Apple has updated its website to let iPhone, iPad and Mac owners know it's okay to clean their devices with disinfectant wipes. The new advice comes as the ongoing coronavirus outbreak worsens globally.
"Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces," the company says. "Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces."
Apple previously advised against using anything other than water to clean its products because some substances can wear down the oleophobic coating the company applies to keep its touchscreen devices looking their best. Health and safety take priority in this case. That said, there are a couple of things you can do to take care of both yourself and your device.
Your best bet is to use isopropyl alcohol. Apply a small amount to a soft microfiber cloth and then wipe down your device. If you don't own a microfiber cloth, they're not expensive to buy. In a pinch, an old but clean t-shirt will also do the trick. Avoid spraying anything directly on your phone's display. You'll also want to avoid paper towels as they can cause small abrasions. After you've cleaned your phone, wash your hands as well.
-------------------------------- We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
Posts: 37884 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010
Originally posted by ShiroKuro: I cleaned my phone with a disinfectant wipe today!!
First time ever
Me too! And I took my own disinfectant wipes to the gym, because the liquid they have plus paper towel doesn’t seem absorbent enough to make a difference.
-------------------------------- “It's hard to win an argument with a smart person. It's damn near impossible to win an argument with a stupid person." -- Bill Murray
Posts: 13811 | Location: The outer burrows | Registered: 27 April 2005
Yes, you hold your phone up to your face when you are talking on it (like who does that anymore?), and you touch it a lot. But unless other people are touching your phone or coughing or sneezing on it, how is your phone a vector for virus?
Your hands are touching all kinds of stuff - objects, surfaces, people - and you can pick up the virus, depositing it on your phone. You put down the phone to wash your hands thoroughly, then turn around and pick up the germy phone. You're kind of back to square one.
At least that's what the docs I've seen on TV have said.
-------------------------------- We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home. - Australian Aboriginal proverb
Bazootiehead-in-training
Posts: 37884 | Location: Somewhere in the middle | Registered: 19 January 2010