots. While it’s definitely that time of year where people start to get sick, there are practical tips for protecting yourself and for keeping your personal electronics clean all year long.
I call mobile phones out up front because they really get the brunt of exposure as we take them everywhere!! Studies from the FPGA have shown that the kitchen, the bedroom, the office, the gym and yes even the bathroom. In fact a study from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine found that one in six cell phones is tainted with fecal matter. Yuck!! How can this be?! Stop using your phone while in the bathroom! When you flush the toilet sends a spray of thousand s of contaminated micro droplets into the air. Also even outside of the bathroom we take them to the gym, to lunch and out in the weather. Furthermore, unlike your clothes that are also exposed to all of these things, you will (hopefully) never drop your phone into the wash. So how do you clean them?
Here are some options:
- UV Cleaner/ Sanitizer – These devices (offered by several manufacturers) claim to use proven germicidal UV light technology to kill 99.99% of germs in less than 5 minutes
- Optical Cloth + Water + Dish soap – These microfiber clothes pick up dirt and germs. Using a circular motion, buff the finger prints and smudges of the screen. For a tougher job or to ensure that the device is clean, dip the edge of the optical cloth into soapy water (bulk soap + water) and with the same circular motion wipe the device.
- Wipes – most of the time these are simply an alcohol based solution on a disposable cloth. Great for when you’re on the go.
Tablets fall into the same category as ear buds and can be cleaned the same way. Don’t forget about your earbuds; they need to be cleaned regularly as well. With all the sweat and wax they’re exposed to why clean them once a week when you’re cleaning your phone? Ear buds can be cleaned using the same methods as described above.
While the first two examples are most likely (hopefully) personal devices, other office items may not be in every environment. What about a phone or keyboard? Whether it’s personal or a shared device, special attention and a regular cleaning schedule should be applied (more frequently to the latter of course!)
- Remove loose dirt/debris – You can either turn it upside down and shake out the dirt and debris that may have fallen in between the keys or user OR if you have a can of compressed air, you can use that to remove the dirt between the keys as well.
- Clean the keys ear and mouthpiece – using a cotton swab or a cloth dipped in isopropyl alcohol, brush over the tops of keys, ear and mouthpiece and pay attention to more heavily used keys by using a more aggressive scrubbing action to remove the buildup
Remember the best offence this cold and flu season is a good defense. In addition to all the things your mother told you about washing your hands and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, make sure you’re keeping your personal electronics clean and germ free!!
Teltek is a Certified Avaya Business Partner, NEC Dealer, and Microsoft Partner with two locations in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. We specialize in providing one call technology support for small to mid-sized businesses and nonprofits in Maryland, Washington, DC, Virginia and Pennsylvania