Your phone is probably dirtier than you think it is. In fact, research across the world has suggested that your phone is likely to be five times dirtier than your toilet seat. Yet, no one would even contemplate rubbing their face and hands over that, so why do people not take more care to keep their phone clean? The most realistic answer is probably that people are just not aware of how much of a breeding ground your phone is for bacteria.
So, just how does your phone get so full of potentially harmful bacteria? When you consider that most people’s mobile phones go everywhere with them, it is no wonder. Let’s start with where you store your phone. Most people will have them on their person in some way, be it a pocket or a handbag, unknowingly turning your phone into a breeding ground for bacteria. Our phones are naturally quite warm due to the battery, and storing them in tight warm places, will just encourage bacteria to grow.
It is also worth bearing in mind that whatever your hands touch, your mobile phone will also touch. When you have touched something dirty, or have used the toilet the majority of people will wash their hands, but you forget about your phone. If you have placed your phone on the side in a public toilet so you can wash your hands, or even pass your phone to someone that has bacteria on their hands, you are automatically passing it over, and the fact that you have clean hands will not make a difference.
So, what harm can a dirty mobile phone do to you? Ultimately your phone can make you very unwell. A study showed that 16 percent of phones actually contained the E.coli bacteria, which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting and severe stomach cramps. Flu and MRSA are commonly found on phones as well, both of which can be nasty, and in bad cases require hospital treatment. It is not just illness you need to watch out for though, as a dirty phone can clog pores, resulting in acne breakouts, and other skin conditions.
It really is important to clean your phone regularly, to minimise the chances of spreading harmful bacteria. There are many ways in which you can clean your phone, including alcohol wipes; however, these are not always safe to use on phone screens, and over time can damage the coating; tissues, which can be effective at cleaning the surface, but will almost definitely not get rid of all germs; a UV light cleaner, which can be incredibly effective, but are almost certainly not a viable option for everyone. The easiest way to protect your phone from harmful bacteria, is to keep it in a case. NueVue phone cases are perfect for those with iPhones. They look great, and feature BioCote antimicrobial technology, which has been proven to reduce up to 99.9 percent of the microbes found on the surface of the device in just two hours.