How to Safely Clean Your Smartphone
By: RebootPoint_employee
Published: February 23, 2023
Take a good, up-close look at your phone right now, and you might notice that it is a bit dirty, but the problem isn’t the dirt that you can see but rather the bacteria that you can’t. Your phone is a device that you use every day, and unfortunately, phones get dirty quite a bit and you forget to clean them once in a while. We have compiled a list of cleaning tips that you should perform on your phone on a regular basis in order for it to function correctly and last for many years.
Benefits of cleaning your phone
Health and hygiene: Cleaning your smartphone gets rid of bacteria, viruses, and germs that can build up on its surface, lowering your chance of being sick or infected, especially during flu seasons or pandemics.
Reduced Heat Buildup: Your phone might overheat if dust accumulates inside, which can obstruct adequate ventilation. Maintaining ideal temperature levels can be aided by cleaning your smartphone.
Screen Touch Sensitivity: The touch sensitivity and display clarity of your phone’s screen might be impacted by dust and debris accumulation. The screen may be cleaned to get back to its best performance and visibility.
1. Charging port
The charging port is where dirt and lint can build up, which can impair the charging process since the pins of the charging cable do not connect to the cable. Having problems charging your phone might be caused by lint blocking the outlet.
Step 1: Ensure that your phone is turned off. Put a little bit of 70% rubbing alcohol on a q-tip and dab it around the port. Alcohol will dissolve any gunk that is stuck, and you can wipe it all away with a paper towel.
Step 2: Remove any dirt or lint that has built up inside the charging port with a wooden toothpick. Avoid using metal pins, since this can damage your phone if you’re not careful.
2. Speakers
Have you noticed that the sound coming from your phone has gotten worse? It is most likely due to dust and gunk building up into solid matter, which can distort and dampen your speakers. As with the charging port, removing the gunk is the same procedure. Alternatively, you can use a brush, such as a toothbrush, after you have softened the gunk with rubbing alcohol.
3. Front speakers
In case you have difficulty hearing the other person on the phone, it might be because of all the dirt and other particles blocking the front speakers. Apply rubbing alcohol to a toothbrush and gently brush the speaker grills since this method will work best. Avoid sticking sharp objects into the grills since they can damage them.
4. Buttons and switches
If dirt gets stuck between the buttons and switches of your phone, you may experience issues such as unresponsive clicks or random button inputs. To clean these areas, use rubbing alcohol to reach into the tiny crevices where the hard dirt hides. Use a small pin to pry away any dirt that shows up, and your buttons will be as good as new.
5. Screen
You’re likely to see fingerprints and grease on the screen of your phone when a light source shines on it. However, that’s only the visible dirt, and there are usually much more germs and muck underneath. As the most frequently touched part of your phone, the screen is probably the dirtiest.
Some things to think about before cleaning your screen:
How to clean your screen:
Use a microfiber cloth or paper towel soaked in hot water mixed with a little soap instead. No damage will be done to your screen, but it will thoroughly clean the entire front screen, leaving no smudges or bacteria behind.
6. SIM port
A dirty sim card slot might be the cause of a bad or nonexistent cellular connection. It is important to handle the port carefully due to its thinness and small size. Cleaning both the sim card and the port can be helpful, but it is mostly the port that needs cleaning. A microfiber cloth and a q-tip soaked in rubbing alcohol will do the trick. Wipe both the outside and inside of the SIM port with the cloth, then wipe the rest with the microfiber cloth.
7. Camera lenses
If you want to take stunning images, make sure you clean the dirt and smudges from your camera lenses. All you need to do is clean the outside of the lenses with a lens cloth or a microfiber cloth. This is because other types of cloth or paper towels may scratch the lenses and cause further damage. Remember to clean the front camera as well so that you may shoot better selfies.
