The Naughty List: Your Phone Is Officially More Disgusting Than Your Bathroom Floor

Your phone is essentially a portable petri dish. Think about everywhere you take it-the gym, the kitchen, and yes, the bathroom-and then consider that it spends half its life pressed against your face. Research suggests your screen is likely teeming with more bacteria than a public toilet seat, yet most of us go weeks without a single wipe-down. And if you're spending a lot of time with family during the holiday season, you could be spreading those germs to everyone. Zooey Liao/CNET If you aren't disinfecting your phone daily, you're just carrying around a layer of grime that you've been cultivating for months. The FCC actually recommends a daily cleaning, but before you reach for the Windex or a rough paper towel, stop. Using the wrong chemicals or abrasive materials will strip away your screen's protective coatings and can permanently damage the display. You don't need a specialized UV light box or expensive kits to fix this. All it takes is a soft cloth and a specific, safe cleaning solution to kill the germs without bricking your device. Here's how to clean your phone properly so it stays germ-free and your hands stay a little less gross. Don't miss any of CNET's unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome. What are the best products for daily cleaning? After touching surfaces that see a lot of action from the public -- such as door handles, seats on public transportation, grocery carts and gas pumps -- you might think you need a heavy-duty cleaning agent to use on your phone. However, you should avoid rubbing alcohol or products made of straight alcohol, since they can damage the protective coatings that prevent oil and water from harming your screen. Some suggest making your own alcohol-water mix, but getting the concentration wrong can damage your phone. The safest option is using disinfectant wipes with 70% isopropyl alcohol. For daily cleaning, consider a UV light product like PhoneSoap , which kills 99.99% of germs and bacteria. We can also turn to phone manufacturers and cell service companies for guidance, too. Apple now approves using Clorox Wipes and similar disinfectants, which was not recommended before the pandemic since they were thought to be too abrasive on the screen's coating. AT&T advises spraying a 70% isopropyl alcohol solution on a soft, lint-free cloth and wiping your device down. Samsung also recommends using a 70% alcohol solution with a microfiber cloth. Always make sure your phone is powered off before cleaning it. What are the best methods for removing fingerprints, sand and makeup? Sometimes your phone needs a more specific treatment when washing up. The recommended process for daily cleaning may not be enough to remove pesky grains of sand after a beach vacation or tough foundation stains. Get rid of fingerprints Fingerprint smudges are inevitable since your skin produces oils. Every time you pick up your phone, your screen will get fingerprints. The safest way to make your screen...

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