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Mike Elgan's picture
Mike Elgan

The World Is My Office

Your cell phone is dirtier than a toilet. Here's help!

Cell phones harbor thriving colonies of bacteria and viruses. Researchers say, for example, that cell phones are major carriers of superbugs in hospitals. Now, a new gadget helps you sterilize your phone!

It's no wonder cell phones are so disgusting. Our hands are dirty -- we shake hands with people who are sick, touch bathroom door knobs and pet the dog -- and our mouths spew whatever disease-causing viruses and bacteria are infecting our bodies. Cell phones are constantly coming into contact with both hands and mouth. When they're not, they tend to be tucked a way in pockets, a nice, warm environment that promotes the growth of microorganisms.

Researchers at Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey tested the cell phones of 200 doctors and nurses and found that nearly all -- 95 percent -- were tainted with bacteria, with some carrying the MRSA superbug that can sicken and even kill patients and that cannot be defeated with any antibiotic. They concluded that doctors and nurses were infecting patients with their cell phones. In the US, MRSA is the cause of most hospital infections.

There are several things you can do to protect yourself and others from your own cell phone. The easiest is to frequently clean your phone with rubbing alcohol.

You can also use a new product from PureLight, a company that makes UV wants for sterilizing large surfaces. Their new portable wand is designed for cell phones.

For the best protection, you can also use one of the methods above, plus use a Bluetooth headset most of the time, to minimize the mouth and hand contact with the phone.


What People Are Saying

Then there is a good chance

Then there is a good chance of merger of telecoms companies with alcohol making companies.

Soft drinks are good alternative for cleaning screen and mobile phone body

Seriously? If that's the

Seriously? If that's the case then lets disinfect practically everything that we touch on a daily basis. We should probably wear protective masks whenever we talk to people too.

I believe this article is more of an advertisement for this new product that sells itself from the fears of the ignorant and people with conditions such as Hypochondriasis then anything.

Cell Phone - carriers of germs

It is an extremely shocking piece of news that cell phones can be carrier of so many germs. Once people are aware of it, then I guess this device would be in great demand.

Above point proven....

Above point proven....

Sure!

Yep, and so is my pen, a pencil in my pocket, a tissue I use for - OMG! - my nose that has MILLIONS of bacteria.
What to do? What to DO? Why is there no savior who could help us all and save the Earth?!

Have any tests been

Have any tests been completed on the number of bacteria killed on the cell after cleaning with alcohol wipes?

Huh?

I doubt that a cell phone could possibly be dirtier than a toilet! While cell phones undoubtedly carry bacteria (like anything else not kept in a sterile room!) a toilet is full of fecal bacteria, E.coli, salmonella, all sorts of nasties which people eat (and subsequently poo back out) and there's also more food and water for them in/on a toilet than on a cell phone. I personally believe that a cell phone is no dirtier than a set of car keys or anything else you'd keep in your pocket..

Gross!!

People just need to make sure they are washing their hands often. I'm going to go clean off my phone right now. And it's another good reason to use bluetooth headsets!

Erin
Jawbone Bluetooth Headsets

Cleaning Cell Phone Plastic

I used to work in the consumer electronics industry as a Service Tech for various Radio -TV Service Centers and the for 18 years as Electronics Tech for a school system working on all kinds of Multimedia equipment.

I found that just a hint of alcohol would melt plastic. has Plastics technology caught up that well.

I use to clean circuit boards with denatured alcohol to get all kinds of grime off of then and left over Solder Flux which were using a resin for the Flux.

Has anyone tried for example on the new Blackberry Pearl models That have the slick plastic front over the LED display?

Cleaning your BB Pearl

I clean my Pearl with alcohol wipes on a regular basis and have not had any problems.