How to Clean, Sanitize, and Sanitize Your Mac, iPhone, and iPad

It's a good habit to clean and disinfect your gadgets and tech devices, such as your iPhone and/or Mac, from time to time, but this has now become an additional safety concern due to the recent coronavirus pandemic. .

A recent study found that COVID-19 can survive on certain surfaces for up to nine days, and that includes your device's screens/surfaces. Apple recently updated its recommendations on how to sanitize its products. Apple had always recommended against the use of disinfectant wipes and alcohol on the majority of their products, but recently updated their guidelines to approve the use of Clorox or Lysol wipes on their products.

Apple has released the following guidelines for cleaning your device:

• Only use a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels or similar items.
• Avoid excessive wiping, which may cause damage.
• Unplug all external power sources, devices, and cables.
• Keep liquids away from the item you are cleaning, unless otherwise specified.
• Do not get moisture into the openings.
• Do not use aerosol sprays, bleach or abrasives.
• Do not spray cleaners directly on the item.

These rules apply to cleaning your Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, screen or device. It is also applicable for most of your gadgets. It's always a good idea to turn off your device and unplug it from any power adapter before you start cleaning it.

Even if your device is water resistant, don't just put it under a tap and clean it. The device is water resistant, not waterproof, and water pressure may damage the device (especially the speaker and charging port).

Additionally, to disinfect and sanitize your device, Apple recommends using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipe . With these, gently wipe the hard surfaces of your Apple product. The complete directive is as follows:

Be sure not to aggressively wipe the screen of any of your devices with a disinfectant wipe, as this may damage the oleophobic coating that covers the screen. This coating is there to resist fingerprints as well as oil damage. It wears over time with normal use, but aggressive use of cleaning products can further damage the coating. You can also choose to use a screen protector to cover and protect your screen and coating. Another way to sanitize your phone without much effort is to use UV light cleaners that are specially designed to keep your phone germ-free by bathing it in UV rays.

While these guidelines are provided by Apple for their devices, they also apply to any other manufacturer's device, as long as you don't aggressively wipe the screen. Nevertheless, we recommend that you check the manufacturer's recommended cleaning techniques to eliminate any confusion you may have.