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How To Clean a Phone Case: 3 Tips Everyone Can Use
Phone cases have to be one of the most used and, therefore, useful inventions that have come along due to the advent of the cell phone itself. They protect your phone against all manner of harm that it could be subject to. From anything like dirt, grime, and sand to things like screen cracking, phone-folding, and utter obliteration from a blunt force hit, the case is looking out for your phone’s integrity in the short term and long term.
Because of this, we at Andar thought it would be helpful to understand how to care for your phone case itself since it is too busy protecting your phone from all the harshness it is subject to. All the heavy lifting your phone case does will also make it start to look sort of...tired.
Cell phones have changed our lives. Whether you have an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy, it’s imperative that you keep a case to protect your technological investment.
A poorly maintained phone case not only works less but looks arguably worse. Andar believes that upkeep is a part of having quality items, and this process will make your products last longer and improve with age. This is why we would love to help you by giving a few tips for cleaning your phone case.
1. The Basic Supplies You Need
First, we will go over the basic supplies you will need to effectively clean your case and get the most out of the whole process. The supply list will be altered slightly based on what type of material your case is made out of. Because each material is slightly different in terms of what works on it, the supply list will be understandably different.
The Cloth
The first and arguably most important piece of the ensemble. Finding the right cloth will make all the difference as you attempt to clean your phone case. We recommend using a microfiber cloth for everything.
There are a few reasons for this:
Firstly, the smaller fibers will more easily break down the ground in dirt and grime in your case. Secondly, it will not leave behind any fibers as a residue that will potentially harm your case. This cloth is especially important for leather, silicone, and white cases of all materials.
The Cleaning Solution
One of the most important tips we can offer you is to do your research on the chemicals you wish to use on each material of the case. Some materials such as leather cannot take in any bleach or harsh chemicals, whereas plastic cases have more of a tolerance for it. In general, be wary of bleach and harsher chemicals because of their ability to corrode your case.
Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that diluting your cleaning solution is a great way to make sure you are not overpowering the case with the chemicals. Mix them in a small bucket and add more cleaning solution as necessary.
Tools
For some cases, such as rubber and silicone, a tool to help clean out the grime is necessary. We recommend a toothbrush and cotton swab combo as these are effective without being harmful. We will walk through below when and when not to use these tools, but having them on hand is helpful in the long run.
2. Types of Cases and How To Clean Them
As stated earlier, different materials require different levels of care and are more responsive to some cleaning materials than others. It should be intuitive to find out what your case is made out of, but if you are unsure exactly what it is, refer to the manufacturer’s information. Some of them also include cleaning guides, so read those in addition for most all-around knowledge about cleaning the case.
Silicone, Plastic, and Rubber Cases
These three are grouped together because of the fact that they best respond to the same cleaning solution. We recommend using diluted dish soap and a microfiber cloth for cleaning.
In addition, with all of these materials, you can optionally soak the case in the solution for a few minutes to get it prepared for the cleaning. As long as the solution is not too strong or the water too hot, your case won’t be damaged.
Once it has soaked, take it out and use the microfiber cloth to get everything up. If this does not work, gently use the toothbrush and cotton swab combo for best results. Getting in the little corners can be a pain, but the tools should make this quite simple in terms of cleaning.
Wood Cases
Wood can be one of the more challenging materials to work with. You cannot soak the wood at all as this will completely ruin it. You also need to use as little moisture as possible. So, the biggest tip we can give for wood phone cases is to try to keep them clean as much as possible. A little wipe down here and there will make the overall task much easier as the dirt will not pile up and get ground in. Wood is a beautiful case material, but make sure to treat it with the care it deserves.
Leather
Leather is a case that needs to be taken care of consistently. Leather is especially susceptible to being damaged or dried out with harsh chemicals, so refrain from using any when doing a makeover.
Instead, a lightly dampened cloth and water will be sufficient. Allowing the leather to completely dry out again before use is also extremely important for its long-term health, especially if it is high-quality full-grain leather.
Leather cases also need to be treated with a leather cream. At Andar, we have formulated a helpful and effective Leather Cream that will seal and protect your leather after cleaning, along with making it shine and appear supple as it should.
Leather does not respond well to dryness, so the Leather Cream is a must-have. It works especially well with Andar’s full line of leather phone cases that feature all kinds of styles and fit many different models of phone generations and brands.
3. A Note on White Cases
White cases of any material are also hard in the way that they can become stained quite easily. Extra care should be given to them to keep them from looking faded and stained long-term. Instead, depending on the material, use a very diluted bleach solution to help get the case back to how it should look.
A little bit of bleach goes a long way, so keep it minimal. Leather and wood cases are not usually white, but if you do have white versions of these two materials, do not use bleach, as it will damage it. Instead, try to upkeep especially often.
Consistently Clean for Quality
The biggest piece of advice we can give is to try to keep up on cleaning your favorite phone case regularly. By doing this, you will make the case and phone last longer with no need for harsh chemicals or vigorous scrubbing to get the caked-on dirt and grime off of the case itself.
Instead of having to soak the case in bleach, you will just wipe it off every now and again to get the layers off before they infect your case.
Sources:
What's so great about microfiber? | UC San Francisco
