An oily surface is one of the many problems smartphone users often have to deal with. An oily texture will make the phone so greasy and look awkward, and slippery surfaces happen mostly when you have oily, sweaty palms.
Greasy phone screens could also cause multiple clicks when operating your device. This article will teach you why it happens, step-by-step remedies, and simple preventive measures.
In a hurry? We care about your time, so here’s a quick answer to the question you’re looking for!
Your phone gets greasy primarily due to the natural oils secreted by your skin. These oils, along with sweat and other residues, transfer from your fingers and face to your phone during use. This is a normal process and happens to everyone to varying degrees, depending on individual skin oil production levels. Regular cleaning of your phone can help reduce the buildup of these oils.
Why Does My Phone Screen Keep Getting Greasy?
Several reasons may be responsible for a greasy phone screen. However, nine out of ten cases are associated with the following five reasons:
You Have Oily Skin
Almost every action we perform when using smartphones requires skin contact. You can only take pictures, browse, chat, listen to the radio, or use various applications if you use your fingers.
If your skin is naturally oily, your phone screen and its surfaces are always greasy. Over time, continuous swiping and taps will leave oil stains on the net.
You Touch Your Phone Screen With Stained Hands
Not everyone has oily skin. However, if you forget to wash your hands after touching oily substances, your hands can still leave traces of grease on the surface of your phone.
It happens to the best of us. Sometimes, you need to pick up a call while eating fried snacks, then those smudges appear. Regardless of the source, oil stains on your hands will affect your phone screen.
Poor Personal Hygiene
Good hygiene is not only good for the body. It is beneficial for our electronic devices too. Usually, people who don’t wash their hands regularly find it challenging to maintain smudge-free phone screens.
If you wonder why your phone screen often becomes greasy, consider improving habits associated with your hygiene.
Greasy Hand Moisturizers
You may need help with a greasy phone screen if you use hand moisturizers, especially the thick paste-like variants. As you know, hand moisturizers stay on the palm to prevent dryness.
But in preventing your palm from losing moisture, you may discover that your greasy palm is staining your phone’s surface.
You Share Your Device With Other People
We can do our best to avoid touching our phone screens with greasy hands. However, there is little that we can do when many people have to use the same phone. If you are a parent with kids in the house, you should watch what they do with your phone.
Sometimes, the answer to the question, “Why is my phone so greasy,” is because other people with greasy hands touch your phone often.
How Do You Clean A Greasy Phone Screen?
Below is a step-by-step guide to cleaning grease from your smartphone screen.
Step One: Get the Items Required
Getting it right starts with using the most appropriate cleaning materials. Here are the materials you need to clean a greasy phone screen;
- Microfiber cloth
- Cotton swab
- Alcohol
- Clean water
Step Two: Turn Off Your Phone
Before you start cleaning, turn off your device. Grease and dirt are more visible when the screen’s background light is off.
While locking the net may help, some smartphones respond to touch. You don’t have to struggle with the power button while cleaning the screen.
Step Three: Remove Dirt From the Screen With a Microfiber Cloth
It is time to start wiping grease off the phone screen. Pick the microfiber cloth and softly rub it on the entire screen, using an outward motion. Please ensure the fabric is soft and dry.
Using a damp cloth may worsen the effects of oil on the screen and make it even more difficult to remove smudges. Gently wipe the microfiber cloth around the net, especially where the oily stain is more pronounced.
Step Four: Clean the Crevices With a Cotton Swab
Although the microfiber cloth will clean the screen, it can do little or nothing to remove oil traces in the panel’s crevices, edges, and charging ports. Cotton swabs are ideal for this purpose.
Always use clean, dry cotton swabs. Rub the cotton swab delicately on those areas to deep clean. Move the cotton swabs around the screen. Ensure you change them when the swab gets roughened.
Step Five: Prepare an Alcohol-Water Mixture
By now, you would have cleaned more than half of the oil on the screen. You can clean the remaining traces of grease with an alcohol-water mixture. Quick warning- don’t use products with over 50% of alcohol.
You’ve probably heard about the cleaning properties of alcohol. It could also help clean an oily phone screen when diluted with water. In a small container, mix alcohol and water in a ratio of 40:60.
Next, dampen another microfiber cloth (not the one you used earlier) with the mixture. Squeeze out excess liquid from the fabric and keep it for the next step.
Step Six: Wipe the Screen With the Damp Microfiber
Next, move the damp microfiber cloth over the screen horizontally or vertically. However, ensure you use uniform strokes to clean the screen and surfaces. Repeat until there are no traces of grease on your phone’s screen or other parts.
How Do You Stop Your Phone’s Surfaces From Getting Oily?
You’ve learned the causes and how to solve the problem. Now, consider these simple ideas to stop your phone from getting oily.
Watch How You Handle Your Phone
Since your phone will most likely be with you most of the time, the bulk of the work is in your hands. There is a need to be proactive with how you handle your device.
When carrying your phone in a purse or bag, ensure the space contains no stain-causing substances. Preferably, keep your phone in an area without other items. Even though this may not prevent dirt, it will at least prevent grease from forming smudges on the screen.
Be Wary Of Sharing Your Phone With Third-parties
Next to handling your phone carefully, watch what other people do with your phone. Be cautious of whom you give your device to and how long it stays with them. You may be unable to stop close friends and family members from borrowing your phone.
But you can decide how long it stays with them. If you learn to control how you give out your phone, it could help in preventing greasy buildup on the screen.
Choose Your Hand Moisturizers Wisely
If you use moisturizers, don’t buy those that leave an oily layer on the palms. No matter how little, a greasy layer on the hand will leave oily stains on the screen. Moisturizers with pure ingredients tend to absorb faster without causing dryness.
Clean Your Phone Screen Regularly
Cleaning your phone can also help prevent your phone from becoming oily. You can follow the same guide on cleaning grease from the screen. Alternatively, you can dampen a microfiber cloth in distilled water and rub it over the phone screen.
Remember to use only soft microfiber cloths. Tissue paper and coarse materials will leave scratch marks in the long run.
Consider Using a Stylus Pen When Using Your Phone
Another idea is to get a stylus for your device. A stylus is a purpose-made device for operating smartphones.
When your finger doesn’t touch the screen, you have little or nothing to worry about greasy finger marks on it. That said, there are different types of stylus pens. So, be careful to buy a compatible product for your smartphone.
Fix a Screen Protector On Your Phone
Screen protectors are adhesive films that prevent your phone screen from direct stains. Even though they can’t prevent greasy finger marks, they are easier to clean.
Conclusion
Oily hands will always leave greasy smudges on phone screens. You can regulate who uses your phone and where you keep it to protect and keep your phone’s screen clean.
When cleaning grease marks on your phone’s screen, remember to use products with less than 50% alcohol.