We take it with us everywhere (in bed, in the kitchen, in the bathroom) and it’s the first thing many of us see when we open our eyes. More than 90% of humans own or use mobile phones on a daily basis, and it is hard to imagine what life would be like without them.
Health concerns about phone use often focus on distractions while driving, the potential effects of radio frequency exposure, or how addictive they can be. And while the risk of microbial infection via phone is little appreciated, it is very real.
A 2019 survey found that most people in the UK use their phones in the toilet. So it’s no surprise that recent studies have shown that our mobile phones are dirtier than the toilet seat itself.
The biggest thing is that we give our phones to children (who do not pay proper attention to cleanliness) to play with them. When we use them we also eat and put them on all kinds of surfaces, many of which are dirty. All of these can transfer germs to the phone along with food deposits, which can ingest the germs.
It is estimated that people touch their phones hundreds if not thousands of times a day. And while many of us wash our hands regularly, for example, after using the bathroom, cooking, cleaning, or gardening, we’re far less likely to consider washing our hands after touching our phone. Are.
Given how gross and germy phones can be, it might be time to start thinking more about phone hygiene.
Mobile phones full of germs, bacteria and viruses
Hands pick up bacteria and viruses all the time and are recognized as a route of infection. The same goes for the phones we touch. Several studies on the microbiological colonization of mobile phones suggest that they can be contaminated with many different types of potentially pathogenic bacteria.
These include E. coli, which causes diarrhea (and which, by the way, comes from human feces). also staphylococcus, which infects the skin; as well as actinobacteria, which can cause tuberculosis and diphtheria; Citrobacter, which can cause painful urinary tract infections; and Enterococcus, known to cause meningitis. Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Proteus, Pseudomonas and Streptococcus have also been found on phones, and all can have equally unpleasant effects on humans.
Recent research has found that many phone pathogens are often resistant to antibiotics, meaning they cannot be treated with conventional drugs. This is worrying, as the above bacteria can cause life-threatening skin, intestinal and respiratory infections.
Even if you clean your phone with antibacterial wipes or alcohol, microbes can re-colonize it, indicating that cleaning should be a regular process.
Phones contain plastic which can harbor and transmit viruses. Some, including the common cold virus, can survive on hard plastic surfaces for up to a week. Other viruses, such as the virus that causes COVID-19, rotavirus (a highly contagious stomach germ that usually infects infants and young children), influenza (respiratory infection), and norovirus (severe intestinal infection) ) can persist in an infectious form for several days. ,
In fact, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has introduced guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting mobile phones. Along with door handles, ATMs and elevator buttons, they are known to be a reservoir of infection.
In particular, concerns have been raised about the role that mobile phones may play in the spread of infectious germs in hospital and health care settings as well as in schools.
Phone cleaning instructions
It is clear that we should start cleaning our phones regularly. In fact, the US Federal Communications Commission recommends, among other things, sanitizing your phone and other devices daily because we’re still within an active COVID-19 pandemic and the virus can live on hard plastic surfaces for days at a time. can survive.
It’s best to use alcohol-based wipes or sprays. To clean the phone case and touch screen, they should contain at least 70% alcohol, and if possible it should be applied every day.
Do not spray disinfectant directly on the phone and keep liquids away from connection points or other openings on the device. Absolutely avoid using bleach or abrasive cleaners. And when you’re done, wash your hands thoroughly.
Thinking about how we handle the phone will also help us avoid getting infected with germs. When you’re not home, keep it in your pocket or bag and use a disposable paper to-do list instead of constantly checking your phone. When you do touch it, do so with clean hands, washing them with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub.
Make it a habit to put your phone away and clean or wash your hands when you’re not using it. You can also disinfect the cell phone charger when cleaning it from time to time.
