WASHINGTON — QUESTION:
Will disinfectants like Lysol or Clorox damage your phone?
ANSWER:
No, Apple says go ahead and wipe down your devices
SOURCES:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Apple, Inc.- "How to clean your Apple products"
Ian Sherr- CNET technology reporter
PROCESS:
For weeks the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been actively educating about cleaning personal spaces and avoiding, as much as possible, high-touched surfaces in public places, like door handles, handrails, and elevator buttons.
Your phone follows you everywhere throughout the day.
Lots of people on social media are asking whether it's safe to wipe your phone down with Clorox or Lysol wipes like you would with other hard surfaces.
So can you use disinfecting wipes on your phone and will it damage your screen?
Our Verify researchers found information from the CDC, Apple Support and spoke with Ian Sherr, a technology reporter at CNET.com
The CDC recommends that you "clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily," including your phone and keyboard.
For a long time Apple recommended that users avoid using alcohol to clean products, Sherr said, as they could damage the Iphone's screens.
"This is gospel. We've been told this for years, Sherr said.
Now everything has changed, Sherr explained.
On Apple's support page, a new line surfaced, which recommended using disinfectant wipes on "nonporous surfaces:"
"Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces," Apple writes online. "Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don't use on fabric or leather surfaces."
Laptops, Tablets, Smartphones, Gaming Consoles, and Remote Controls are all listed on the back of the Lysol wipe canisters.
So we can Verify, you should use disinfectant wipes to clean your phone.
