Our smartphones have become an essential part of our daily lives. We take them with us everywhere and always have them within arm’s reach. But in addition to sticking your phone in your pocket or purse, you may not be aware that you could also be carrying around lots of germs along with it. Studies have shown that your cell phone is 10 times more dirty than a toilet seat.

Just how does your phone get so dirty? Think of the list of things that you touch every day: door handles, elevator buttons, shopping carts, other people’s hands and more! Anything and everything that your fingers touch can be transferred to your phone when you touch the screen or buttons on it. And the places that phones are typically carried in, like pockets, purses and bags unfortunately create the perfect dark and warm environment for growing bacteria.

The germs that are on your phone can then be transferred to your face when making phone calls and any other place that you phone is placed. A person’s cell phone can be thought of as a “third hand.” We’ve been told of the importance of regular hand washing to stay healthy and prevent the spread of disease, so this same principle should apply to your phone as well. But how often is this “third hand” being washed?

While scrubbing your phone with soap and water isn’t a viable option, there are a few methods to clean your phone. These include a new technology available that uses powerful ultra-violent (UV) light to kill 99.99% of germs while cleaning and sanitizing your phone.

This small device called PhoneSoap can kill microorganisms, viruses and bacteria that hide in crevices of your phone where cleansing wipes just can’t reach.

How does PhoneSoap work?

Inside of PhoneSoap is UV light. There are three types of UV light wavelengths: A, B and C. PhoneSoap uses UV-C light. The UV-C wavelength causes a germicidal effect on microorganisms. When the UV-C light is on inside of PhoneSoap, it works to break apart germs’ DNA, preventing it from reproducing and stopping its growth.

Naturally occurring UV-C is harmful for our eyes and is blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere. But UV-C light can be used safely within the closed and controlled environment of PhoneSoap. An important feature of this type of UV light is that it does not get hot, even when it is killing germs, making it a completely safe option to use on your phone.

An added benefit of PhoneSoap is that it can be used to clean and sanitize other frequently handled small items, such as keys and credit cards.

How do you use PhoneSoap?

To clean your phone, open the PhoneSoap case, place your phone inside, turn it on and wait 10 minutes for the sanitizing cycle to be completed.

PhoneSoap is Available at the Ochsner O Bar

The O Bar is the first health retail experience of its kind, and offers the latest in cutting-edge, interactive technology to help you manage your health and wellness. This "Genius Bar" in a healthcare setting serves up good-for-you technology that can help keep you out of the doctor's office, including PhoneSoap! 

The O Bar carries a variety of physician recommended products and features a state-of-the-art iPad® bar. Staffed by a full-time technology specialist, the O Bar can assist you in choosing the right product or app for your lifestyle as well as providing setup support. 

You can also purchase your very own PhoneSoap online to take home these powerful UV cleaning properties and keep your phone germ free all year long. Discover this and other Ochsner recommended healthy gadgets on our healthy gadget gift guide!