Hygiene: clean the cell phone properly

Carola Felchner is a freelance writer in the medical department and a certified training and nutrition advisor. She worked for various specialist magazines and online portals before becoming a freelance journalist in 2015. Before starting her internship, she studied translation and interpreting in Kempten and Munich.

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We don't just pick up the smartphone, we also hold it up to our face. Read here how hygienic it is and how (often) you should thoroughly clean your mobile phone.

Even if the times of Corona, some people think carefully about what they want to take in their hands: Most of them will probably not leave their smartphone untouched.

The good news in advance: "The cell phone is not a spinner", says Markus Egert, Professor of Microbiology and Hygiene at Furtwangen University. Compared to the number of germs on human hands or on the toilet seat, the germ load on the cell phone is negligible.

"Modern smartphones in particular are super dry and slippery, which means that only a few germs can stick to them," explains Egert. They also find little to eat and therefore hardly reproduce. In contrast, the bacterial load is higher in old push-button telephones.

The display is a reflection of the user

Users have an impact on how many germs there are on the phone. "The surface of the smartphone is a mirror image of its user," says Sebastian Klöß, speaker for consumer technology at the industry association Bitkom.

Those who rarely wash their hands, use their smartphone while eating and on the toilet transfer significantly more germs to their device than those who do not do all of this.

The condition of the smartphone also has an impact on the germ load. "Bacteria, viruses and mold can get stuck in scratches particularly well," adds Klöß.

Cleaning your smartphone: that's how it works

Smartphone providers such as Apple or Samsung often give cleaning tips on their websites. The experts advise switching off the device and removing all connections before cleaning.

The manufacturers recommend that you clean the device with a soft, lint-free, slightly dampened microfiber cloth. If it is very dirty, users can also use a little soapy water.

It is important, manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung explicitly point out, that no moisture gets into the openings of the mobile phone.

Many smartphones are now waterproof. Nevertheless, Klöß advises you to play it safe and wipe it off immediately with a dry cloth.

Disinfection is not necessary

From a microbiological point of view, the manufacturer's recommendations are perfectly fine. "A damp cloth and a little washing-up liquid are sufficient," says Egert. When you are out and about, you can also use a glasses cleaning cloth.

A disinfection of the cell phone in the domestic area is not necessary. Because cell phones do not pose a particular risk of infection. The corona virus can also be inactivated with soapy water.

Disinfection with surface or hand disinfectants is hardly possible because with the required amount and the time it takes to take effect, there is a risk of the agents getting into the spaces between the devices, explains Bernd Glassl, Head of Household Care at the Personal Care and Detergent Association.

Glass cleaner damages the coating

Other cleaning agents can also damage the smartphone. Although the surface of the smartphone display is made of glass - it is therefore still wrong to simply clean it with the glass cleaner, according to Klöß.

Touch displays usually have an oil-repellent coating. It ensures that fingerprints do not get stuck there or that they can be easily wiped off. "If you clean your smartphone display with glass cleaners or alcohol-based cleaning agents, for example, the grease-repellent coating is gradually removed," warns Klöß.

If you want, you can use special cleaning sprays with germicidal and antibacterial properties. However, users are not allowed to spray these directly onto the smartphone. This also applies to waterproof smartphones, Klöß warns. Because the sprays could damage the seals.

Attention, connections!

The connections of a telephone are very sensitive. Users should therefore clean them particularly carefully and without moisture. Dumpling recommends using cotton swabs or a soft toothbrush.

If you have a small bellows from your SLR camera, you can also use it for cleaning. "Compressed air cleaners, on the other hand, should never be used," warns Klöß.

Frequent use = frequent cleaning

How often users should clean their smartphone ultimately depends on how it is used, says Glassl. If you travel a lot, meet a lot of different people, use your cell phone in the bathroom as well as in the kitchen, it is advisable to clean it more often.

"The smartphone is an extension of our hands," adds the microbiologist Egert. Everything you have on your hands can also be found at a fraction of the time on your smartphone. In contrast to hand washing, however, no fixed cleaning interval can be specified.

Anyone who has been on the go and used the mobile phone and then comes home and washes their hands should also clean the smartphone. Egert has a reassuring message for all those who still fear germs on it. "Cell phone germs pose no danger to healthy people in the household." (caf / dpa)

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