Our gadgets and devices are among the things we touch the most, so sterilizing them is a good idea.

Disinfecting electronics has become an important subject in face of the current outbreak. That said, knowing how to safely sanitize your gadgets can help you to make sure you’ve wiped out the majority of the germs without harming the devices themselves.

Harsh cleaners typically aren’t recommended for your gadgets for a number of reasons.

Tech experts say that these cleaners can wipe off the protective coating applied to many of our devices. Those cleaners can remove the anti-fingerprint or anti-scratch coatings – among others – that help to keep our devices functioning at their best. Using the wrong products can break down those coatings until they’re simply not there anymore.

It’s also important to use the right form of product. For instance, while you might choose a gentle alternative to a harsh cleanser for disinfecting electronics, it’s best not to spray the product onto the device. Instead, spray the product onto a very soft – ideally microfiber – cloth, then wipe down the area to be cleaned. This can include your keyboard or mouse, for instance.

When it comes to screens, disinfecting electronics shouldn’t involve the same process as other surfaces.

Avoid using cleaning products – even gentle ones – on device screens whenever possible. This includes glass cleaner, hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, bleach, solvents, powders, disinfectant wipes and makeup removers. Sanitizing gel is also quite damaging to devices.

Still, it is important to sanitize your gadgets and accessories such as your smartphone screen and your portable battery pack, charger cables and anything else you touch on a regular basis. To clean these, mix distilled water with either vinegar or isopropyl alcohol. The solution should first be spritzed onto a microfiber cloth, then gently wiped over the laptop screen, smartphone screen or your external phone charger. The cloth should be damp with the solution but not actually wet.

Make sure the device is turned off first and take care to use the cloth very gently. This way, any debris on the screen or smooth surface won’t be allowed to scratch it. When you are disinfecting electronics with cases, be sure to take the device out of the case and give both the gadget and the case a good sanitizing.

Or a simple solution…you can avoid a lot of mess by using chemical free cleaning with ultraviolet light disinfecting wands and portable lamps. Check out our new product line of UV-C light for your electronics, mail, packages, masks and more