COVID-19 likely made you very aware of how many times a day you touch your face, but how about how many times a day you touch your phone and other devices?
Before we knew that COVID is an airborne virus, we were one step away from dunking everything into a vat of bleach. Even though we’re less fanatical about disinfecting our electronic devices, they still harbor plenty of germs and should be cleaned regularly. So grab some microfiber cloths, cotton swabs, distilled water, isopropyl alcohol, and dish soap and read our guide to getting your gadgets gleaming—after you unplug or turn them off, of course.
How to Clean a Phone or Tablet
Phones and tablets have an oleophobic (fingerprint-resistant) coating that could come off, so manufacturers generally recommend wiping them down with distilled water and a barely textured microfiber cloth and then using cotton swabs to clean around crevices, like the edges of the screen and buttons.
A global pandemic was no time to heed manufacturer warnings, and as people started taking harsher substances to surfaces last year, Apple revised its “How to Clean Your Apple Products” guidelines to endorse using 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes. According to Cupertino, “you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. 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.”
If you want to disinfect thoroughly without wipes, get some 99% isopropyl alcohol, distilled water, a spray bottle, and a disposable microfiber cloth. Mix a solution that is 70% alcohol and 30% water and put it in the spray bottle. Then remove any case from your phone or tablet, spritz the cloth with the solution, and thoroughly wipe down your phone. Do not reuse the cloth.
If you’re concerned about your screen, put on a tempered-glass screen protector so you don’t damage the actual screen. Though it’s likely to be treated with a coating as well, it’s at least easily replaceable and won’t cause damage to the device itself. Before you put the case back on, go over it with the solution and a cloth and let it dry completely. Then be sure to wash your hands, or all your cleaning will have been for nothing.
If you’re just concerned about grime, use wipes like Care Touch Lens Cleaning Wipes.
How to Clean Headphones and Earphones
Your headphones and earphones are some of the closest things to you. Aside from being coated in sweat and wax (gross, but facts), they’re likely going with you as you venture out.
The general recommendation for over-the-ear headphones is to go over them with a microfiber cloth dampened with a little water. AirPods and other all-in-one units without eartips are supposed to be cleaned only with a microfiber cloth. To remove wax and dust from headphones and earbuds, you can take a bit of adhesive putty, roll a tiny bit into a ball and quickly and lightly press and remove gunk from any grille parts.
Once again, though, these aren’t normal times, so if you want to de-germify, grab the same solution you made for your phone, spray it on one of those disposable microfiber cloths and wipe down the entire surface. The same goes for over-the-ear headphones.
For earphones, remove the eartips and go over them with some water and a tiny bit of soap applied to a microfiber cloth. Rinse them with water. You can clean the grille parts of earphones by dabbing some adhesive putty onto them. For the body of the earphones, if you’re not concerned about germs (eyes emoji), wipe them down with a microfiber cloth. But the sensible thing to do is spray a disposable microfiber cloth with the alcohol and water solution and use that. Don’t forget to go over any wires if you’re still living that life.
How to Clean a Laptop
Because your laptop travels, it has plenty of opportunity to pick up unsavory characters. Turn your laptop upside down and (gently) shake out the keyboard to rid yourself of the biggest and most obvious invaders: dirt and crumbs. Then grab a can of compressed air duster and blast it.
Now make sure your laptop is unplugged and, if you can, remove the battery. Lightly dampen a microfiber cleaning cloth and go over all the plastic or metal surfaces.
To clean an LCD, use a product tailor-made for the job, along with a microfiber cloth that will prevent those streaks other cleaners can leave. For touch screens, use water or eyeglass cleaner applied to a microfiber cloth. If you want a one-swipe solution, try 3M Notebook and Tablet Cleaning Wipes.
How to Clean a Desktop PC
Your computer monitor might be the window to your world, but it’s not an actual window, so no Windex. Instead, use a microfiber cloth dampened with distilled water or screen cleaner, if you have an LCD. If you have a touch screen, clean it with a microfiber cloth; for smudges, use only water or eyeglass cleaner applied to the cloth first to remove them.
As for the plastic parts that surround the screen, spritz some window cleaner or just use water. The same goes for your tower. Just go over all the surfaces with a cloth and either water, general-purpose cleaner, or a mix that’s half isopropyl alcohol and half water.
Chances are you’ve picked up the habit of eating over your keyboard and your keyboard has picked up some crumbs. Shake it out over a trash can and grab a can of compressed air to get rid of the ones that lurk under the keys. Then get a damp cloth and go over the keys. Use a cotton swab to get inside the crevices. If your keyboard is particularly dirty, mix up a solution with half isoporopyl alcohol and half water, and use it on the cloth and cotton swabs.
Your mouse spends the day skittering across your desk and it can track plenty of dirt. Use the same alcohol and water solution, dab it on a cotton swab, and run it over the feet of the mouse and through any cracks and crevices. Then take a cloth dipped in the solution and go over the body of the mouse and the cord.
How to Safely Clean a Flat-Screen TV
When you’re taking care of the rest of your cleaning, you might stop in front of your television, spritz it with a glass cleaner, wipe it down, and move on. In the words of millions of headlines: you’re doing it wrong.
Glass cleaners can be corrosive, and many television screens have anti-reflective coatings that are very sensitive to the chemicals in them. To properly clean a screen, apply water to a microfiber cloth and gently go over its surface.
Don’t forget to clean your remote controls. They can be crumb-filled, smudgy messes. Remove the batteries from the remote, shake loose any crumbs, and then blast the buttons with a bit of compressed air. Then go over the surface with a mixture of one part water to one part isopropyl alcohol applied to a microfiber cloth. Dip a cotton swab in the solution and run it around all of the buttons.
How to Clean a Smart Speaker
One family member that’s in your kitchen, living room, and probably even your bedroom doesn’t shower every day, and it’s time you two had a talk about it. Smart speakers like the Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, and Google Nest could undoubtedly use some freshening up.
For devices with screens, like the Google Nest Hub and Amazon Echo Show 10, you can go over the screen with a screen-cleaning wipe and the fabric-covered parts with a plain microfiber cloth. If the fabric has a stain, dampen the microfiber cloth slightly and go over it. (This is similar to the advice Apple gives if the HomePod leaves a white ring on a wood surface).
For all-plastic devices like older-generation Amazon Echos, you can use a slightly dampened microfiber cloth on the surface. If the grilles look grody, dab them with some Blu-Tack first.
How to Clean a Game Console and Controllers
Your low score could possibly be blamed on a gunked-up game controller or console. That’s the good news. The bad news is that game consoles and controllers can get particularly nasty.
First, dust off the console with a dry microfiber cloth or Swiffer duster. Then go over it with a microfiber cloth and a small amount of water. Dip a cotton swab into water and run it through any crevices—but not any cutouts.
For controllers, make a mixture of one part water to one part isopropyl alcohol and apply it to a microfiber cloth. Wipe down the controller thoroughly. Dip a cotton swab into the solution and run it around buttons and into crevices. Because you handle controllers so frequently, upkeep with some wipes is a good idea that will save you a lot of work later and will cut down on germs and grossness.
How to Clean Fitness Trackers, Smartwatches
Your fitness tracker (and to some extent your smartwatch) is there to make you sweat, but that means it gets sweaty along with you. The good news is that both can stand up to some moisture. Clean the face with a bit of water and a microfiber cloth.
For bands made of rubber (silicone, elastomer, etc.), rinse with water or wipe them down with a small amount of rubbing alcohol. If you’re wearing moisturizer or sunscreen lotion with your band, use a gentle skin cleanser like Cetaphil on it. If marks remain, try erasing them with a rubber eraser like the Paper Mate White Pearl. Should that fail, mix one part baking soda to one part water to make a paste and then rub that into the band and wipe off with a wet cloth. If the band is still stained, you can try a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. But be warned: the “magic” in Magic Eraser is that it removes layers of the substance you’re cleaning, so you’re essentially sandpapering the band.
Nylon bands can smell because they are especially prone to picking up sweat. If this happens or if the band is stained, mix a tiny bit of dish detergent and water to wipe them down, then follow with plain water.
Metal bands should be wiped with a lint-free cloth and, if necessary, you can involve a small bit of water. If you have a stainless-steel band and it’s gotten discolored, use a tiny bit of a stainless-steel polish like Bar Keeper’s Friend, but make sure to thoroughly rinse it off so you don’t transfer the chemicals to your skin when you put the band back on. For discolored, silver-plated bands, use a silver-cleaning cloth sparingly (plating flakes off easily).
Wipe down leather bands with water and a microfiber cloth and clean with a good leather cleaner followed by a conditioner. Apple Brand (no relation to your iPhone) makes a good kit.
Fitbit recommends cleaning the charging contacts on its line of trackers with a toothpick or a toothbrush dipped in rubbing alcohol. Dry the contacts with a lint-free cloth.
