Your Cell Phone Is 10 Times Dirtier Than a Toilet Seat

If you're anything like the average human being, you probably check your smartphone more than 50 times per day, as a Deloitte study from 2018 found.

And each time you do, your mobile device picks up more bacteria from your hands. In fact, The University of Arizona found back in 2012 that cellphones carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat, largely because toilet seats are typically cleaned more frequently while personal electronics are largely overlooked. 

As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization are advising the general public to wash their hands often and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Since smartphones are probably near the top of the list of "most frequently touched objects," it makes sense that people should clean them as thoroughly as possible. That means keeping your phone clean is important as well.

For Iphone users, there is some good news. You can officially use disinfecting wipes to keep your phone free of potentially deadly viruses.

There's a decent chance you were already doing that, but just in case, Apple said it's OK on Monday. Apple updated its device cleaning tutorial page with a paragraph that gives customers its blessing to use 70 percent isopropyl or Clorox wipes on their Apple devices. Before Monday's update, Apple warned that such cleaning products could scratch your iPhone screen. However, the Journal tested it out and found that the quality of an iPhone 8 screen wasn't greatly affected after more than 1,000 wipes from a disinfecting wipe. Seems fine!

Now android users might be wondering what’s in for them. Don’t worry we have got your back.

Both Apple and Samsung say on their support pages that wiping your phone down with a cloth — preferably one that's soft and lint-free — is a safe method of cleaning it. You can dampen the cloth with warm water and soap to get rid of any debris or substance that requires more than just a wipe-down. Most modern smartphones are water-resistant, but you should still be cautious when exposing them to liquids.

 If you're looking for an alternative method of killing germs, you can try looking into a UV phone sanitizer like Phone Soap, which uses UV-C light to break down germs and bacteria. It's a relatively small box that almost resembles a tanning bed for your phone that blasts it with UV-C light to disinfect it.