The one cleaning mistake that will ruin your Android

May 21, 2020

By Kim Komando

It’s always important to make sure your hands are clean to avoid getting sick and/or spread germs to other people. Thanks to a successful coronavirus “wash your hands” campaign, people across the globe are currently hyperfocused on ensuring their hands are washed and clean of viruses or bacteria.

That “wash your hands” campaign has carried over to other aspects of cleanliness too. People are now focused on making sure the other things they touch every day are clean and disinfected. Tap or click here for proper ways to disinfect clothes, gloves and face masks.

The problem is while cleaning your smart device is very important this process is also pretty tricky. There are certain methods you should use to avoid damaging your device while ridding it of nasty germs.

That’s especially important when it comes to Samsung Galaxy devices, which can only be safely cleaned using certain methods. Let’s take a look at how you can clean your Samsung Galaxy devices, and what specific cleaning method you should avoid to keep from causing irreparable harm to your device.

How NOT to clean your Samsung Galaxy device

As we mentioned above, it’s extremely important to keep your devices clean. Phones and tablets are a hotbed of dangerous microbes, and if we aren’t making sure they’re clean, we run the risk of contaminating everything we touch after touching the screens of these devices.

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While device cleaning is important, it should be done carefully, as some methods will damage your phone or tablet. When it comes to Samsung Galaxy devices, there is one specific method you should avoid using. We’re talking about using general cleaners, compressed air sprays, disinfectant, or bleach-based products.

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You may have a bottle of all-natural cleaner laying around, but you must resist the temptation to use it on your Samsung Galaxy device. These types of products can cause the oleophobic coating that’s on your device’s screen to protect it from fingerprint smudges to peel off or become damaged.

How to properly clean your Samsung Galaxy device

We know you shouldn’t use household cleaners on your Samsung Galaxy device, but what should you use? To properly clean it, follow the steps below:

• Power down: Before cleaning it, make sure your phone or tablet is powered off and remove the case and any cords, cables, or other accessories.
• Use a lint-free cloth to wipe it down: This step is pretty self-explanatory, but it’s important to make sure your cloth is lint-free; don’t use a paper towel or other type of cloth that breaks down and leaves debris on your device. Use the cloth to wipe down all sides, nooks, and crannies of your phone or tablet.
• Use distilled water or a hypochlorous acid-based or alcohol-based disinfectant: If you need to disinfect your Galaxy device use some distilled water and/or a hypochlorous acid-based (50-80ppm) or alcohol-based (over 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) product that’s safe to use on your phone or tablet.
  • Note: These disinfectants should always be applied to a microfiber cloth, which you then use to wipe down the phone. NEVER apply these liquids directly to your phone, and be sure to avoid getting any liquid in your phone’s openings — which includes any charging ports or headphone ports.

Bonus

You can use the same methods listed above to clean the face of your Galaxy Watch. You’ll need to remove the straps before cleaning it, and these disinfection methods should not be used on leather or rubber surfaces. They are only suitable for glass, ceramic, and metal surfaces, such as the display screen on your Galaxy device and the watch face on your Galaxy Watch.