Spring Cleaning: How to Clean Your Phone

As the flowers start to bloom and the weather begins to get warmer, you might feel the urge to do some spring cleaning. Most of us remember to periodically clean the inside of our phones by deleting unwanted apps, photos, and clearing up storage space. But what about the outside of our devices? If you think about the places we take our phones, it’s no wonder they get so dirty. That’s why springtime is the perfect occasion for some much-needed deep cleaning.

If you haven’t deep-cleaned your phone, now is the time to do it. This step-by-step guide will walk you through how to clean your device from the inside out.

What You’ll Need To Clean Your Phone

Before you start the process of cleaning your phone, you’ll need to gather a few supplies. Here are some essentials you’ll need to effectively remove the grit, grime and grease from your phone: (Note: Please use below items to clean your phone only, and not the phone case.)

  1. A soft, lint-free cloth, such as a microfiber cloth
  2. A small amount of water with a drop or two of dish soap
  3. A clean toothbrush

Remove Your Phone Case

Removing your phone case is the first step to cleaning your phone. The easiest method for removing a case involves these steps:

  • Flip your phone screen-side down and hold it securely in one hand.
  • Press your thumb gently into the cutout where the phone’s camera is located.
  • Gently peel one of the top corners off the phone.
  • Work your way around the edges to remove the entire case.

How to Clean Phone Screen

Once you’ve removed the case, the next step is to clean your phone screen. To get to the actual screen, you may need to remove the screen protector. 

  • After your screen protector has been safely removed, gently wipe down the screen with a clean microfiber cloth to remove any surface dust or debris. 

You may need to replace the screen protector with a new one after you’re done cleaning.

How to Clean an iPhone

To clean the exterior of your iPhone, use the same alcohol solution you used for the phone screen. Some iPhone models are water resistant and can handle the moisture from a damp cloth, but you still shouldn’t immerse your phone in water or spray disinfectant directly onto the surface to clean it. 

While you’re cleaning the exterior of your iPhone, you can also tackle some maintenance tasks to keep the phone operating as efficiently as possible. Follow the path Settings>General>iPhone Storage to see the recommendations for offloading unused apps, deleting large attachments and refreshing apps.

You can also check the phone settings under the General tab to make sure your operating system is up to date.

How to Clean an Android Phone

Cleaning an Android phone is similar to cleaning an iPhone. You can perform the same process to remove the case, remove the screen protector and wipe down the entire phone with a soapy solution.

Installing any updates and clearing the cache is also recommended for Android phones. To clear the cache for all apps on your Android phone, follow the path Settings > Storage > Apps to find the list of apps. Tapping on any app offers you the option of clearing the cache for that app.

How to Clean Your Phone Case

After cleaning your phone, it’s important to give your case a good wipe down as well. If you have a silicone case you can simply wash it in warm, soapy water. If you have a clear phone case that is starting to yellow, it may be time for a new one.

Now that your phone is all clean, you might want to dress it with something that says Spring Time! Explore OtterBox’s collection of phone cases to find the right fit for your phone and your lifestyle.