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Many health agencies have given safety guidelines on how everyone should wash their hands to protect and prevent the spread of bacteria, flu, and viruses, especially now that we face a global pandemic. However, if we wash our hands frequently and the very first thing we do after washing is holding our phone, we are exposing ourselves to bacterias all over again. Scientific studies have shown that phones can contain a lot of germs and viruses, and most of them come airborne. An airborne disorder is any germs, disease, or virus transmitted through the thin air, caused by droplets that can stay in the air over a long distance and time. So if you are doing all precautionary methods to stay safe during this unprecedented time, you should probably sanitize your phone, and the air your breath. 

Here is what you could do:

Keep Your Phone

When going outside of your home, make it a habit to not always take out your phone with you. Meaning, always keep it inside your bag or in your pocket. It is to minimize the contact of your phone to these infectious diseases sifting through the air. It is also a good idea to bring back the old times when listing down notes. When going around to buy something, instead of writing all the things you need to buy on your phone, make it a habit to write down the things you have to buy on a piece of paper to keep the particles falling to your phone. 

Hands-Free Device

When making calls, use a hands-free device to discourage you from taking out your phone to answer. There are a lot of earphones and headphones that are wireless that are widely available in the market. However, since tech companies have to go with what’s trending, there are now face masks that have built-in earphones for you to use if you want to make a call and don’t want to take out their phone. An expert from MaskFone said that if you are looking for this kind of product, make sure that it has appropriate filters set by your local government or health officials. If in the event your device runs-off, wipe your phone first before doing anything with your phone. 

Put Screen Protector

It may sound basic and all, but having a screen protector on your phone helps alleviate the risk of your phone infected by airborne diseases. Top leading companies in terms of mobile smartphones, Apple and Samsung, advised their customers to put a screen protector to sanitize the screen easier. According to studies, a phone without a screen protector and constantly cleaning it with different products can destroy the screen and fingerprint-assistant of your phone. If you are worried that your phone might get these floating particles and land on your phone, use Clorox or Lysol wipes, and it will get the job done. 

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Preventing the spread of germs and viruses starts with having proper hand hygiene. While it is safe to have a sanitizer or wipes with you, the effective approach here is to be mindful of what you touch and what you do, especially now that we have a constant relationship with our phones.