Flu season and the iPhone.

[Clete2]

Agreed:

Finally, someone else gets it! I can't stand it when people say they could care less. They are essentially saying that they care.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I've never disinfected it. Aside from the occasional wipe to clear fingerprints (with my palm), my phone sees no cleaning at all.

Same here. In fact, I've never even thought about disinfecting my phone.

 

[lollicup]

I use alcohol to clean my phone at least twice a week. Not to get rid of germs, but to cleanse the oily residue that builds up by handing the phone. I also do this with my mouse and keyboard. You're exposed to so many microorganisms that disinfecting a few objects, even on a daily basis, only makes up a miniscule amount of exposures. It does not 'weaken' your immune system because the T-cells have already been made to respond with antigen-specific proteins-even upon re-exposure to a specific ailment. Disinfecting any surface, even for long periods of time is not going to suddenly make them relinquish their 'memory.' I must assume then that 'weaken' was not the word you or anyone else was looking for. Rather, the pathogens will not contribute to their 'memory.' Even so, you must consider the number that enter your system; this number is far less than you might expect.

The rest of my family, including myself, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers throughout the day. After all, it is to be expected at a hospital. I spoke with my father on the phone earlier (this topic is what made me curious) and asked him how many times he uses the hand gel daily. To which he responded, "If I had to guess, I would say about twenty times." Hospitals already have a bad reputation for making healthy people sick, but judging by this thread, we should just drop all forms of our sanitation products.

I don't want to appear a belligerent brute, but disinfecting your iPhone and/or several other items is not going to do anything to your immune system. There is no problem here, nor is there a need to dissuade the OP, or anyone else, from disinfecting their phones.

From your response it's clear that you HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE talking about

a) you have you immunology completely messed up. Go ask any doctor and they will tell you that the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products AT HOME is a serious concern
b) B-cells make antibodies not T-cells
c) hospitals are considered high risk. You can't compare hospital acquired infections with community acquired ones

 

[nburwell]

The only "cleaning" I do is wiping off the front/back of the phone with the supplied polishing cloth after talking on the phone. I wash my hands enough at work; along with having anti-bacterial hand santizer in my cubicle.

 

[pellets007]

From your response it's clear that you HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU ARE talking about

a) you have you immunology completely messed up. Go ask any doctor and they will tell you that the overuse of antibiotics and antibacterial products AT HOME is a serious concern
b) B-cells make antibodies not T-cells
c) hospitals are considered high risk. You can't compare hospital acquired infections with community acquired ones

*I won't claim to have any medical degree or study, but disinfecting you phone twice a week is not going to do anything to your immune system. The soap you use poses a greater threat. Some soap manufacturers use triclocarban as means to sell the soap-when consumers see 'kills 99.9% of germs!' they think of only the benefits. Of course overuse is a problem, but using alcohol twice a week to clean something isn't doing anything! Hell, I use rubbing alcohol as an aftershave every morning, but I suppose that constitutes 'overuse' to you. I am unsure how my statements could be misconstrued as the overuse of any form of disinfectant, antibiotic, antiseptic, etc, because I explicitly stated that disinfecting a few household items does not 'weaken' your immune system. No, it is not overuse when the vox populi tells everyone to do everything in their power to rid their skin of any form of microorganism.
*Oh yes, forgive me for mixing up two types of lymphocytes (that obviously throws my entire argument out the window!) But if you must focus on the more ornate details, I do not recall saying anything about antibodies. T-cells and other lymphocytes are able to create cytokines to respond with any number of antigens-even without the use of antibodies. Protein != antibodies. It would have been better to broaden my term with lymphocytes earlier, for that I apologize.
*What else should I compare? That subway that I use during morning commute?

 

[lollicup]

*I won't claim to have any medical degree or study, but disinfecting you phone twice a week is not going to do anything to your immune system. The soap you use poses a greater threat. Some soap manufacturers use triclocarban as means to sell the soap-when consumers see 'kills 99.9% of germs!' they think of only the benefits. Of course overuse is a problem, but using alcohol twice a week to clean something isn't doing anything! Hell, I use rubbing alcohol as an aftershave every morning, but I suppose that constitutes 'overuse' to you. I am unsure how my statements could be misconstrued as the overuse of any form of disinfectant, antibiotic, antiseptic, etc, because I explicitly stated that disinfecting a few household items does not 'weaken' your immune system. No, it is not overuse when the vox populi tells everyone to do everything in their power to rid their skin of any form of microorganism.
*Oh yes, forgive me for mixing up two types of lymphocytes (that obviously throws my entire argument out the window!) But if you must focus on the more ornate details, I do not recall saying anything about antibodies. T-cells and other lymphocytes are able to create cytokines to respond with any number of antigens-even without the use of antibodies. Protein != antibodies. It would have been better to broaden my term with lymphocytes earlier, for that I apologize.
*What else should I compare? That subway that I use during morning commute?

Let's just agree to disagree, have a good day

 

[tkermit]

Finally, someone else gets it! I can't stand it when people say they could care less. They are essentially saying that they care.

I'm not disagreeing with you per say... Having said that, the following explanation makes a lot of sense to me:

It is so clearly logical nonsense that to condemn it for being so (as some commentators have done) misses the point. The intent is obviously sarcastic — the speaker is really saying, “As if there was something in the world that I care less about”.

 

[Cycom]

Frankly, I think anyone that would constantly "disinfect" their iPhone out of fear of germs is pathetic.

 

[jemeinc]

People, this is not difficult. To minimize your exposure:

1) Don't share your phone (unless you would kiss that person)
2) Wash hands before handling your phone/bringing it up to your face
3) Don't put your phone down on a potentially contaminated surface

This way you won't even have to take extraordinary cleaning measures for your phone.

And the tin foil pyramidal hat or haz-mat bio-suit won't hurt.

Are you serious? Who has that kind of time? I can't imagine worrying about stuff like this.. Hey, I'm not knocking you guys- you care and that's a great thing- please, don't ever stop.. But between my wife, my kids, my businesses, this economy- the last thing I'm worrying about is disinfecting my stinkin iPhone.. I've got more than enough to worry about without manufacturing things in my head.. I've never had the flu, or a flu shot, but I think I'd be more susceptible to a nervous breakdown than the flu if I worried about things like this..