Dirty smartphones germicide smartphone

Dirty smartphones: cell phones provide ideal breeding ground for bacteria

01/08/2013

Most people can not imagine living without a cell phone. It's a bit surprising that just the popular mobile phones - if ever - only superficially maintained, because only just under 27 percent of cell phone owners clean the surface of their device consciously and intensively. This is the result of a recent representative study commissioned by the industry association BITKOM, which surveyed 1,000 persons aged 14 and over in Germany, including 891 mobile phone owners.

Mobile phone care is greatly neglected
According to the study, the care of cell phones is greatly neglected, with no differences between age groups or men and women: Just under half (49 percent) of cell phone owners „it cleans only occasionally and fleetingly, for example by wiping on the clothes, every eighth never cleans his mobile device“ and „Not even one in fifty cell phone owners cleans their device weekly.“, so the message of BITKOM.

Smartphones are reservoirs for bacteria
Smartphones therefore seem to be the ideal breeding ground for bacteria - just because they are always and everywhere used: Whether during meals, during sports or even on the toilet, in addition, the mobile phone is often also passed on to the children or friends, for example. To show photos or videos. Thus, the surface of the phone quickly becomes a reservoir for bacteria.

Earlier research had come to this conclusion - for example, British researchers published a study in 2011, in which every sixth mobile phone had traces of fecal matter - on these mobile phones, the scientists had found residues of the E-coli bacteria.

Regular care of displays and keyboards important
Therefore, according to BITKOM expert Bernd Klusmann especially smartphones should be regularly cleaned and maintained, because „Mobile phones can transmit germs, and it is useful to clean displays and keyboards regularly, especially in the cold period.“ Although touchscreens are very sturdy in order to be able to withstand the daily demands, they would nevertheless lose their cleanliness with the first touches: „Sweat and grease settle in tiny scratches that occur even with proper operation of the cell phones“, so the expert.

Tips for cleaning and caring for mobile phones
In order to keep your own mobile tissue as free of bacteria as possible, regular care is indispensable. Here, however, there are some things to consider after the dressing, so that it does not damage the device in the end.

Even if the handle is close to the glass cleaner - sharp cleaning agents like this are the BITKOM not suitable to clean touch screen surfaces, because „Detergents and soaps may in the long run damage the grease-repellent surface of the devices and thus impair their operability.“ In addition, cell phones - as well as all other electronic devices - should not be cleaned with water, because „Ingress of moisture can corrode electronic circuits and permanently damage a cell phone.“

Also from a cleansing with alcohol advises the association from. Although this has a disinfecting and germicidal effect, „but it attacks the fat-repellent surface of cell phones and should be used as rarely as possible.“ It is therefore better to use special hygiene sprays with a germicidal effect, which are available from about 2 euros in drugstores, pharmacies or specialist shops.

In order to protect the surface of the mobile phone, the dressing should be used for everyday care cleaning wipes made of microfiber, also glasses cleaning cloths made of this substance could help here in an emergency. Because microfibre cloths, as they are in drugstores or the retailer, take on even when dry fat soiling - yet the BITKOM should be paid attention to the dry cleaning „There are no coarse particles on the touch screen: you can scratch your hands when rubbed.“

If you want to protect your display and keep it as new, the association recommends using a special screen protector, because it offers several advantages: „It is barely recognizable, adheres without glue and protects the phone similar to the wrapping film a book. The film prevents scratching of the surface and reduces the possibility of deposition of germs.“

But even if mobile phones can become a reservoir for bacteria - according to the BITKOM, this does not mean that the germ burden itself must lead to illnesses. Therefore, regular, intensive hand washing continues to be the best protection against disease, „because the biggest transmitters of millions of germs remain unwashed hands“, so the association. In this way, most diseases would be transmitted: „Because humans touch their faces about every four minutes on average, pathogens enter the body via the mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes and nose and spread out.“ (Sb)

Also read:
Cell phone radiation may cause cancer
Study downplayed cell phone risks

Picture: Grey59