You’re already washing your hands, using hand sanitizer when necessary, practicing social distancing, and not touching your face, but you may also want to take the time to disinfect those phones, tablets, keyboards, mice, and laptops that you handle every day.
Viruses can cling to glass surfaces for up to 96 hours, so whether you want to minimize your risk of COVID-19, the flu, or a bacterial infection, some regular cleaning is a good idea – although scrubbing and wiping down your electronics all the time is probably not good for them. Plan to sanitize them once or twice a week, or if other people have used them.
Remember, being gentle is important when cleaning your electronics. Before you start, power your device off and unplug any accessories. Next, use one of these options:
- Something with a 70% or higher concentration isopropyl alcohol (IPA). If you have bottled alcohol, you can mix it with water in a spray bottle. Spray the alcohol mixture onto a soft microfiber cloth (like what is used to clean your eyeglasses or camera lenses). Do not saturate the cloth. If you have disinfecting wipes, wring out any excess liquid before using. Alcohol is a good choice due to fast evaporation.
- Disinfecting wipes, such as Clorox and Lysol, are also good for cleaning hard cases, covers, keyboards, and mice. Again, wring out any excess liquid from the wipes. Start with a shake to knock loose any debris. Keep moisture to a minimum, and make sure you properly dry everything off.
- Cotton swabs and isopropyl alcohol can be used to clean around keys on keyboards.
- Remember to avoid abrasive materials (like paper towels, which can scratch the surface), and do not spray any cleaning solution directly onto the surface.
Sources:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204172?mod=article_inline
https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-clean-your-smartphone-keyboard-mouse-safely/