Your cell phone is dirtier than you think. From home, to work, to the coffee shop around the corner, your phone picks up germs everywhere it goes. In fact, cell phones carry 10 times more bacteria than most toilet seats.

“Chances are you’re not regularly getting sick from germs on your phone, but viral diseases like influenza and bacterial diseases like E.coli can spread through contact with a phone carrying viruses and bacteria,” says Sarah Latoria, APRN, primary care clinician at Northwestern Medicine.

Clean Your Phone to Avoid Germs

• To avoid contracting those germs, clean your device once a day with diluted vinegar or alcohol, especially during flu season.
• Avoid letting others touch your phone to minimize the spread of germs. And definitely keep it out of the bathroom.

Of course, it’s difficult to adhere strictly to all these rules. So, when in doubt, just remember to wash your hands.