Apple today updated its support document on cleaning Apple products to include new information that gives the okay for users to disinfect their devices using a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes.
Until now, Apple has recommended against using any cleaners, due to fears that the chemicals could damage the oleophobic coating on iPhone and iPad displays. However, Apple still warns against using aerosol sprays, ammonia, window cleaners, hydrogen peroxide, bleach, compressed air, and abrasives and abrasives on the devices.
Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don’t use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don’t use on fabric or leather surfaces.
You should never spray the cleaners directly onto your devices, and avoid getting any moisture into the openings.
The new guidelines come as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread around the globe. Most folks use their iPhone and other Apple devices almost constantly, making it more important than ever to disinfect the devices to cut down on spreading viruses via the devices’ surfaces.
No one is sure exactly how long the coronavirus can last on surfaces, as various studies have found that it can survive on glass for as little as two hours or as long as nine days. (UGH!)