With the worry of spreading sicknesses, in particular a virus that is plaguing our society now, many are asking how do clean all these touchscreens that we share between us.
There seem to be touch screens everywhere now, not only the one in our pocket, but the tablet that gets used to control our AV system, The wall mounted pads to dim the lights and the touch screen enabled consoles with which we are navigating the oceans.
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Firstly let ensure we understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. As we probably are cleaning the touchscreens that the clients use regularly.
Cleaning removes dirt, germs and impurities. It helps reduce bacteria and viruses travel, as well as extend the longevity of devices! It does not kill germs! That is where a disinfectant come in, using chemicals to reduce and if well done eliminate the chance of infection.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states: “diluted housed bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective” for disinfecting surfaces to prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
But that paragraph has to be taken with some extreme care! It is generally not recommended to use any chemical cleaning fluid to clean surfaces of our devices as it may leave marks and destroy the protective film that makes the devices look so good.
Touchscreen Cleaning Guidelines
- Power down the device, if possible.
- Ensure that no liquids gets inside the device! You can do this by not spraying directly at the monitor, use a lint free cloth and damped it slightly ensuring there is no excess moisture.
- Use gloves and go in small gentle circles. Allow it to dry and wipe with a dry cloth.
- Do not use abrasive cloths, like rags or paper towels, only use non-abrasive lint-free to avoid scratching the monitor.
- Avoid products that cause discoloration, i.e. too concentrated alcoholic (>85%), non.diluted bleach or ammonia.
- Wash your hands.
Touchscreen Disinfecting Guidelines
- Power down the device, if possible.
- Using a new non-abrasive cloth, dampen with a disinfectant as recommended by the Health authorities. An example is a household bleach solution (1/3 cup of bleach per gallon of water) or Isopropyl alcohol (71% to 85% alcohol).
- squeeze and excess liquid out of the cloth and do not spray directly onto the screen!
- Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines as many require that the surface remain moist for a few minutes. This can be done by continuous gentle wiping.
- Disinfect by wiping in small gentle circles, allow to dry.
- And remember to wash you hands afterwards.
The EPA in the U.S. has created this website with instructions on finding the right products to use.
