The appearance of the novel coronavirus has brought into worldwide attention the importance of keeping a clean phone free from germs, as it can easily become a transmitter of germs and infection. Most of health guidelines against the virus suggest keeping your hands clean and not touching your face, but actually your smartphone’s metal, glass or plastic surfaces can host the virus for up to 9 days!

• First, don’t panic about it: Germs can be successfully eliminated by disinfecting a phone’s surface with an alcohol solution or wipes over its screen and nonporous exterior surfaces, avoiding getting moisture in any of the openings.
  
  
• Most smartphones come with a microfiber cloth which most of us forget about after a couple of weeks of getting a new model. Remember to keep it and use it to wipe your gadget with a mix of 40/60 alcohol-to-water and slightly dampen the soft cloth in it.
  
  
• If you’re using your phone to make constant calls, it means your face is more in contact with bacteria than you think. One way to avoid this is to use call-capable earbuds or earphones, which will keep your phone, and potentially harmful germs, safely away from your face.
  
  
• Remember that washing your hands regularly with soap is still one of the most efficient ways to keep yourself - and your phone - free of germs. Also, try to keep your phone away from places like your kitchen sink, dinner table and your bathroom - we’re serious, don’t take your phone to the bathroom with you!
  
  
• Ensure your phone is germ-free just as you would your hands and face. Time to clean it from the outside as often as possible and make your device a place where viruses and bacteria won’t want to grow. Do you keep your phone as clean on the outside as you do on the inside? Food for thought!