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Video Transcript
Ken: That’s right, Ryan’s back with us hanging out to teach us little things. You know you got your grubby little hands all over the computers, and the iPad, and the phone, but at some point you’ve got to clean that off, right?
Ryan: Yeah, and you know this doesn’t work anymore when you pick up your phone and you just kind of like …
Ken: I do that all the time.
Ryan: Oh that’s clean, hand it to the kids, that’s fine, right? No, you cant do that. That’s not really going to clean it at all. Here’s the thing, the statistics kind of widely known is that the phone has 10 times more bacteria than, that’s right, the toilet seat.
Ken: Oh, come on.
Ryan: It’s terrible, I know. So here are some quick ways to clean it. First, just get a little spray bottle, put a little 50% alcohol in there, 50% water, spray it on a microfiber cloth, and wipe it down and that’ll clean up all the bacteria, and just kind of clean it up for you. If you get some really hard to reach places, you can use a Q-tip and get into those little buttons and nooks and crannies. If it’s even harder than that like my kids, they play with their iPads and stuff and sometimes get some really crusty. Use a soft bristle toothbrush, and you can kind of clean out the speakers, the cameras, and all that other good stuff.
Ken: Do you need to clean inside, say where the ports where your charger goes or where your headphone..
Ryan: That’s right. Use that Q-tip, especially on the headphones because you get your headphones in there, and your kind of like, “Whoa, that’s weird I can’t hear anything” or a little lint gets stuck in there.
Ken: Okay.
Ryan: Just use a little bit of a Q-tip and some cloth. Here’s another cool thing is if you don’t want to deal with doing it yourself, this is called wireless wipes, and these are really cool. The guy who invented this…Here’s the weird thing is that he got a staph infection on his face from his phone, so he invented these because he didn’t want to go through all this rigmarole, and so what he did is he just created these. And these come in different scents. You got pomegranate, cucumber, and it just smells real nice. Keep those in your bag. This is like, I think…You can get them like a three pack of twelve for like eight bucks on Amazon. These are really cool, or if you really want to go super crazy…
Ken: Yeah, what is this?
Ryan: Check this out. This is like a little tanning bed for your phone. It’s a UV light and a charger. So you stuff it in there, close that up and at night time it will disinfect your phone.
Ken: What!
Ryan: Yeah! So if you’re kind of crazy like I know some of you guys are…
Ken: Germaphobes.
Ryan: Yeah.
Ken: A little sensitive about that, sure.
Ryan: ..you just put in there and that will kind of clean it up for you and get rid of all that stuff.
Ken: I love that.
Ryan: Here’s another thing, when you’re dealing with your headphones you get all that little gunk and stuff in there. Don’t ever look inside…Don’t look directly into the eye of your headphone. You can do the same thing, just use a little bit of alcohol and rub it down or if it’s really gunked [SP] on there you can use hydrogen peroxide and it will soften that material, then you can just wipe it down with a Q-tip.
Ken: Hydrogen peroxide.
Ryan: Second thing is also on your computer, you don’t want to use like a Clorox wipe, don’t use anything like that on either the keyboard or the screen. Use the microfiber cloth and the solution, wipe it down, and again if you get really crusty stuff in there, you can use a toothbrush to kind of clean it up in there. If you use an air can of spray, make sure you spray at an angle. Do not spray directly down, otherwise that material can get inside the keyboard, and kind of make it a lot harder, and if you’re doing your fans on the back, make sure that you’re spraying at an angle to spray it out of the fan rather than into the computer and kind of…[inaudible 00:03:03]
Ken: I didn’t think about the fans on the back. I forgot all about that.
Ryan: Yeah, especially on the Macs. They’re kind of hidden behind the screen here, so you’ve got to really spray down in there.
Ken: I love it. Great idea. Great tips for spring cleaning your tech gadgets. You just can’t go in there and do it all willy nilly. You have to do it a certain way. Information from Nerds on Call. Always good to see you Ryan. Thanks buddy, I appreciate that.
Ryan: Hey, thanks. You’re welcome.
Ken: Marianne. [SP]
Marianne: All right. Thank you Ryan.
Spring has sprung, and if you’re just now gearing up to tackle your spring cleaning to-do list, Nerds on Call is here to make sure you don’t neglect your gadgets. After all, what else do you touch so often and clean so seldom? That precursory wipe you give your smartphone with the hem of your shirt definitely won’t cut it. By now, we are sure that you have heard this statistic- cell phones harbor 10x more bacteria than the average toilet – and we put them on our face! Let’s have a look at how to properly sanitize your devices.
Let’s get started!
- Power down your device.
- Remove the protective case if you have one installed.
- Leave your screen protector on unless there’s debris stuck under it.
- Prepare a solution of equal parts isopropyl alcohol and distilled water in a misting spray bottle.
- Dampen a microfiber cloth with the solution & use it to wipe down the phone.
- Use Q-Tips and a soft bristle toothbrush to dislodge debris from crevices.
If you don’t have what you need to complete the steps above, such as a sprayer or microfiber cloth, here’s a quick & easy option for you:
Wireless Wipes
Wireless Wipes are fast drying, non-corrosive and come in AWESOME scents. They are very affordable- a 12 wipe pack is $2.50 or you can buy 3 packs for $8. Simply toss them in your bag and de-gunk your gadgets on the go. They are great for all devices- laptops, tablets, phones and remote controls, etc. According to the package, the creator of Wireless Wipes developed a Staph Infection on his face that the doctor said was likely from his cell phone! We commend them for taking action and creating this great product!
WirelessWipes.com
If you don’t have what you need to complete the steps above, such as a sprayer or microfiber cloth, here’s a quick & easy option for you:
Phonesoap 2.0
Phonesoap 2.0 is an Ultraviolet sanitization system that also charges your phone. Every time you charge your phone, you can kill off the bacteria hiding in its nooks and crannies.
Phonesoap 2.0
$59.95
Belkin Screen Cleaning Kit
As with your mobile devices, we recommend avoiding the ammoniated cleaning sprays and bleach wipes for your laptops and keyboards. That’s why we love the Belkin Screen Cleaning kit. It includes the solution in a misting spray bottle and a microfiber cloth. This solution has a higher viscosity which makes it less likely to drip down into the crevices of your keyboard where the electronics are that you don’t want exposed to liquid. Simply spray the solution on your microfiber cloth and give your keyboard a thorough wipe, while powered off of course. You can also use a fine bristled tooth brush in between the keys to dislodge any gunk that may be there as well.
Belkin Screen Cleaning Kit
$12 on Amazon
About The Author: Andrea Eldridge is CEO and co-founder of Nerds On Call, a computer repair company that specializes in on-site and online service for homes and businesses. Andrea is the writer of a weekly column, Nerd Chick Adventures in The Record Searchlight. She prepares TV segments for and appears regularly on CBS, CW and FOX on shows such as Good Day Sacramento, More Good Day Portland, and CBS 13 News, offering viewers technology and lifestyle tips. See Andrea in action at callnerds.com/andrea/.
