It's sometimes easy to forget how often we use our cell phones. But nowadays, it can be upwards of 47 times a day! With all of that handling, it's only natural that your phone gets compromised with tons of germs.
Many of the germs are harmless, but sometimes your phone can get contaminated with dangerous pathogens like MRSA and E.Coli; these can have the potential to get you sick and transmit diseases to others. It's estimated that cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than a toilet seat. Gross. Another study found that there were over 17,000 bacteria gene copies on high schoolers' phones. Double ew.
So, the question is how can we improve the safety of our phones? One key piece of advice is to never take your mobile device to the bathroom with you. That is an obvious source of contamination, and can be easily avoided.
It's also wise to not share phones or pass them amongst family and friends since you don't know where someone else's phone has been. Another smart move is to clean your cell phone a few times a month with a microfiber cloth and 60% water, 40% rubbing alcohol solution. One more key piece of advice is to wash your hands regularly since they are the major source of germs on your phone.
So overall, we've realized how disgusting our phones can be, how they got that way, and how to best avoid that condition in the future. We hope you go clean your phone and your hands right away!