Apple changes cleaning policy to allow use of Clorox wipes on iPhones amid coronavirus outbreak

RALEIGH -- Apple now says it is OK to use alcohol wipes to clean the outside of your iPhone.

The company previously said using cleaning products on devices could deteriorate layers of the phone designed to repel oil and water.

The change from Apple comes as people around the world are hyper-conscious about hygiene and sanitation as the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread.

COVID-19 has infected more than 100,000 people around the world, including nearly 500 in the United States.

The outbreak has people buying up hand sanitizer, soaps and other disinfecting cleaning supplies.

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Cellphones could be a flashpoint for bacteria to get inside people's bodies. This is because people touch them often and bring them in close contact with their faces.

Apple's new cleaning policy reads as follows:

"Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the exterior surfaces of your iPhone. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any openings, and don't submerge your iPhone in any cleaning agents."

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