How to disinfect your iPhone without breaking it – Apple sends out new advice amid coronavirus outbreak
WORRIED about hygiene? Keeping your smartphone clean is probably a good idea.
Apple has updated its advice around how to clean your iPhone – as the global coronavirus outbreak grows.
Why should you clean your iPhone?
It's generally a good idea to keep your gadgets clean, regardless of the coronavirus outbreak.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and Clinical Director of , told The Sun: "We know that most viruses survive much better on hard surfaces – phones and computer keyboards as well as kitchen surfaces.
"We also know some viruses can survive for several days, and definitely for up to a couple of days.
";Even if nobody else is using your phone, you’re going to be touching it regularly, and if you pick it up after you wash your hands, it may still have traces of virus you put there before you washed your hands!
"So it is definitely worth wiping your phone down as much as you wash your hands."
The average person picks up their phone 2,600 times a day and uses it around 76 times, according to recent research.
And the typical mobile phone is said to be carrying over 25,000 bacteria per square inch.
This is dirtier than a kitchen counter, your dog's bowl or even the common doorknob.
How to clean your iPhone – the official Apple advice
First, ensure your phone is unplugged from power sources, other devices or cables.
Make sure to avoid abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels or any other rough material.
You'll want to use a soft, lint-free cloth or a tech-friendly alcohol wipe.
Avoid wiping the phone excessively as this could cause damage.
Keep liquids away from the product, and don't get moisture in openings.
Also, avoid aerosol sprays, bleaches, and abrasives – and definitely do not spray cleaners directly onto your iPhone.
You can use some disinfectants on an iPhone, which we'll explain in the next section.
What is coronavirus?
Coronavirus is an airborne virus, spread in a similar way to colds and the flu.
The virus attacks the respiratory system, causing lung lesions.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.
It is incredibly contagious and is spread through contact with anything the virus is on as well as infected breath, coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms include a runny nose, headache, cough and fever, shortness of breath, chills and body aches.
In most cases, you won't know whether you have a coronavirus or a different cold-causing virus, such as rhinovirus.
But if a coronavirus infection spreads to the lower respiratory tract (your windpipe and your lungs), it can cause pneumonia, especially in older people, people with heart disease or people with weakened immune systems.
There is no vaccine for coronavirus.
In 2003 an outbreak of a similar virus, SARS, infected more than 8,000 people in 37 countries before it was brought under control, killing 800 of those worldwide.
Is it safe to use a disinfectant on your iPhone?
Apple says that you can use disinfectants on your iPhone, with a few caveats.
Perhaps the most obvious advice is to not use bleach – as this could seriously damage your handset.
Most modern iPhones are water-resistant (since the iPhone 7).
But you should still try to avoid getting moisture in any opening.
And definitely don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents.
Instead, Apple recommends using a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.
"You may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces," the firm explains.
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In other news, you should clean your smartphone regularly.
Find out how to check for coronavirus symptoms.
And coronavirus symptoms can take five days to appear on average, scientists say.
Have you tried to be more hygienic in recent weeks? Let us know in the comments?
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