How dirty is your phone? Doctor explains shocking contamination levels: ‘More bacteria than public door knob…’

Your smartphone is a major carrier of germs. Know what causes and how you can prevent, learn the correct ways to clean your phone.

Phones are among the most used objects in a day. In fact, daily life is now largely planned and managed through them, showing just how integral and indispensable they have become. From early morning alarms and work meeting schedules to food deliveries, online payments, navigation, fitness tracking and late-night scrolling, smartphones remain in constant contact with you throughout the day. But did you know, despite being such an important everyday essential, it may be exposing you to some hidden health risks?

Phone screens contain a lot of germs. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Yes, your phone may be carrying far more germs than you realise, and the level of contamination can be genuinely shocking! In a conversation with HT Lifestyle, Dr Saswata Chatterjee, gastroentrologist at CMRI Kolkata, explained how smartphones become breeding grounds for bacteria and several other harmful microorganisms, potentially increasing the risk of infections and overall health outcomes.

How do phones get contaminated?

“Research has found that phone screens typically host more bacteria than kitchen work surfaces, the toilet seat or a public door knob because they have direct contact with our hands, faces, bags and the many other surfaces encountered during a day's activities,” he said, describing how phones constantly collect germs throughout the entire as people carry phones with them everywhere, and the phones in turn come in contact with repeated contact with multiple contaminated surface.

The gastroenterologist further stated that people are usually very cautious about visibly dirty public surfaces like handrails, door handles and public counters. These surfaces are cleaned regularly, and after touching them, many people use sanitiser or wash their hands. However, what many may forget, as the doctor highlighted, is that phones actually time and again come into contact with the same contaminated environments throughout the day. But unlike public surfaces, phones are not cleaned as much. The smartphones gradually accumulate layers of bacteria and germs over time, which can then easily get on your face during calls or while scrolling through your phone when eating meals.

What are the major health risks?

Then, when asked from a gastrointestinal perspective, what gut-related problems can smartphones cause, Dr Saswata Chatterjee elaborated, “It increases our risks for developing types of infections which may include: food poisoning or 'stomach flu', as well as diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and other related types of intestinal infections.”

At what time does your phone become more risky? The doctor added that phones become even more prone to bacterial contamination during highly humid weather conditions, such as summer and monsoon. This is primarily because bacterial colonisation occurs much faster in high humidity, making the health risks significantly higher during these seasons.

We then asked about the longevity of these germs, to which he expressed concern and said, "Many people don’t realise how long bacteria and viruses can live on surfaces of mobile devices (like their screens) just because the devices heat up when they are used and are, in most cases, enclosed (for example, in pockets or bags).”

Precautions

Clean phone regularly with microfibre cloth. (Picture credit: Freepik)

Being careful and exercising proper precaution can help significantly reduce the risk of contamination and the spread of germs through mobile phones. Here are some of them, as suggested by the gastroentrologist:

• Clean phone regularly using alcohol-based disinfectant wipes or a microfibre cloth lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol solution meant for electronics.
• Avoid harsh chemical cleaners or excessive moisture while cleaning, as they may damage the phone.
• Clean phone case frequently, as it can accumulate sweat, dirt and bacteria over time.
• Avoid using a phone while eating, especially with unwashed hands, to reduce germ transfer to food.
• Wash or sanitise your hands after using public transport, touching public surfaces or visiting crowded places before handling your phone.
• Avoid placing the phone on potentially contaminated public surfaces whenever possible.
• Make phone hygiene a regular wellness habit, just like handwashing and sanitisation.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.