Thursday, March 28, 2024

Build your own phone cleaning kit without breaking the bank

Share

We use our phones anywhere and everywhere, exposing them to filth, germs, bacteria, and even viruses. We take them from place to place, holding them in our hands, to our ears, and putting them in our bags or pockets. It’s a good idea to properly clean and disinfect your device frequently to keep the grime and nastiness under control so those germs don’t migrate from the phone to you. Fortunately, here are some of the best phone cleaning kits that include everything from phone sanitizers, screen wipes and sprays, and also cleaning solutions that will help you and yours remain healthy.

Clean screen on the go

ZEISS Mobile Screen Wipes (60ct Box)

Staff Pick

zeiss-mobile-screen-wipes-60-count.jpg?i

If you need your screen clean when you’re not home with your spritzer bottles, I absolutely adore these single-serve wipes. I keep a few of them in my bag for wiping my screen after it gets all sweaty and grimy when I’m out and about.

$11 at Amazon

Let there be light

Phonesoap Smartphone UV Sanitizer

phonesoap-smartphone-uv-sanitizer.png?it

This phone-sized tanning bed uses UV-C ultraviolet light technology to kill germs and bacteria on your phone. It can also charge your phone!

$80 at Amazon

Skip the Q-tips

DanziX Phone Cleaning Kit

danzix-phone-cleaning-kit.jpg?itok=1pAw8

The tips on these swabs are shaped to better seek out the dust and grime lingering in the nooks and crannies on your phone. While the wide flat tips are better suited to Lightning ports, the brush works well on USB-C ports as well.

$7 at Amazon

Pocket-friendly

MightyMicroCloth Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (6-Pack)

mighty-micro-cloth-blue-6-pack.jpg?itok=

Microfiber cloths are the best for cleaning glasses and glass phone screens, but just having one loose in your pocket gets it dirty. This six-pack has the clothes in plastic envelopes so they’re easy to carry while keeping clean.

$15 at Amazon

Keep dirt out

innoGadgets USB-C Silicone Dust Plug (10-Pack)

innogadgets-dust-plugs-usb-c-headphone-c

If you use wireless charging regularly — or even if you just tend to accumulate more lint and dirt in your USB-C and headphone ports — use these plugs to keep dust out. The headphone plug also doubles as a SIM tray puller.

$7 at Amazon

A clean screen is a happy screen

WHOOSH! Screen Cleaner Kit

woosh-screen-cleaner-kit.png?itok=iV4yos

If smudged, grimed-up screens are the bane of your cleaning existence, this kit is great for keeping around the house. It’s alcohol and ammonia-free and comes with a microfiber cloth for streak-free, lint-free wipe-downs.

$10 at Amazon
$10 at Best Buy
$10 at Target

Make your own solution

Sinide Plastic Spray Bottles 30ML (4-Pack)

spritz-bottle-set-for-cleaning.jpg?itok=

If you want to make a disinfectant spray you can use on your phone, you’ll want a spray bottle that makes a fine mist, like these small atomizer bottles. Just remember: Spray the microfiber cloth, do not spray your phone directly.

$7 at Amazon

For bigger screens

Eco-Fused Microfiber Cleaning Cloths (5-Pack)

eco-fused-microgive-cleaning-cloth-pack.

Microfiber cloths are often small and pocket-friendly, but bigger cloths like those in this multi-pack are great for wiping down tablets, touchscreen laptops, and any other glass surface you regularly use. The different textures on each side can help clean and then shine up your screen.

$8 at Amazon

Ya filthy animal

Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer (4-Pack)

purell-hand-sanitizer.jpg

The best way to keep your phone from getting grimy to begin with is to keep your hands clean. Purell is one of the most trusted brands for hand sanitizer and you’ll get four 1-liter bottles of clean scent sanitizer in this set, each with a convenient flip cap.

$47 at Amazon

Be gentle, please

Chances are, the part of your phone that requires the most frequent cleaning is the screen, and pre-moistened ZEISS Screen Wipes are the perfect way to get a streak-free clean without needing harsher chemicals. But the screen isn’t the only part of the phone that should get a regular cleaning. It’s also a good idea to consider deeper UV treatments every so often.

I also supplement these screen cleanings with deeper UV treatments in a device like the Phonesoap Smartphone UV Sanitizer. This will give your phone a thorough clean, and charge it at the same time so you’re ready to go for the day.

With the best phone cleaning kits, you want to avoid abrasives and harsh chemicals because abrasives can scratch the screen and chemicals can eat away at protective coatings. Alcohol and ammonia-free solutions are preferable when cleaning a phone, but if you want a cheap, easy solution, dilute isopropyl alcohol and water in a misting bottle. To disinfect your phone, just spray a microfiber cloth instead of the screen and use sparingly.

Read more

More News