How to clean your cell phone case or housing well

The cover or casing is an essential element to protect your phone from possible bumps or falls. Like the terminal itself, which is 10 times dirtier than a toilet, too the lid can contain microbes, bacteria and fungi dangerous to health.

Although antimicrobial covers already exist, it is best to learn how to properly clean any type of cell phone case or shell for always keep it away from dirt.

In this guide we explain how to clean cases in plastic, wood, silicone and leather. Depending on the material, cleaning products and steps to follow vary.

Before your cell phone case becomes a possible source of infection, clean it to remove any dirt that builds up. Next, let's explain how to do it based on the material from which it was made.

Clean plastic sleeve

Plastic covers resist cleaning processes well

Although their popularity has declined over time with the advent of silicone cases, plastic cases are still a durable option to protect your mobile.

Plastic covers, especially hard plastic ones, can be easily cleaned thanks to their resistance to products such as bleach or alcohol. If you'd rather not deal with such strong substances, you always have the option of cleaning your mobile phone case with dish soap, at least plastic ones.

If you have a cover made from this material and you want to learn how to clean it properly, these are the materials you need and the steps to follow.

Materials needed

• Bleach or dish soap
• water
• Sponge or toothbrush
• Soft fabric
• Hand gloves

Steps to clean a plastic sleeve

1. Take the phone out of the case to prevent water from entering during the cleaning process.
2. Wear gloves to avoid possible accidents when dealing with bleach.
3. In a container, add a tablespoon of bleach for each cup of water until there is enough liquid to insert the lid.
4. Dip the sleeve in the bleach and water solution for about 10 minutes.
5. Remove the cover e scrub it with a toothbrush or sponge to remove accumulated dirt.
6. Rinse the case well in water to remove any bleach residue.
7. Dry the water with a soft cloth and finally leave it dry in the open air for half an hour before covering the phone again.

In case you don't want to use bleach in the case cleaning process, you can replace it with dish soap. The steps are similar: mix it with water, dip the case and scrub it with a toothbrush, rinse and dry it before putting it back on the mobile.

Clean wooden case

Here's what a wooden case looks like on the Google Pixel 3

Wooden sleeves require a careful cleaning procedure that does not damage the material. In case you don't know, we need to clarify that the water is not a good friend of wood. If the wood absorbs water, it swells; if it expels it, it contracts.

In any case, the wood will suffer and it will change its original state if you use water to clean it. Therefore, you need to be especially careful if you are going to properly clean the wooden case or casing of your mobile.

You can avoid possible problems during the cleaning process by using a special solution created with vinegar, always bearing in mind that you shouldn't get the wooden crate wet with it. These are the materials and steps required to clean a wooden cell phone case.

Materials needed

• Vinegar
• water
• Soft cloth or rag
• Spray can

Steps to clean a wooden crate

1. Fill the spray can with two thirds of water and one third of vinegar. Then mix well to get the ready solution.
2. Pour the solution into the wooden case e clean it with a cloth to remove it accumulated dirt, always paying attention to do not get the case too wet.
3. Dry the case with a cloth or paper to remove the solution applied.

Clean silicone or rubber case

The official cover of the OnePlus 6T is made of silicone

Silicone or rubber covers are the most common today, as they offer strength without sacrificing flexibility. If we compare them to hard plastic shells, these are silicone a little more sensitive, so we will not be able to apply the bleach solution mentioned in the other case.

Before recommending the materials necessary for proper cleaning and the steps to follow, we remind you that they also exist disinfectant wipes to clean your mobile in seconds. In extreme cases, these wipes can also help you clean the terminal cover.

In this case, to clean a silicone or rubber case, the most common is to use a mixture of water and soap, which is more delicate than bleach. If the cover is excessively dirty, you can also use a solution with baking soda, which will clean the silicone without damaging it. This is the list of materials needed and the steps to follow to clean a silicone or rubber sleeve.

Materials needed

• Dish soap
• water
• Sponge or toothbrush
• Baking soda (if the dirt doesn't wash off with soap)

Steps to clean a silicone or rubber sleeve

1. Fill a bowl with hot water and pour the dish soap into it. Stir to create the cleaning solution.
2. Dip the sponge in the soapy water e clean the housing cover with it. To reach the most hidden points, use the toothbrush after passing it with the soapy water. If the dirt remains, apply baking soda to the housing and scrub it with your toothbrush.
3. Rinse the lid with water to clean the soap and baking soda residues.
4. Dry the cover with a towel or a dry cloth. Then leave the carcass in the open air for about half an hour to complete drying. Finally, protect your mobile again with the clean case.

Once this cleaning is complete, you can clean the silicone cover weekly with disinfectant wipes like these from Ksix, which will allow you to keep the case away from microbes and bacteria without wasting a lot of time cleaning.

Cleaning a leather case

Leather is one of the most sensitive materials when cleaning

Another of the most common materials in cellphone cases is leather. If you have such a case, you should know that the leather is one of the most sensitive materials and hence, you have to be very careful when cleaning it. Forget bleach or alcohol, to properly clean a leather case you need to use softer products.

Also, you should protect your leather case from heat, moisture, oil or makeup, which can also damage it. Next, let's talk about the materials needed and the steps to follow to clean a leather case. Spoiler: Most recommended is a leather conditioner.

Materials needed

• water
• Hand soap
• Soft cloth or rag
• Optional: skin conditioner

Steps to clean a leather case

1. Fill a bowl with hot water and pour the dish soap into it. Stir to create the cleaning solution.
2. Lightly wet the cloth with the soap and water mixture e wipe the leather case with it. Important: Never pour the solution directly into the sleeve.
3. Use another dry cloth for remove any water that may be left in the case.
4. If the leather case doesn't look right, you can use a leather conditioner to clean it 100%. Follow the instructions on the product to get the process done right.