Mobile Device Cleaning Guide for the Enterprise

Mobile Device Cleaning Guide for the EnterpriseThis guide provides best practices for enterprise mobile device sanitization procedures recommended by manufacturers and leading health organizations.Contents

Thank you for reading Letter to Customer Update COVID-19

Introduction

The recent Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is fueling a renewed – and urgent – need for stringent sanitizing processes to be put into effect in our homes and businesses. Sanitizing bottles, wipes and dispensers are in places of prominence everywhere. In addition to these common practices, it’s important for organizations to have an awareness and processes in place for the cleaning of their mobile devices.

This guide provides a collective set of best practices for enterprise mobile device sanitization procedures recommended by manufacturers and leading health organizations.

Employee Actions

Safety starts with employees and companies implementing hygiene practices in the workplace. To minimize exposure in the workplace, the CDC recommends employees do these four things:

Employers can help with reminders, signs and education on social distancing and how it can be implemented at work for their employees. Keeping a regular communication on the status of corporate policies and changes through a centralized push by email is helpful and allows employees to rely on leadership to help them stay focused and informed.

Company Actions

To reduce employees’ exposure, it's important to educate them about the best practices, continuously monitor for changes and update procedures as new information, equipment or standards becomes available.
Consider putting a leadership team in place, if you have not already, that monitors and can make decisions quickly and communicate with customers.
Create a cross organizational communication process that sends concurrent email, text and/or phone calls to employees with real time updates.
Proactively identify a cleaning and sanitizing company to support your business during this time.

The best resources for companies to get best practices and stay updated as the situation develops includes:

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides up-to-date information about coronavirus

Visit Website

The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a website with useful materials for employers

Visit Website

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)has guidance for workplaces

Visit Website

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has guidelines for “Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers” in the United States

Visit Website

Mobile Devices Procedures

The corporate-owned mobile devices your employees carry throughout the day are prone to attract bacteria, viruses and germs as they interact with customers. In fact, recent research for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) found that COVID-19 is stable for several hours to days in aerosols and on surfaces.

In order to reduce the risk of exposure for your employees, it is of critical importance to create, communicate and post a cleaning procedure for these devices. Here are some process suggestions:

Clean and sanitize devices throughout the day according to their use – see the next chapter on device cleaning and disinfecting for more details
When cleaning a device, wear gloves wherever possible
When devices are being charged, put them away in a safe area where others cannot touch the device or put them in a UV cleaning locker where available

Mobile Devices Procedures

Other devices such as kiosks and interactive displays that are touched by customers are also prone to harboring germs. Here are some tips to keep these devices clean:

Place approved disinfecting wipes next to all kiosks and encourage customers to wipe down the kiosk before using it, or if you are running low on disinfectant consider temporarily closing the kiosk
Stand up device-sanitizing stations that include disinfecting products for employees to use throughout their shifts
Provide gloves for employees managing Mobile POS (mPOS) devices and dealing with money or credit cards
Consider implementing UV-cleaning lockers where employees can place their mobile devices at the end of their shifts to get sanitized
Post your procedures in a prominent location and remind your employees of the procedures often
If an employee shows signs of illness at work, quarantine their device

Cleaning & Disinfecting Mobile Devices

It’s important to note that cleaning and disinfecting are two different processes. According to the CDC, regular cleaning of a device by wiping with a moist microfiber cloth is often enough to remove many kinds of bacteria and viruses. An additional level of decontamination is often needed to remove more dangerous and long-lasting bacteria and viruses. To properly disinfect a mobile device, you need to follow the direction on the disinfecting product you are using, and we compiled the recommendations of several manufacturers in this guide.

How often you clean a mobile device depends on the type of device and how often it is used, how it is used and where it is being used. These factors should determine the schedule for cleaning and disinfection. For example, kiosks and touchscreens used at self-checkout should be cleaned after each use. For most enterprise mobile devices, the CDC recommends disinfecting a device at the beginning of a workday and wiping down with a microfiber cloth five times before being disinfected again. Use the 5-to-1 ratio for cleaning vs. disinfection of enterprise mobile devices.

It’s important to note that each type of mobile device is different, and some are not durable enough to stand up to frequent or rigorous cleaning. Many cleaning solutions have chemicals that have a harsh effect on the molded plastic on devices and can cause cracks and breaks in the material. OEMs have their own recommendations for how to best clean their mobile devices. We have included links to the most popular ones here for you.

OEM CLEANING GUIDELINES

Apple Guidelines
Page 7
Samsung Guidelines
Page 8
Zebra Guidelines
Page 9
Google Pixel Guidelines
Page 10
Panasonic Guidelines
Page 11
Ingenico Guidelines
Page 11

Apple Devices

Apple products are made with a variety of materials, and each material might have specific cleaning requirements. To get started, here are some tips that apply to all products:

Use only a soft, lint-free cloth. Avoid abrasive cloths, towels, paper towels, or similar items.
Avoid excessive wiping, which might cause damage.
Unplug all external power sources, devices, and cables.
Keep liquids away from the product, unless otherwise noted for specific products.
Don't get moisture into any openings.
Don't use aerosol sprays, bleaches, or abrasives.
Don't spray cleaners directly onto the item.

For more detailed instructions on specific Apple products, view their complete guidelines.

Apple Cleaning Guidelines

Apple recommends using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don't submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents.

Samsung Devices

To properly clean your Galaxy phone, follow Samsung’s instructions. Before starting, make sure your phone is powered down and unplugged from any power sources. Remove any covers, cases, or accessories as well.

A lint-free, soft microfiber cleaning cloth is ideal for cleaning your phone. You may also use a camera lens cleaning cloth. These are gentle and will not damage your phone.
Gently wipe the front and back of your phone with the microfiber cloth. Do not apply too much pressure.
You should avoid getting excess moisture onto your phone; however, you may dampen the corner of the microfiber cloth with a small amount of distilled water.
You can also use a disinfectant, such as a hypochlorous acid-based solution (containing 50-80ppm) or an alcohol-based solution (containing more than 70% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol). Do not apply these liquid solutions directly to your phone; they should be carefully applied to a microfiber cloth instead.
Avoid using cans of compressed air, as they may damage the surface of your phone.
Do not use spray bleach on your phone.

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy Phone Cleaning Guidelines

Samsung Cleaning Guidelines

Caution: These cleaning instructions are recommended for the glass, ceramic, and metal surfaces of your phone only. Accessories that are made of plastic, rubber, or leather may be damaged.

Zebra Cleaning Guidelines

Turn off and/or disconnect the device from AC/DC power.
To avoid damage to the device or accessory, use only approved cleaning & disinfecting agents specified for the device.
Use isopropyl alcohol, Windex or 409 to clean the housings.
Wipe down the TP and exit window with iKlear to remove any cleaning agent residue.
Use pre-moistened wipes or dampen a soft sterile cloth (not wet) with the approved agent. Never spray or pour chemical agents directly onto the device.
Use a moistened cotton-tipped applicator or soft bristle to reach tight areas. Be sure to remove any lint left over by the applicator.
Do not allow liquid to pool.
Allow the device to air-dry, dry with a soft lint-free cloth or towelette before use. Ensure electrical contacts are fully dry before reapplying power.

Approved Cleaning and Disinfectant Agents for Zebra’s TC5X-HC devices

There are numerous cleaning agents used in the healthcare industry, some of which contain ingredients that are harmful to the TC5X-HC devices. Therefore, it is important to use only Zebra-approved cleaning and disinfecting agents for the TC5X-HC from the list below.

Zebra Cleaning Guidelines

Notes:

Wipe any surfaces that need cleaning with the required cleaning agent applied to a blue paper towel
Do not spray cleaning agents directly on the devices
Use lint free clothes on glass surfaces
Exit windows must be clean on both sides to prevent scanning issues
Dry all surfaces of the device with a clean paper towel if needed

Pixel Cleaning Guidelines

By wiping your Pixel phone clean when needed, you can help protect it from stains and wear that can happen over time. You can also disinfect your Pixel phone with household disinfecting wipes.

Wipe your phone clean

Turn off and unplug your phone.
With a soft, lint-free cloth, gently wipe off your phone. For most:
- Streaks, smudges, or dust, use a dry cloth.
- Color transfers, like from makeup or a new pair of jeans, use a damp cloth.
- Other stains or grime:
- Screen: Use screen wipes or eyeglasses cleaner.
- Back and sides: Use ordinary household soap or bleach-free cleaning wipes.

Disinfect your phone

To disinfect your phone, including your screen, you can use ordinary household disinfecting wipes or 70% isopropyl alcohol-based wipes. Don’t use wipes that have bleach.

Pixel Cleaning Guidelines

Panasonic Devices

Panasonic recommends disinfectant wipes to avoid prolonged exposure to chemicals that can cause oxidation and paint discoloration, and break down the rubber that seals the devices. If the wipe form of these disinfectants is used and the surface is dried soon after application, the computer will be protected for years to come. Approved cleaning products:

Sani-Cloth Plus Germicidal Disposable Cloth
Alcohol Prep Swabs
CaviWipes
Total Solutions Disinfectant Wipes
Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes

Panasonic Cleaning Guidelines

Ingenico Terminals

First, unplug all the wires from the terminal. Good rules for proper cleaning of the terminal are:

Use a soft cloth that is very slightly soaked with soapy water to clean the outside of the terminal. Manufacturer wipe kit is strongly recommended (ref: 296118801).
Do not clean the electrical connections
Do not use solvents, detergents or abrasive products. Those materials might damage the plastic or electrical contacts.
Avoid exposing the terminal to the direct rays of the sun.
Do not put anything into the slot of the smart card reader

Ingenico Cleaning Guidelines

How Can We Help?

With the rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic radically reshaping consumer behavior, have you considered how you will shift your transformation priorities to mobile – to support the new ‘purchase pattern paradigm’?

Stratix has a proven expertise in implementing these mobile solutions with several of our Fortune 1000 retail clients – and with increasing pressure on IT spend, we also offer Mobile Device as a Service (MDaaS) options for all of the solutions at a single price per month for the device and all your services.

There are many ways we can customize your program. Contact us today to learn more.

About Stratix

As the largest pure-play enterprise mobility specialist in the U.S., Stratix is dedicated to guaranteeing nonstop mobility. The company leverages over 35 years of expertise and experience to deliver end-to-end managed mobile service programs that accelerate and inspire business mobility transformation for some of the world’s most iconic brands. For additional information, visit www.stratixcorp.com.