It's Time to Clean Your Smart Phone

Our smart phones are an essential technology in our lives, accompanying most of us wherever we go. As such, it’s critical that we care for them to keep them clean, safe, able to hold a charge and up to speed.

First and foremost: Back up your phone to the cloud so that if anything goes wrong, you still have access to your data. Knowing your phone is backed up will ensure peace of mind if you find your phone is lost, stolen, or incapacitated. In the meantime:

Keep it clean A study in the journal Germs notes that up to 17,000 germs were recorded on the outside of phones. Another study by the University of Arizona claims that phones can carry more germs than a toilet seat. Besides the “ewww” factor, some of those germs may be dangerous.

There are ways to safely wipe down a dirty phone but the technique varies by phone brand, so be sure to check with your manufacturer before swiping yours.

• Keep your hands clean so you don’t transfer dirt, grime and germs to your phone. In the same vein, don’t set your phone