How to disinfect your gadgets to keep them safe amid Covid-19 pandemic

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, one of the most underlooked aspects of our day to day exercise of sanitisation is our gadgets - smartphones, cameras, laptops, headphones, etc - which are more prone to germs.

The question is how are we tackling the issue, and even if we are tackling it, are we doing it thoroughly by following proper instructions?

More than 18 million people around the globe have been infected by the novel coronavirus according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) while the death toll has crossed the 693,406-mark. 

The World Health Organization has relayed information that the Covid-19 virus could easily last several days on various types of surfaces which raises the importance of sanitising surfaces that are prone to more touches yet go unnoticed. 

People have been more or less following government guidelines and have been maintaining social distances, wearing a mask and washing hands frequently, yet most neglect or rather forget to clean their gadgets such as their smartphones, laptops, cameras, etc.

Considering the fact that people use their smartphone constantly, it is imperative that they should be cleaned every once in a while, if not than any virus or other germs could easily get transferred to our skin.

This is precisely the reason why disinfecting our gadgets should be one of our main priorities amid this pandemic.

This is how one can disinfect their gadgets and limit their exposure to the deadly coronavirus:

Alcohol-based sanitiser

Like we use an alcohol-based sanitiser to clean our hands, one can also use them to clean their phones as well, however, it is advised not to apply the sanitiser directly at the phone.

Before using the sanitiser, turn the phone off and disconnect it from the charger if it is still connected. Also, remove any phone covers as germs and bacterias can stick to those surfaces as well. 

Take a microfiber cloth, spray it with or wet it with the sanitiser and wipe out the phone completely and it's cover if you have one. try not to get the cloth too wet as it might damage the phone. The same applies to laptops as well.

Soap and water 

If you cannot get your hands on a sanitiser, using a solution of soap and water will also do the same trick.

Fill a bowl full of water and add a few drops of antibacterial dish soap to it, which will help to kill more germs. Dip a microfiber cloth in the solution and get rid of excess water as it might damage your gadget.

Try not to use just any other cloth or tissue as it might scratch the surface of your smartphone or laptop and camera. 

Cleaning wipes

For people who are always on the run and do not have the luxury to work from home, alcohol wipes will work its wonders cleaning their gadgets. It is advised that one cleans their phone or other gadgets along with their cases more frequently if they are outside. 

One cool trick for anyone if they are forgetful is to carry a single alcohol wipe in their phones cases for emergencies.