Electronic Devices

Which Cleaning Products Should I Avoid?

Before you start scrubbing your devices with the many cleaning products available these days, you should always consult your device’s manufacturing manual as it advises to avoid some particular chemicals. Furthermore, you should check the ingredients section of a cleaning product package before buying it for your devices.

Here is a list of chemicals you should steer clear of while cleaning your electronic gadgets, including mobile phones, tablets, keyboards, laptops, desktop systems, and smartwatches:

  • Ammonia
  • Ethyl acid
  • Butoxyethanol
  • Chlorine Bleach
  • Methyl chloride
  • Ethyl alcohol
  • Toluene

All these chemicals, especially ammonia, are often cited in the principal ingredients of electronic device cleaners as they are highly effective for leaving a streak-free gleam. However, using these cleaners, full-strength, on the gadgets you use multiple times during the day can damage the device and cause your skin to develop harsh rashes and irritation. You may also suffer from lung problems in the long-term if you have a medical history of lung problems or breathing issues.

Disinfecting Your Gadgets Using Safe Cleaning Products

In this section, we will show you how you can use safe cleaning products for electronic devices without damaging them and affecting your skin.

Mobile Phones and Tablets

Mobile phones and tablets have a fingerprint-resistant surface on the screens, generally called an oleophobic coating. Manufacturers recommend treading lightly when cleaning such electronic devices as using the wrong ingredients can damage the screens, taking off their protective films.

Safe Cleaning Products for Mobile Phones and Tablets
Step by Step Instructions
  1. Turn off your mobile phones and tablets and make sure they are unplugged.
  2. Take off the device’s back protection cases.
  3. Use Pre-moistened Lens & Tech cleaning wipes to rub the screens of your mobile phones and tablets. If you don’t have Clorox wipes, skip to step 5.
  4. Turn the devices over and scrub the back covers as well.
  5. The other way of cleaning your mobile phones and tablets is by making isopropyl alcohol and distilled water solution. Take a small sprayer bottle and fill it half-full with seventy-percent isopropyl alcohol (minimum strength).
  6. Add forty-percent distilled water and shake the bottle a couple of times to mix it well.
  7. Dampen a microfiber cloth by spraying the mixture on it. Don’t oversaturate the cloth.
  8. Wipe down your gadget’s screen and back cover.
  9. Lightly wet a cotton swab and clean around the crevices and edges of your device’s screen, including the side buttons.
  10. Leave the gadgets to dry for a few minutes, and then you can cover them back with the rear protection cases.

Keyboards

According to studies, keyboards are one of those places that have the most bacteria. That’s the primary reason why it is essential to clean and disinfect them regularly, whether you use laptop keyboards or a desktop system one.

Safe Cleaning Products for Keyboards
Step by Step Instructions
  1. For desktop keyboards, power off the system and unplug the keyboard. If it is a wireless keyboard, it would be best to remove the batteries. For laptop keyboards, power-down the device.
  2. Spray an electronic gas duster on the keyboard to clean all the leftover crumbs and dust particles.
  3. Now, take an isopropyl alcohol pad and gently rub it on and between the keyboard’s keys. Use circular motions when wiping your keyboard and don’t scrub it hard as it may remove the lettering on the keyboard key
  4. After you have thoroughly cleaned the keyboard using isopropyl alcohol pads, dry the keys by gently wiping them with a microfiber cloth.
  5. Once the keyboard is dry, you can put back the batteries and reconnect it with your desktop system and laptop.

Laptop or Desktop Screens

Cleaning your laptop and desktop screens is also necessary from time-to-time as they gather a lot of smudges and dust if left for an extended period.

Safe Cleaning Products for Laptop or Desktop Screens
Step by Step Instructions
  1. Make sure your devices are powered off and unplugged.
  2. Use a microfiber cloth to clean the dust particles from your laptop or desktop system screens.
  3. Take another microfiber cloth and dampen it lightly with a good-quality eyeglass cleaner.
  4. Rub the wet microfiber cloth on the screen to clean the smudges. Don’t forget to clean the nooks and crevices of the screen as well.
  5. Now, wash the microfiber cloth with warm water and squeeze the excess water thoroughly.
  6. Use the warm microfiber cloth to clean the plastic or metal borders around the screen.
  7. Leave your electronic devices to dry properly before powering them up again.

Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers

The smartwatches and fitness trackers need constant cleansing as they get sweaty due to everyday use. However, there are several ways to disinfect these watches, no matter of which material they are made.

Safe Cleaning Products for Smartwatches and Fitness Trackers
Step by Step Instructions
  1. Spray an eyeglass cleaner on a microfiber cloth and gently rub the screen of your smartwatch.
  2. If your watch has a metal band, you can clean that by spraying a soft cleanser on another microfiber cloth and scrubbing the metal band.
  3. Nylon or rubber bands can be cleaned by wiping them with isopropyl alcohol pads.
  4. Leather bands should be taken care of using a leather care kit that includes a cleanser and a conditioner. You can apply the cleanser and wipe it off with a microfiber cloth. Then apply a light coating of conditioner to restore the leather’s flexibility.
  5. Leave your fitness tracker and smartwatch to dry off, and then you can wear it again.

Conclusion

Using these safe cleaning products for electronic devices by the given instructions will leave your gadgets in an exceptional condition at all times.