Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. We receive a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.
- Our cell phones hold 18 times more bacteria than a public restroom.
- While most of us focus on keeping our hands sanitized, our cell phones often go neglected, leaving bacteria to thrive on our devices.
- PhoneSoap is a small device that uses UV-C light to sanitize your phone, killing 99.9% of common household germs and ultimately keeping you healthier.
How often do you wash your hands? What about your face? Or, your clothes?
The answer probably is — or should be (though I’m not here to tell you how to live your life): a lot.
Now how often do you wash your phone?
The answer is probably close to never, but it shouldn’t be. For most of us, our phones are like appendages, traveling with us everywhere we go, accompanying us through all of our daily activities. Maybe you take a cloth to your phone every now and then to wipe away the smudges and call it a day, but if you think that actually cleans it, you’re in for a rude awakening.
A cell phone has 18 times more bacteria than a public restroom. That might sound crazy, but think about it — everything your hands touch touches your phone too. So, that bacteria lurking on the grocery cart you pushed, the door knob you opened, the subway pole you held — well, you know where it ends up.
If these cringe-worthy facts just made you never want to touch your phone again, I get it. Luckily, there’s a solution — and no, it doesn’t involve dousing your phone in hand sanitizer.
Meet PhoneSoap, the little gadget that safely sanitizes your phone, leaving your device free of bacteria and you with some peace of mind.
How it works
PhoneSoap has a simple but effective design. It looks like a small, rectangular box — making it the perfect size to keep on your bedside table, at your office desk, or even your kitchen counter. On the outside of the box, you’ll find space for three cables — the power cord, a USB, and a USB-C. To get the PhoneSoap set up, simply plug the included power cord into the wall, then into the PhoneSoap and you’re all set to get sanitizing. Place your phone inside the gadget and close. Once closed, you’ll see the lightning bolt power signal turn blue — this means it’s charging. After ten minutes, the light will turn off and your phone is ready to go. If you’d like to charge your phone simultaneously, you have the option to plug in your personal USB or USB-C cord.
So, you put your phone in a box and it cleans it, but how does it actually get the cleaning done? The power of PhoneSoap comes in the form of UV-C light. Inside the little box are two powerful UV-C lightbulbs. UV-C light is germicidal, meaning it breaks down the DNA of nasty bacteria so it can no longer function or reproduce. The lightbulbs on the top and bottom of the device, paired with the reflective interior inside the entire gadget, help achieve 360-degree disinfection — so even the tiny, hard-to-reach crevices of your phone are clean. The UV-C light is so powerful,that it only needs ten minutes to get your phone clean — after that time, PhoneSoap automatically turns off, so don’t worry about your phone getting overheated.
Does it actually work?
You’ve probably heard that bacteria is good for you. It boosts our immunity, right? Well, the answer is not that simple. Our bodies do count on some strains of bacteria to function properly, but there are also many forms of bacteria that are harmful and can cause illness and infections. Laboratory tests have shown that PhoneSoap kills 99.9% of common household germs, including bacteria that leads to E.Coli, Salmonella, Staph, Flu, and the common cold.
To some, this product might seem more placebo effect than practical, but the numbers tell a different story — 99.9% is almost all of the germy grime on your phone. Plus, sanitizing with UV-C light isn’t new — hospitals and laboratories have been using UV light to keep facilities sterile since the mid-20th century.
As for us, the consumers, I guess there’s no way we can really tell that our phone is cleaner. What we can rely on, though, is the data from all of the testing PhoneSoap has done to gauge the effectiveness of the product, and the lab pictures they’ve got to accompany it (see above).
Bottom Line
For better or for worse, our phones are sticking with us. And, unless you’re planning on washing your hands and face before and after each time you pick up your device, all that bacteria is sticking with you too. PhoneSoap is an simple solution to keep harmful bacteria from spreading — not only from your phone to you, but from you to others as well. If you live with anyone who may have a compromised immune system — young children, elderly or ill individuals — PhoneSoap could be a particularly important investment.
At $60, it’s generally just a great investment for anyone. PhoneSoap is large enough to fit all phones on the market, even with a case on. Additionally, you can throw in anything else that will fit — earphones, watches, even wallets.
And it’s more than just peace of mind. PhoneSoap gives real results that’ll help keep you and the people around you healthier. Germaphobe or not, if you’re going to treat your phone like your third hand, you should clean it like one, too.
Get the PhoneSoap Sanitizer for $59.95 at Amazon or PhoneSoap
See Also:
- 5 time-saving services that take care of everyday tasks so you can get some hours back in your day
- I’ve been using Bang & Olufsen’s $350 noise-cancelling headphones for months, and I’ve officially determined they’re my favorite pair
- Keds was the first to make an affordable, comfortable women’s sneaker 103 years ago — here’s how the company stays relevant today
Source: Business Insider – rrosmarin@businessinsider.com (Remi Rosmarin)