What is the one item we have with us all the time and can’t go without? You guessed it… your cell phone! It’s how we communicate in both our personal and professional world. Phone calls, text messages, emails, and social media all keep us glued to our phones. They literally go everywhere with us and are the most highly touched object in our daily life. Studies show that the average person checks their phone every 12 minutes- around 80 times a day!
It should come as no surprise that our cell phone is one of the dirtiest items we come in contact with every day. The bacteria on our hands from the things we touch get transferred to our phones making it a playground for germs.
According to State Food Safety research, your phone has 25,127 bacteria per square inch! That makes it dirtier than a TOILET SEAT: 1,201 bacteria per square inch, a CHECK-OUT SCREEN: 4,500 bacteria per square inch, and DOOR KNOBS: 8,643 bacteria per square inch.
As if that is not alarming enough, the types of bacteria found lurking on our phones can be surprising! Here are just a few:
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus– MRSA is an infection caused by a type of staph bacteria that’s become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to treat ordinary staph infections.
Streptococcus– strep throat is a highly contagious bacteria spread through airborne droplets when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes, or through shared food or drinks.
E. Coli from fecal matter – E. coli is a bacteria found in the environment, foods, and intestines of people and animals. Although most strains are harmless, others can make you sick. Some kinds can cause diarrhea, while others cause urinary tract infections, respiratory illness and pneumonia, and other illnesses.
Although bacteria can be harmless on our phones, some like MRSA have the potential to cause illness if it enters into our body.
There are several ways we can protect our phones and our health from germs!
- DON’T share your phone with others.
- DON’T take your phone to the toilet with you.
- DON’T use your phone while eating.
- DO wash your hands regularly.
- DO clean & disinfect your phone regularly.
How can you best clean and sanitize your phone?
We always recommend cleaning your phone according to the guidelines of the manufacturer.
~Cleaning is good and necessary but not enough. It only eliminates dirt, grime and some germs.~
To effectively eliminate 99.9% of bacteria, germs and viruses we recommend sanitizing your phone using the LIVILITI Paptizer UVC LED Smart Sanitizer or Portable UVC LED Sanitizer Bag. It’s fast- disinfecting in as little as 3 minutes, easy-to-use, and safe for electronic devices such as your phone.
Here’s to keeping our phones clean and disinfected!