How To Clean Your Electronic Devices
The Right Way, According To Many experts!

With the current coronavirus pandemic, keeping
the electronic devices you frequently touch,
clean and germ free is more important than ever.

Touch screens, ATMs, menus, elevator buttons, door handles,
shopping carts… most of us come in contact with these kind
of public things every day, And we know, or should know
it’s impossible to keep them germ free.
This is why it’s so important to wash your hands regularly.

It’s just common sense to know public surfaces are not sanitized.
But it’s not so common to know you need to clean the surfaces
that you frequently come  in contact with.

The good news is, you have control over these “high touched surfaces.”
They are your hand held electronic devices.

There has been much research done that proves your cell phone,
keyboard, LCD screen, laptop and/or computer is a
playground for viruses, germs and bacteria.

Many experts say that in addition to washing your hands
regularly, you should deep clean your frequently used hand
held electronic devices at least twice a week.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO),
the Coronavirus spreads through tiny droplets ejected from an
infected person’s cough or sneeze.

While the CDC is still investigating how long the current strain of
coronavirus, COVID-19, can survive on surfaces, it’s not unreasonable
to assume it can last for several days, which is why the CDC is
recommending that people disinfect all “high touch surfaces.”

Cell phones, laptops, tablets, computers, Mac & PC are habitually used
and touched throughout the day.

Here are a few easy to follow steps to keep
your everyday electronic gizmos clean and sanitized.

Before we start cleaning,
there are a few things to consider.

Just wiping the surface down will greatly help to clean
(not disinfect) your device.

Never spray any type of cleaning liquid directly onto
screens, keyboards, cellphones, LCDs, laptops,
computers or any other electronic device.
This is because the liquid could mist or seep into
the cracks and crevices of the device.

Make sure that no excess water, cleaner,
or liquid gets inside your device, be it a laptop,
cell phone, tablet, etc.

When using aerosols, spray it into a cloth before using it.

To sanitize, use Lysol disinfecting wipes. Lysol advertises
you can use them freely on cell phones, tablets, remote controls,
computers, keyboards & mice.

You should know that some laptop & LCD models may not
have a glass covering the LCD screen. You should not use
disinfecting wipes on these types of LCDs, because manufacturers
like Dell & HP say that active ingredients found in both Clorox and
Lysol wipes could damage the screen.

So it’s a good idea to refer to your user’s manual, or reach out
to the manufacturer of your device via email or through their website
support to learn what you need to know before you use any
chemicals on your electronic device.

To avoid the use of chemicals, you could use an Ultraviolet Germicidal
Lamp to sanitize your electronic devices. UV Lights contain no
harmful chemicals; some are even 100% safe for people and pets.
But, you should consult with the UV lamps manufacturer
to learn about the product before buying or using one.

First up, the most often used device you own.
How to clean that dirty Android or iPhone.

We repair cell phones & computers for a living, and I can’t even
begin to describe how filthy many of these devices are
when they come in for service. We have a boat load of
experience cleaning them.

 Here are the steps we use
to clean cellular devices.

• BEFORE we attempt to clean anything, it gets turned off!
• Remove the phone case and any other accessory.
• Use a clean dry microfiber cloth to remove dust, scuffs and any other surface-level fingerprints.
• Next use a slightly damp microfiber with warm water and soap mixture to do the cleaning.
  AVOID using too much water as it may harm the device. Don’t go crazy, you just want to wipe the device down… not give it a bath.
•  Keep any liquid from getting into the ports and buttons. “Huh? Get liquid into the ports & buttons, whatdya mean??” It’s not good to let liquid seep into the charging
  port, or into buttons, like the power or home button.
• After the cell phone  is nice and clean. Dry it off with another clean microfiber cloth.
• Now it’s time to sanitize  using a Lysol disinfecting wipe. If the wipe is excessively wet, wring out excessive moisture, and then gently wipe down every surface of the phone,
  again avoiding those ports / buttons. Then Let the cell phone air dry for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Cleaning keyboards and laptops

Since laptops are handled so often, you should make every effort to clean it often

• 1st step to clean your laptop, yep, you guessed it,  turn that thing off! While you’re at it unplug all connections – like the power cord, USB devices, and if possible, remove the battery.
• Pat it down – easy does it, or use an Anti-Static computer cleaning brush to knock off excessive dirt/dust or built up crud.
  Then use a clean dry microfiber cloth to remove dust, scuffs and any other surface-level fingerprints.
• Now there are two ways to get to those tough to reach, in-between the keys dirt & grime.

• Dry and Sticky cleaning method.
  Dry Method: You can blow compressed air in between the keys to shoot out dust and debris.
  Sticky Method: Use clear tape in between the keys in a “flossing” motion to stick hair, lint, dust or similar dirt to its surface.
  We’ve found a combination of both works best – blow it out then break out the duct tape!

• Next use a slightly damp microfiber with warm water and soap mixture to do the cleaning. As we mentioned before, keep any liquid from getting into the keys, ports or buttons.
• Now you can use any disinfectant wipe to clean the surface of the laptop and keyboard. Lightly wipe it down, don’t give it a bath. What you don’t want is liquid seeping into those nooks and crannies.
• Let air dry for a minimum of 5 minutes
• Read this before you attempt to clean / sanitize the LCD screen.There are 2 types of LCDs. Laptop LCD and external standalone LCD.
• Most Mac laptops, LCD monitors, and any other laptop with a glass-protected screen can be wiped down with Lysol disinfecting wipes. They have been advertised as safe to use with these types of screens for years.
• But there are a lot of laptop models or external standalone LCDs that may not have glass covering the LCD. The active ingredients found in both Clorox and Lysol wipes could damage the LCD itself.
  You should refer to your user’s manual before cleaning.
• After cleaning and sanitizing Let air dry for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Cleaning your mouse or laptop touchpad

• Start with unplugging and turning off the laptop. Removing the mouse batteries, if it is a wireless mouse. On Mice, spinning the scroll wheel will get some of the small particles out of the device.
  Patting it down by turning the mouse upside down may also work.
• Use a clean dry microfiber cloth to remove dust, scuffs and any other surface-level fingerprints.
• Next use a slightly damp microfiber with warm water and soap mixture to do the cleaning.
  AVOID using too much water as it may harm the device. Don’t go crazy, you just want to wipe the device down… not give it a bath.
• Sanitize by using a Lysol disinfectant wipe.
• After cleaning and sanitizing Let air dry for a minimum of 5 minutes.

We hope this article was helpful.
If you have questions about cleaning your electronic device,
stop by or give us a call (734) 971-6900

You’re Computer Guys
A2 Computers

You can find more info on the World Health Organization’s
advice on basic protective measures against the virus.
WHO has also dispelled some myths surrounding coronavirus.