Great. Just what we need – a new way to get sick! Here’s how to fight it off

Great. Just what we need. A new way to get sick!

Fortunately, prevention is fairly simple. But you have to be diligent.

The culprit is the smartphone. ANY smartphone. When you place your device against your face to make a call, you become intimate with a wide variety of pathogens. They range from B (bacteria) to V (viruses).

I’ll put it this way. Would you feel comfortable brushing your cheek against a toilet handle in a heavily used restroom?

No? Then you’ll probably want to clean your Blackberry, iPhone, Android, etc., a couple of times each day.

You might be thinking, like I was, that you’re the only one that uses your phone, so it’s nothing like toilet handle. Actually, your hands pick up untold numbers of pathogens every hour. And those bugs can thrive on your nice warm smartphone screen.

So now you have a new problem. How do you clean effectively without harming the screen?

Unfortunately, the companies that make these advanced gadgets haven’t explored cleaning options. Aerosols and liquid cleaners are discouraged. But most device makers don’t offer any recommendations.

According to a Wall St. Journal report, an alcohol wipe will kill most pathogens without harming most screens.

Notice I qualified both of those details. The wipes are effective, but not 100%. And the wipes might harm some screens.

If the wipes DO work on your screen, the key is diligence. You’ve got to clean that screen. Frequently. Especially during flu season. And even more so if your phone is ever shared with family or friends.

Sources:
“Calling All Germs” Caroline Porter, Wall St. Journal, 10/23/12, online.wsj.com