Here are the dirty truths:
- Our earbuds are swimming with pools of bacteria
- Our smartphone is a cesspool of germs - even more so than a toilet seat.
- Our computer keyboards are probably home to numerous viruses or bacteria
Total gross, right? Especially our phones, we tend to bring it with us every day and wherever. Fortunately, cleaning them won't need expensive products or industrial-strength chemicals. With a few household materials and tools at hand, you can do a great job of cleaning up your headphones, keyboards, tablets, smartphones, etc.
Why Do We Need To Clean Our Devices?
According to science, the bacteria gladly breed on phone screens and keyboards, most especially if two or more persons use them. Moreover, viruses hold close to glass surfaces of our phone for up to ninety-six hours. This eventually produces some of the most harmful bugs.
Thorough cleaning is also important for headphones (either in-ear or over-the-ear) for both maintenance and hygiene reasons. Particularly to those who use the gear while exercising, sweat build-up can make the ear cups smell horrible. It will then affect the sound clarity and volume. Headphones tend to develop bacterial growth in the ear (e.g., staphylococcus), as per the studies conducted.
How to Clean Your Tablets and Smartphones
Be gentle in cleaning a smartphone and tablet since these are intricate and costly bits of electronics. So, don't use abrasive cleaning materials and solutions like window cleaners and bleach. Rather, use a dry microfiber cloth to eliminate and retain the dirt. You can either use rubbing alcohol or disinfecting wipes. The screen should be wiped in circular motions. Otherwise, use a specialist cloth to clean the screen.
How to Clean Your Earphones and Headphones
In-ear headphones can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth, cotton balls, or Blu Tack. Isopropyl alcohol is the best solution to clean and disinfect them fully. As for the headphones, you should clean them depending on the materials the ear cups are built. Though, you can do a quick wipe around the ear cups using a damp cloth. Again, isopropyl alcohol is great for disinfecting the buttons, plug, and surfaces.
How to Clean Your Laptops
Similar to your smartphone, just use a microfiber cloth to clean the casing and lid. Don't rely on traditional wipes as they might contain chemicals that can ruin your laptop's screen or rough kitchen towel as it could produce scratches. For stubborn lid marks, slightly dampen the cloth and then ring it out before utilizing it to fan the dirt away.
How to Clean Your Keyboards
There are various tools you can use to perform this task. Use specialized wipes to clean the keyboard as well as a can of compressed air to conk out all the crumbs and dust residing from between the keys. Ethanol and isopropyl alcohol will aid in killing potentially infectious microbes.
How to Clean the Mouse
Similar rules apply when it comes to cleaning the mouse. Alcohol-based cleaners are commonly used to kill bacteria and other nasties that are invisible to the naked eye. For surfaces that are hard to reach, you should dip a Q-tip with some alcohol. A wooden toothpick is ideal for scraping dirt out of crannies and nooks.
So, the next time you grab your phone to watch some videos or use your headphones to listen to your favorite soundtrack, think about the last time you clean them. Now it could be the best opportunity!
How do you keep your gadgets clean? Don't forget to share with us what you think!
Stay safe, everyone!
