These Phones Can Survive Bleach Spray -- Your Body CannotMedical and scientific authorities agree: Don't ingest or inject household disinfectants. If you're worried about COVID-19 getting on your phone, though, check out how we cleaned these ultra-rugged devices.
BySascha Segan•
This story originally appeared onPCMag
Yesterday, President Trump suggested thatdoctors "inject" disinfectantto cureCOVID-19, which is toxic and would severely hurt people, according to all medical authorities and thepeople who make Lysol. Bleach and human bodies aren't compatible.
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Disinfectants also can really harm your cell phone, unless they are ruggedized. I'm in the middle of reviewing Kyocera's new DuraXV Extreme flip phone for Verizon, and I also have aSonim XP3 flipfor AT&T and Sprint. If you're paranoid about cleaning your phone, these are some excellent choices, because the super-rugged devices can be scrubbed, hosed down, and even sprayed with a Clorox bleach-based cleaner. Take a look in this fun video:
If you do use something truly sudsy on your rugged phone, you should rinse it immediately. I found it takes quite a lot of rinsing to get the residue out of the keys. After that, the speakerphone will be a bit muted until it dries out properly. After a day or so, the phones are back to being as good as new.
Neither Sonim nor Kyocera recommend that their phones get power-washed or receive bleach treatments. Bleach will almost certainly degrade the rubber keys and seals that keep the phones environment-proof. But Kyocera does say its phone is compatible with "a mild dish cleaner." I used liquid Dial soap and that went well. Medical experts, including the Mayo Clinic,suggest using soap,不是家用清洁剂,清除病毒your hands. However, you also should not ingest soap.
Both phones I have with me are perfectly happy after their adventure with the Clorox spray. Your body will not be similarly thrilled if you ingest a household disinfectant. Neither, for that matter, will your iPhone. Applerecommends using alcohol wipesor Clorox wipes on the outside of your iPhone, gently. I have a video showing that too, embedded below.
We'll have a review of the Kyocera DuraXV LTE up soon, but rest assured it's a solid voice phone worthy of respect.