Is it safe to clean iPhone with disinfectant wipes?

After the outbreak of Covid-19 in the United States and abroad, Apple decided to change its official guidelines that say how to use disinfectant when sanitizing devices like iPhone. The updated published after previously Apple had been discouraged using any cleaning product on the electric device.

Support page of Apple now says that it's OK to use 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox to disinfect hard and non-porous surfaces of your product such as display, keyboard or other exterior surfaces. In the previous version of the guideline only using a soft, damp and lint-free cloth was advised. In the updated version, you are allowed to use alcohol or Clorox to wipe and sanitize your iPhone. But other general tips apply too.

→ Don't spray disinfectant directly on the product, use a damp cloth to gently wipe hard surfaces of your iPhone.
→ Avoid excessive wipe, which may cause damage.
→ Prior to cleaning, unplug all external sources, cable and devices.
→ Never use anything that has bleach.
→ Avoid getting moisture to any openings.
→ Don't submerge your iPhone in any cleaning liquid
→ Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces.

While 70% alcohol or Clorox can be use to sanitize your iPhone you should not use, aerosol sprays, bleaches or abrasive liquids to disinfect your device. Experts previously had warned against using disinfectant for cleaning electric devised like smartphone because doing so could strip away the coating that prevent oil and grease to penetrate to your phone.

In the recent weeks, advises from World Health Organization and Centre for diseases Control and Prevention come to maintain proper hygiene by washing hand frequently to stop outbreak of Corona Virus. It is also advised to wash your hands and don't touch your face after touching surfaces. So, if you would like to disinfect your iPhone you can use a gentle wipe of 70 percent alcohol or Clorox on your device, but take care that liquid doesn't get into your speaker grill or the iPhone's Lighting Port, for example. This can damage your iPhone's hardware. Avoid excessive wiping as it may wear out the coating. A single wipe should do the job for disinfection. But don't use disinfectant on your iPhone more often as it could remove the protective layer of your device.

Apple cautions against using cleaning solutions on fabrics or leather surfaces. For example, if you have an iPhone leather case, you should avoid using disinfect on it. This can potentially damage the material. But if you have a case that could handle the disinfectant wipe, such as silicon or plastic case, you could wipe it as well.

The disinfectant solutions will probably wear away the Oleophobic coating on your screen a little bit, but everything does. It will wear out as you use your fingers on your smartphone's screen. With the recent update, Apple acknowledges that disinfecting alcohol is a good solution to get rid of germs on your iPhone. But remember it could wear out your phone. Just don't overdo it. You don't need to wipe over and over.

According to the guidance published by WHO ,the safest method to get away from Corvid-19 is washing your hand regularly for at least 20 seconds, and keeping your iPhone in your pocket as far as possible. While a damp, soft wipe is safer on your screen, you could get rid of germs and bacteria on your smartphone using 70% alcohol or Clorox.