Cell phones have become a necessity these days that they are almost like an umbilical cord that cannot be detached. But the downside of carrying your cell phone around wherever you go is that it inevitably picks up impurities like sweat, grime and dust – and those do not come off easily. A greater hazard is that cell phones also provide a nesting place for viruses and bacteria that grow and multiply rapidly – and with increasing consciousness about infection, periodic cleaning of your cell phone is necessary and highly recommended.
Most people recognize that their cell phones do need to be cleaned at regular intervals, but few are willing to take it to a phone shop, not only because of the additional expense, but also the inconvenience of doing without your cell for a few days.
You may tend to opt for a soap solution first but this can damage the phone casing if you are over enthusiastic about attacking that stubborn bit of crud that just refuses to dislodge. Also, some choose to buy cheap replacement parts and refurbish their unit but this is likely to show a short term solution, at best. Some parts do come with information on how they are to be used, but unless you’re sure of what you’re doing; you’re liable to end up with more trouble than when you started.
The solution lies in using ultrasonic cleaners. These work by using a piezoelectric transducer to convert electrical energy into high energy and high frequency ultrasonic waves that generate minute vacuum-filled bubbles in the cleaning solution, which implode on the objects’ surface and crevices and completely get rid of all contaminants. This process is called cavitation. The bubbles are so minute that they are incapable of causing damage to any object. In the case of cell phone cleaners, special cleaning disinfectants are used in the ultrasonic cleaning solution, which can completely clean up the smallest crevices without any damage to the electronic components of the phones, such as face plate, screen, function and alphabet keys and antenna. Also, viruses and bacteria present on the objects’ surfaces are killed by ultraviolet radiation in the solution.
Compact ultrasonic cleaner models that are suitable for cleaning cell phones are readily available in the market, some as light as 1 kg and with a cleaning tank capacity of half liter. Many of these have been attested by European Union’s CE, or American FCC, so it’s a good idea to check this before you buy. Inexpensive Chinese-made models are available too, but as always, you’re taking a gamble if you buy those.