Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Coronavirus: How To Clean Your Home and Your Smartphone

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Recently the New York Times asked experts how best to clean your home during a viral outbreak like the Coronavirus outbreak.  We thought we would share this informative article.

We asked the experts how best to clean our homes during a viral outbreak. After they taught us the proper technique (above), we had a few more questions:

How often should I do this?

Every day. (In between regular cleanings.)

Will wipes work?

Yes. Look for sprays or wipes that promise to kill 99.9 percent of germs.

What if I don’t have cleaning sprays or wipes?

Washing with soapy water should do the trick: a few drops of dish soap to eight ounces of water. Although soap and water will not kill all germs, scrubbing with soapy water should be effective in removing coronavirus and other germs from surfaces.

What’s a high-touch surface?

All those places where you and your family leave a million fingerprints every day. (Clean bathroom surfaces last.)

• Door knobs
• Light switches
• Refrigerator and microwave doors
• Drawer pulls
• TV remote
• Counters and table tops where you cook and eat
• Toilet handles
• Faucet handles

Tara Parker-Pope is the founding editor of Well, The Times’s award-winning consumer health site. She won an Emmy in 2013 for the video series “Life, Interrupted” and is the author of “For Better: The Science of a Good Marriage.” @taraparkerpopeHow To Sanitize Your Smartphone During Coronavirus Outbreak

Consumer Reports.org posted a great article on how to keep your smartphone clean.

There’s more to keeping your smartphone clean than just a microfiber cloth.

Amid growing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by a novel coronavirus, Apple has updated its guidance on how to keep iPhones and other electronic devices clean and free of germs, telling users that it is indeed safe to use alcohol to wipe the product’s screen and body.

This coronavirus has quickly spread around the globe and is now advancing across the U.S. Symptoms are usually mild but can be severe, especially in older adults and in people with underlying health conditions.

Studies have shown that smartphones are a breeding ground for germs and other pathogens, making it important to keep them clean. That’s certainly true for the novel coronavirus, which research suggests may survive on surfaces for hours or even days.

Prior to Apple’s updated guidance, published Monday, there was palpable confusion about whether using alcohol might damage a smartphone, particularly the special “oleophobic” coating that helps prevent fingerprints from building up on the touch-screen display.

“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,” Apple said.

The company recommends that you power the device down first and avoid using bleach, submerging the unit in cleaning agents, or allowing moisture to enter any opening in the shell.

“Don’t use [the wipes] on fabric or leather surfaces,” Apple adds.

In an email to Consumer Reports, a Google representative confirmed that it’s okay to use isopropyl alcohol wipes on the company’s devices (including the Pixel smartphone), without fear of causing damage. Consumer Reports has asked Samsung for similar confirmation on the use of wipes on its devices but has not yet received a response. We’ll update this article if that changes.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that hand sanitizers containing at least 60 percent alcohol have been shown to be effective at eliminating germs.

Consumers who shield their phones from harm with a screen protector and/or a protective case may have an even easier way to keep the device clean: plain old soap and water.

James Dickerson, Ph.D., Consumer Reports’ chief scientific officer, says he regularly washes his smartphone case and screen cover in his sink with soap and water. And according to the CDC, soap and water are more effective at eliminating germs than alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

“So if people have those types of covers, that’s probably the best thing they can do,” he says. “They don’t have to go out and buy special sanitizers or anything like that. Just scrub it down.”

Do not, however, do that with a case that features a built-in battery for recharging on the go, he adds.

As for how often you should clean your smartphone, Dickerson says that varies based on your situation. A physician who sees patients regularly, he explains, will want to wipe down the phone several times a day. But the average consumer can do so less frequently. It all depends on how often you interact with other people.

More broadly, Dickerson says, consumers should look to official, reputable sources for information as the situation unfolds.

“You have to be vigilant,” he says. “Take in information from trusted healthcare professionals and not just social media influencers.”

More on the Coronavirus
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