Believe it or not, your phone is crawling with around 17,000 bacterial genes. When you pair that with the fact that us Australians check our phone around 85 times a DAY, that can be a pretty unhygienic combo 🦠
Not to mention phone cases can cost upwards of $100, especially for brands such as Lifeproof and Otterbox, looking after your phone case can extend it's lifespan. There are a lot of different phone case types and with that comes with a plethora of different cleaning options. We're going to dive into most of them so you can assess which one is right for you.
First, a note on clear phone cases. You most likely bought your phone because you liked the look of it. You have all these cool colours such as Cosmic Black, Space Grey and Aura Green. If you appreciate the beauty of those colours I completely understand not wanting to cover them up with another design, hence why clear cases are so popular.
If you're a fan of clear cases, it means you've seen at least one of yours go a dirty yellow colour. This is mainly due to the UV of the sun causing oxidation, the bright bastard. That means that eventually the polymers of the case will change, and then unfortunately the case will be unable to restore to it's original state. But if that's not the case (pun intended), we can save the colour.
Potential Cleaning Materials
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Dish soap
- Eraser
- Toothpaste
- Old toothbrush
- Bleach
- Rubbing alcohol
- Salt
Method 1
Most people have baking soda handy so this is a very popular solution. It is a pretty eco-conscious method since baking soda is a safe product to manufacture and use.
- Add a sprinkle of baking soda on a damp toothbrush
- Scrub the case thoroughly
- Rinse and repeat until clean
Method 2
This method is a great step 2 if the above didn't work. I would mainly be using this for clear phone cases as the solutions are designed to strip colour away.
- Put your case in a container or sink
- Add a bit of toothpaste, a squirt of dish soap, a teaspoon of salt, and half a cup of white vinegar.
- Fill your sink or container with water
- Allow to soak for 15-20 minutes
- When taking it out shake it in the water and watch the stains come off
Method 3
If you don't have vinegar or baking soda this is the next best method.
- Create a solution of dish soap and water in a container or sink
- Place the phone case in the solution
- Use the toothbrush to scrub it
- Rinse and repeat as needed
Method 4
If your case is simply dirty and has marks don't be afraid to bust out your pencil case. A rubber (eraser) can be pretty efficient at removing marks, even if they aren't created by a pencil. Just run the eraser along your phone to get rid of marks.
Method 5
If all else has failed we can look at dousing your case with chemicals. Please note that this method can damage the colour and texture of certain phone cases. Please wear gloves handling these chemicals. This method also fully disinfects your phone.
- Place your phone in a container with water, so it's submerged
- Add a teaspoon of bleach OR a half cup of hydrogen peroxide. (Do not mix these chemicals)
- Allow it to soak until clear
Method 6
If your phone just has some dirty marks and you simply want to cleanse it from those 17,000 germs all you need is some rubbing alcohol
- Put a small dab of rubbing alcohol on a cloth
- Wipe down your phone case
- Make sure to get all the creases and crevices
Wood Cases
Wood is very delicate, thus it is more important to dust your wood phone cases more often. Doing so prevents oil, dirt, and debris from damaging the cases texture. Unlike other phone materials like plastic, do not submerge wood cases in water when cleaning. Too much contact with water can cause damage. Instead, the best solution is generally a microfiber cloth. If the case is very dirty you can dampen the cloth with water or even add a few drops of vinegar. Avoid applying liquid directly to the case, always go through the cloth and then onto the case. After you clean the case, dry it with a cloth (ideally microfiber as well). The last tip from us is to try to go with the grain when cleaning.
Leather Cases
Leather is a very delicate material so there's a lot you should NOT do. It's sensitive to oil, dyed materials, makeup, sunlight, heat, and humidity. Once you stain it, there's no fun and quick way to fix it up. It's best to use a leather cleaner and follow the instructions there. Just be mindful that the leather might slightly change colour with whatever solution you choose to use, but to be safe the simpler the better. The best way is to get a microfiber cloth and dampen it with water or a few drops of vinegar. While cleaning always make sure you are being as gentle as possible, rubbing in circular motions. This will ensure you are not stretching the leather.
Well, I hope this helped. If you found this information helpful feel free to share this with a friend. If you've gone through all that and your phone case still does not look it's best, it might be time to retire it. If you're looking for a new case we've got a large range for all phone models in our catalog HERE