How to Clean an iPhone: The Exterior

Why should I clean an iPhone?

Your phone goes with you everywhere; from the WC to your car to your niece's birthday party, you probably have your iPhone in hand. Your iPhone is something you constantly touch, that you have your face pressed against many times throughout the day, that goes in your pocket, your bag, and your car's cup-holder, and that you place on any number of surfaces wherever you go.

In a nutshell, your phone is likely to be disgusting.

A study from Which? Magazine, as reported by DailyMail in 2010, showcased just how many germs our smartphones could be carrying:

The study "suggest[ed that] 14.7 million of the 63 million mobiles in use in the UK today could be potential health hazards...The most unhygienic phone had more than ten times the acceptable level of TVC and seven were above the threshold. This worst handset also had 39 times the safe level of enterobacteria, a group of bacteria that live in the lower intestines of humans and animals and include bugs such as Salmonella."

Before you invest in a hazmat suit to protect yourself from your phone, the Protect your bubble team has a few suggestions to help you keep your iPhone sterilised and clean.

Clean the fingerprints and more off of your phone with a few simple steps.

How often should I clean an iPhone?

Apple suggests cleaning your iPhone immediately whenever it comes into contact with contaminants that could harm or stain your phone, such as lotions, oils, food, and make-up. Depending on your daily habits, this could mean cleaning your phone daily. Ultimately, how often you clean your phone is up to you, depending on your daily habits and who all touches your phone.

How do I clean an iPhone?

You can clean your iPhone in five easy steps:

1. Turn your iPhone off and disconnect it from any cables; remove it from the case.
2. Lightly dampen a lint-free and/or microfiber cloth with a gentle, touch-screen safe cleaning agent.
3. Gently wipe off the surfaces of your phone with the cloth, careful to avoid getting any moisture into the openings of your phone, including behind buttons, at speakers, at the docking port, your headphone jack, etc. Apple warns against using any non-approved cleaners as they could harm the oleophobic coating on your screen that helps protect your phone.
4. Make sure that the surface of your phone is not left damp. If there is some lingering moisture, re-wipe your phone with a dry microfiber cloth.
5. Replace your phone's case.

Cleaning your iPhone is an important step in keeping your phone running as well as it possibly can and even for your own health. Protect your iPhone from things other than dirt and grime, such as accidental damage, cracked screens, liquid damage, and more, with Protect your bubble iPhone Insurance.

Photo by benjgibbs via Flickr CC