How to Clean Your Smartphone Safely
Safely deep clean and disinfect your smartphone, clear out speaker grilles and charging ports, and eliminate smudges without damaging protective coatings.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ 2 microfiber cloths
- ✓ Wooden or plastic toothpicks
- ✓ Soft-bristled brush
- ✓ Cotton swabs
- ✓ Manual bulb air blower
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 70% Isopropyl alcohol
- ✓ Distilled water
- ✓ Mild dish soap
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Always power down the device and disconnect all cables before applying any moisture.
- • Never use metal tools like needles or paperclips inside charging ports to prevent short-circuiting or bent pins.
- • Never spray liquid cleaners directly onto the phone screen, speaker mesh, or open ports.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Power Down and Remove Accessories
Unplug the phone from any charging cables or headphones. Shut the operating system down completely and remove protective cases or screen protector bumpers.
- • Phone screen is completely black and unresponsive to touch.
- • Case and accessories are set aside on the work surface.
- • Leaving the phone in sleep mode instead of fully shutting it down.
Wash and Sanitize the Phone Case
If using a silicon or plastic case, wash it in warm water with a drop of dish soap. If leather or fabric, wipe it down with a lightly damp microfiber cloth and set it aside to air dry completely.
- • Case is free of grime, oils, and pocket lint.
- • Case is placed on a dry towel to fully air-dry.
- • Reinstalling the phone into a damp case.
Clear Ports and Speaker Grilles
Use a wooden toothpick to gently sweep compacted lint out of the USB-C or Lightning port, working carefully along the perimeter. Use a dry soft-bristled brush or bulb blower to dislodge dust from speaker and microphone grilles.
- • No visible lint clusters inside the charging port.
- • Speaker mesh perforations are visible and unobstructed.
- • Using metal pins or scraping aggressively across electrical contact pins.
Wipe Screen and Back Glass
Lightly moisten a section of a microfiber cloth with 70% isopropyl alcohol so it is barely damp, not dripping. Wipe down the screen, glass back, and metal rails in smooth, circular motions.
- • Glass displays a temporary, fast-evaporating thin haze of moisture.
- • Fingerprints, facial oils, and streaks are completely removed.
- • Spraying alcohol directly onto the glass, which can penetrate seams and degrade the oleophobic coating.
Detail Buttons and Camera Module
Moisten the tip of a cotton swab with alcohol, blot excess liquid onto a cloth, and clean around the volume rockers, power button, and camera lens rings. Follow immediately with a clean, dry microfiber cloth to buff glass dry.
- • Button seams are free from skin oils and dirt rings.
- • Camera lenses are crystal clear without smudges or cotton fibers.
- • Using an overly saturated cotton swab that drips into button housings.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by BBC News — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Manual bulb air blower? Short, gentle bursts from canned air held at least 6 inches away
- No 70% Isopropyl alcohol? Distilled water lightly dampened with a drop of mild dish soap