We asked, you told us: You're mostly split over sanitizing your smartphone

Smartphones can be a haven for germs if they’re not cleaned regularly, as they accrue plenty of dirt and grime throughout the day. This is especially true if you take your phone to the bathroom while you do your business.

With this in mind, we thought it would be a great idea to ask Android Authority readers whether they actually sanitized their phones. Whether it’s a UV case, cleaning wipe, or some other method of cleaning the device, here’s how you voted.

Do you sanitize your phone?

Results

We posted the poll on April 13, and it received just over 1,600 votes as of writing. The results show a deep split between those who do clean their phones and those who forego the practice, but there is one winner.

Some 54% of respondents said they indeed sanitized/cleaned their device, with comments pointing to alcohol wipes, microfiber cloths, and spraying solutions. One downside to using some alcohol solutions (i.e. 70% isopropyl alcohol) is that they can gradually strip away your phone’s oleophobic coating. This means you can expect a ton of fingerprints on your screen if this coating is stripped away entirely.

Just over 45% of voters say they don’t clean or sanitize their phones though, making for a big chunk of polled readers. Comments suggest that regular hand-washing and the aforementioned fear of removing the oleophobic coating are reasons to avoid this practice.

Comments

• meh…: No because I like my phone to have an oleophobic coating on the screen.
• EeZeEpEe: Alcohol wipes whenever I get home from being outside.
• thesecondsight: I use alcohol wipes several times a week to clean my phone. People don’t realize that cellphones and cash money (“dirty money”) is full of all kinds of nasty bacteria.
• Ozzie Khoo: I wipe my screen with a microfiber cloth at least every 2 days or more if it’s more smudgier than normal. I also wipe my case mainly because oils from hand get on the case over time. Does that count?
• C.J. Brown: I remove and clean the phone case, then carefully dust off the front (I use a screen protector). There are ways to sanitize your phone without having to use a liquid or foam.
• Walter Kowalski: Yes and I use the icloth brand 70% alcohol wipes. They do a nice job keeping my pixel 4xl clean.
• Tony’s Texas Hots: As part of my most recent phone purchase, I was given credit towards other Samsung devices. I picked the UV phone sanitizer because it was interesting and different from anything else I own. I’m not convinced it actually does anything aside from charge my phone, but it makes me feel better and it’s a neat gadget.

Thanks for voting in this poll and for leaving comments! Looking for advice on how to clean your phone? Then you can check out our guide over here.