Apple now says you can use disinfecting wipes on iPhone screens

Congratulations, iPhone owners: You can officially use disinfecting wipes to keep your phone free of potentially deadly viruses.

There’s a decent chance you were already doing that, but just in case, Apple said it’s OK on Monday. Apple updated its device cleaning tutorial page with a paragraph that gives customers its blessing to use 70 percent isopropyl or Clorox wipes on their Apple devices. Previously, Apple had recommended against using those cleaning products, The Wall Street Journal pointed out. 

Before Monday’s update, Apple warned that such cleaning products could scratch your iPhone screen. However, the Journal tested it out and found that the quality of an iPhone 8 screen wasn’t greatly affected after more than 1,000 wipes from a disinfecting wipe. Seems fine!

The new coronavirus is spreading and touching contaminated objects is just one way to catch the illness, according to the World Health Organization. Since smartphones are probably near the top of of the list of “most frequently touched objects,” it makes sense that people should clean them as thoroughly as possible.

Consider cleaning your phone’s case, too, while you’re at it. If everyone washes their hands, tries not to touch their faces, and keeps their personal items disinfected, we might be able to get through this with as little stress as possible.