It will not be as easy to find someone with coronavirus who used your iPhone.
Before we give the impression that we’re trying to get you to put a mask on your Mac, let’s be clear. It is much more likely that you will get coronavirus from someone who sneezes you than ever because they coughed on your iPad, especially if you don’t let them use it in the first place.
The truth is that the coronavirus does not survive on surfaces for a long time, but it lasts outside the human body for a little longer than most viruses. So, when you are in a work environment where Apple devices are regularly shared, it is worth taking a few simple steps to eliminate the possibility of infection.
AppleInsider chatted with healthcare professionals and experts in the United States and the United Kingdom to find out what to do. We spoke with microbiologists and doctors, we spoke with private doctors and people from the National Health Service.
And very reassuringly, each of them told us the same things.
Sanitize yourself for coronavirus, not your device
We will cover how you clean an iPad to make sure it poses no risk of infection, but every expert we’ve talked to says the solution is what you do after handling devices.
Wash your hands thoroughly and preferably do so with an alcohol hand gel.
Not recommended.
Avoid touching your face when handling a device such as an iPad. It’s the same general advice you’ll hear from the CDC and others, but it’s the same because it’s specific.
For an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch or Mac, all you need to do is keep the devices clean, keep them for yourself and wash your hands.
It’s a little more complicated with the Apple Watch and the AirPods. There is no specific advice on this, but the general rule of hand washing will help, as will the recommended methods of cleaning Apple devices.
How to disinfect your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
Place in a stock of dry, lint-free cloths. Even after the epidemic ends, they will serve you well.
- Turn off the iPhone
- Wipe with a dry, lint-free cloth
- Never introduce liquids or moisture into the openings
- Never use compressed air or cleaning products
You could buy a screen protector. That doesn’t seem to make much difference, but you’re going to worry less about damaging a two-dollar screen protector than a thousand-dollar phone.
It’s certainly true, but if you get a screen protector and wipe it with a damp cloth, you can still get moisture on the sides, top, and back of the device. The best option is to wipe the device regularly with a dry, lint-free cloth, such as a lens cloth, and then wash your hands even more regularly.
To avoid running out of hand washing or just being patient, you can touch your device less often. Ask Siri to make calls for you, for example. You can also do this via AirPods 2 or AirPods Pro.
Apple updated a page on Monday to clean the device and now says it is okay to use a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox disinfectant wipe to “gently wipe hard surfaces and not of your Apple product. ” Specifically, Apple indicates that it is the screen, keyboard, or other external surfaces. These are new tips, and it was previously specifically prohibited to perform on screens, to avoid removing the oleophobic coating from an iPhone or iPad or the coating from a Retina screen on a MacBook Pro. We still don’t recommend it, however, but we’re testing it on sacrificial devices for the next few weeks and will be reporting on it.
How to disinfect your AirPods or AirPods Pro
The AirPods and AirPods Pro are tiny and delicate devices that require careful handling if you want to clean them properly, or just not accidentally lose them.
Although you are not going to catch the coronavirus by yourself. So if you don’t lend them to anyone and absolutely put them back in their charging case, it’s fine.
We are not rude when we decide to greet this guy instead of shaking his hand.
Otherwise, use one of your dry, lint-free lens cloth cases and wipe the devices thoroughly.
- Never pass them underwater
- Do not put liquid in any opening
- Never use sharp objects
You can also clean the charging case with the same type of cloth, but this time slightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol.
How to disinfect your Apple Watch
It is even less likely that you will loan your Apple Watch to different people during your work day than you would with AirPods. However, it is much more common to remove the watch and leave it on your desk.
In this case, keep it clean by doing the following at regular intervals.
- Turn off the Apple Watch
- Remove it from any charger
- Wipe with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth
In this case, you can moisten this cloth with water. Assuming you have a water resistant Apple Watch, you can even place it under running water for a few seconds.
There is an additional step that you can follow, specific to Apple Watch. You can remove the tape and clean it separately.
You can do this for the convenience of being able to clean the watch without the group bothering you. However, if the bracelet is leather, you must clean it separately.
Remember, the straps need as much cleaning as the Apple Watch.
This means wiping it again, as the leather bands are not made to be water resistant.
Being sensitive during the coronavirus epidemic
It will take you longer to clean an Apple Watch strap than any other Apple device, simply because it is best to let them dry themselves. Otherwise, these are all great tips both for avoiding coronavirus and for having brilliant Apple devices.
Remember that if it seems to be deepened at best and, at worst, overly cautious, these cleaning steps are simple, you can do them when you need them.
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