Are smartphones really covered in germs and bacteria?

Firstly, a word of warning. If you’re eating while reading this article, keep the page open and come back to it in half an hour.

Because today’s subject is hygiene.

If someone asked whether your smartphone was dirtier than your toilet, it’s a safe bet you’d say no.

Yet scientists at the University of Arizona have calculated smartphones harbour ten times more bacteria than loo seats.

There are several reasons behind this seemingly shocking prognosis.

Toilets regularly get flushed, wiped and scrubbed with a dedicated brush. But when was the last time you ran an antibacterial wipe over your phone?

Worse, our hands touch numerous dirty surfaces over the course of a day, in between unlocking our handsets and using the screen to control everything.

Bacteria and germs are easily transferred from worktops, handles and other surfaces onto our handsets.

Although we can’t see them, germs are especially prevalent in bathrooms. They’re prone to floating into the air as toilets are flushed, before settling on exposed surfaces.

If you’ve ever checked your phone while sitting on the loo, you can see the problem.

Common bacteria found on smartphones include E. coli, faecal streptococcus and the bowel-loosening Clostridium difficile – best known for causing diarrhoea.

Then there’s the fact our hands may pick up Coronavirus germs from contaminated surfaces, which would then be transferred onto our phones.

In such circumstances, smartphone cleaning should be something we do far more frequently than we actually do.

Top tips for smartphone cleaning

Firstly, don’t assume a protective case keeps germs at bay. Plastic surfaces may harbour as many germs as metal or glass ones, and cracks are ideal breeding grounds for bugs.

Periodically replace clear screen protectors, and do the same with phone cases if you can afford to.

Alternatively, if you’d prefer to keep the case out of landfill, soak it in hot soapy water and scrub the edges of any holes with a cotton wool bud to remove ingrained fragments of dirt.

Now it’s time to turn to smartphone cleaning itself.

Although running a lint-free cloth over the screen helps, the best way to clean a handset involves soap and water.

Turn off the device, dampen a microfibre cloth with warm water, apply some hand soap and wipe it over both sides and all four edges of your phone.

Never apply water directly to the handset, since IP68 protection isn’t really intended to keep a jet of water out of exposed ports.

A quick wipe with a second microfibre cloth will remove water which might leave streaks and smears if the phone is left to air-dry.

This adheres to manufacturer advice which says we should avoid using chemicals, hand gels or abrasive wipes on our phones.

One exception is for special device-cleaning wipes, which should contain around 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol.

Some people swear by household antibacterial wipes, which will certainly eliminate bacteria but might also cause streaking and smearing.

They can develop hard edges as they fold, potentially scraping or scratching delicate materials.

Ultraviolet cases are available online, claiming to kill 99.99 per cent of germs while vanquishing bacteria, but these are rarely recommended by smartphone manufacturers.

Other best-avoided smartphone cleaning materials include window cleaning liquid, bleach, rubbing alcohol and vinegar, all of which could damage the coating on touchscreens.

And without repeating the over-familiar Government guidelines on hand-washing, the best form of smartphone hygiene involves keeping your fingers clean.