By Monika Kaloyanova, Executive Coordinator at Concierge Care Advisors
It is not only important to clean your hands, but also to clean your electronic devices to protect you from coronavirus and other diseases. Phones and cash are two large culprits for easily spreading communicable disease.
As it relates to money, many people use credit cards or, even better, digital payments, much more than cash these days (which is a good thing for cleanliness!). An effective way to reduce the spread of germs is to use contactless cards or mobile wallets. Most credit cards are issued with contactless capability. If you have an older card, you can request a contactless card. Currently, card issuers are facing high call volumes due to coronavirus concerns, so a new card may be delayed.
Your cards should also be cleaned, along with your electronic devices. How do you clean them?
- Gently wipe with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free microfiber cloth.
- Moisten a soft, microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol and gently wipe the card. (Do not use window or household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia or abrasives to clean your plastic or titanium card.)
- You can lightly spray (70%) isopropyl alcohol and gently wipe the card as well.
Your phone is 7 times dirtier than your toilet!
Many of us are on the phone for hours a day and we need to make sure that we clean what we touch. The coronavirus can live on the surfaces for just a few days and even up to nine days depending on the type of surface. We touch our faces to our phones all the time and the bacteria and viruses can easily transfer to your skin. There are many ways to clean your devices at home. Clorox sheets and/or alcohol-based solution (70%) are great to use for iPhone and Samsung users. Be careful with what you are using for cleaning because some chemicals are abrasive and can damage your phone screen. As an example, you should avoid using the following on your phone: window cleaner, kitchen cleaners, paper towels, rubbing alcohol, makeup remover, compressed air, dish soap, hand soap and vinegar.
Lately, I’ve taken to carrying around a small spray bottle of isopropyl alcohol, which I use on all kinds of things, including spraying my own hands if they are suspect! We all have to approach life differently now, but these practices are good ones, even if we were not experiencing this particular pandemic.
