Your smartphone is 7 times dirtier than a toilet. Tips to clean it

​HIGHLIGHTS
 Smartphones have hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than an office toilet seat
 80 per cent of all infections are transmitted by our smartphones
 We need to sanitize our phone every day

What's the one item that you never leave at all?

It accompanies you into the bathroom, kitchen, bedroom in fact where ever you go. It touches your desk, face, shelf and any other surface within reach.

You guessed it right, it's your smartphone! Don't believe us just like that.
According to a study done by researchers at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.in the year 2011, fecal matter can be found on 1 out of every 6 smartphones.

In 2009 Researchers observed in a study of bacteria removed from personal calling devices, "Mobile phones have become veritable reservoirs of pathogens as they touch faces, ears, lips and hands of different users of different health conditions."

As per a study by the University of Arizona found that a typical worker's desk, which is actually smartphone's home for almost 40 hours a week, has got hundreds of times more bacteria per square inch than an office toilet seat.

Other studies say severe pathogens like Streptococcus, MRSA is found on smartphones. This is a type of bacteria that is resistant to numerous antibiotics and even E. coli.

Why is your phone so horrible?

Dr Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona says, "We touch more surfaces than any generation in history, from ATM machines to self-checkout counters. So, you're picking up germs all the time on your hands and fingers, putting them on your cellphone and bringing them close to your nose, mouth or eyes."

These germs can make you, your family and anyone else sick. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention verifies that 80 per cent of all infections are transmitted by hands, and our smartphones have basically become an extension of that.

Dr Gerba told, "Mobile phones are now mobile germ devices. You get a germ on your hand, and you use your phone. Then you go wash your hands later, but the germs are still on your phone."

According to global tech protection company Asurion, on an average, Americans check their phone once in every 12 minutes and get busy with it 80 times a day. We are providing n number of opportunities for microorganisms to migrate between your phone and your fingers.

Dr Gerba says the worst culprits are teenagers, whose research found that people who work in the foodservice industry along with adults who work with children tend to get the most contamination on their hands.

Try to recollect the surfaces you touch throughout the day, from subway poles, light switches, remote controls to bathroom doors. You pick up bacteria from everywhere and ends up on your dialling devices, and the bad part is, you don't clean them well.

Susan Whittier, director of clinical microbiology at New York Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center says, "All cellphones are going to have bacteria on them because we hold them up to our face. Normal bacteria that are being transferred from cheeks and ears isn't anything to worry about. But, if you’re coughing into your phone, those viruses can live on those surfaces for hours and can be transferred to others."

What's the way out?

Apple warns against using liquids or disinfectants on its devices. As an alternative, the iPhone maker offers ideas of how to clean your phone based on the model you own. Motorola recommends using a microfiber cloth and with a little water.

As for Google's Pixel phone, the firm has given the OK to use household soap if required.

There are other methods you can clean your handset based on the model you own. You need these materials:

1. Cotton swabs
2. Cleaning gloves
3. Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
4. Microfiber cloth
5. Water

For Waterproof & Water Resistant Device

Recently waterproof phones have become a big deal, with manufacturers claim their phone’s ability to survive a dunking. This category has Google Pixel 3 XL, iPhone XS, Samsung Galaxy S9 and many others in the list. If you own any one of these devices, here's how you can clean it:

Gerba said you can prepare your own cleaning solution with rubbing alcohol and distilled water in a spray bottle, the microbiology professor. Rubbing alcohol sanitizes and evaporates quickly.

Spray on the device and wipe it down using a cotton swab. Make sure you wear gloves or wash your hands before you clean it.

Non-Waterproof

While wiping a phone that isn't water resistant you'll have to be little more careful.

Lysol advertises that the wipes are "safe to use on electronics including smartphones, tablets and remote controls." So you can carefully use one of these to wipe off the screen and back of your phone.

All smartphones

If you're not sure about using disinfectant, go for an option like "PhoneSoap," a device that first gained attention on the ABC show Shark Tank.

According to its manufacturer, it uses UV light to kill 99.9 per cent of the germs on your smartphone. It costs around $60 and is available at Amazon. A quick 10-minute stint inside the PhoneSoap will not only clean your phone but also charge it.
You can even just use a standard microfiber cloth. Gerba said that it's best to sanitize your phone daily. He cleans his phone two times a day.