How to clean a phone

Your phone goes everywhere your hands go, including the bathroom, and studies have found phones can carry more bacteria than a toilet seat. Once a week, switch it off, take the case off, wipe the phone with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe (or a cloth barely damp with it), keeping liquid out of the ports, then wash the case in warm soapy water and let both dry fully before the case goes back on.

1. Switch the phone off, unplug any cable and take the case off: grime and crumbs collect in the case corners and around the camera cut-out. 2. Wipe the screen, back and sides with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, or a soft lint-free cloth barely damp with it. Squeeze out any excess so nothing drips. 3. Keep liquid away from the charging port, speaker grilles and buttons, and never spray anything straight onto the phone. Brush lint out of the port gently with a dry, soft toothbrush, never a pin. 4. Wash a silicone or plastic case in warm water with a drop of washing-up liquid, scrub the corners and the camera ring with an old toothbrush, then rinse (leather and fabric cases: wipe only, follow the maker's care tips). 5. Dry the phone with a microfibre cloth and let the case air-dry completely before you put it back on: trapped water fogs the camera and breeds mould. 6. Make it a weekly habit, and leave the phone outside the bathroom.

Yes, with care. Switch the phone off first and never submerge it, spray it, or let liquid into the openings. Use one product per item: a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe on the phone, washing-up liquid on the case. No bleach, window cleaner, kitchen sprays, vinegar or abrasive powders on screens (they strip the oil-repellent coating), and never mix cleaners. Check your phone maker's cleaning guidance, and keep alcohol wipes away from children and open flames. Never mix cleaning products. Bleach plus ammonia, vinegar or other acids releases toxic gases. Use one product at a time, rinse between them, ventilate, and unplug appliances before you clean them.