You leave the grocery store, sanitize your hands and head home. A few minutes later, you pick up your iPhone.

And just like that, whatever was on your phone is back on your hands.

Since the pandemic, we’ve become more aware of hygiene. We wash our hands more often and use sanitizer. We think twice about shared surfaces. But there’s that one object we carry everywhere in our pockets or purse that rarely gets the same attention.

Could protecting ourselves start with something as simple as that?

Why prevention matters more than ever

Public health experts have been raising concerns about antimicrobial resistance, and maybe it’s time we started paying attention. According to its 2025 Global antibiotic resistance surveillance report from the World Health Organization, one in six common bacterial infections is now resistant to standard treatments, making prevention an increasingly important part of the conversation.

And that shift often starts with small, everyday habits.

The device we forget to clean

Back in 2020, in the midst of that new reality, I spoke with June Lai, a biochemist and CEO of Catalyst, a global tech accessories company. Originally from Vancouver, she now lives in Hong Kong. At the time, everyone’s focus was on COVID-19, but one point she made still remains engrained in my brain. (ToastCaster Podcast 146 – A Scientist’s View of Protecting You from Your Phone).

Our smartphones can easily become contamination hubs.

We handle them constantly throughout the day. As Lai pointed out, “you’re doing things all day long and you’re not thinking about cleaning it.” We use them while eating, after touching public surfaces and often bring them close to our face.

Lai described smartphones as a kind of “breeding ground,” not because they start out dirty, but because they’re constantly handled and rarely cleaned.

We’ve built strong habits around handwashing, but we don’t always extend those habits to the devices we use just as often.

We take our phones everywhere, into the kitchen, the car, the gym and yes, even the bathroom. They move with us through every part of the day, quietly connecting all the places we’ve been, that’s physically, not wirelessly.

And it’s not just smartphones. Tablets, smartwatches and even the touchscreens in our cars are part of that same daily routine.

Cleaning your device the right way

The challenge is, cleaning your phone isn’t as simple as wiping down a countertop.

Even public health guidance reflects that. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends cleaning surfaces first, typically with soap and water, before applying disinfectants.

Today’s gadgets include sensitive coatings, such as the oleophobic coating used on iPhone screens to help resist fingerprints. They also have ports and materials that can be damaged if cleaned improperly. In our conversation, Lai noted that harsh chemicals such as bleach can degrade materials, while even soap and water can cause issues if they seep into openings or affect protective coatings.

Instead, a more careful approach is needed. Lai suggests starting by removing visible dirt, followed by using an appropriate disinfectant, such as 70 per cent isopropyl alcohol or ethanol.

She also notes that not all disinfectants are equally effective. “You have to test the disinfectant to make sure that it works on the specific threat,” she said, whether that’s bacteria or different types of viruses.

There’s also the question of compatibility. Not every cleaning solution is suitable for every surface, whether it’s the device itself or the case protecting it.

Timing matters as well. Cleaning your phone after being in public spaces, or before eating, can be just as important as washing your hands.

We tend to treat hygiene as separate actions. We wash our hands. We clean our countertops. But our devices move between those moments without being part of the routine.

Even product design has started to reflect this shift.

Lai also oversees research and development at Catalyst. She explained that the company has been designing waterproof cases since around 2010, continually refining them for greater precision and to support each new generation of devices.

These cases are far from simple. One model included as many as 46 individual components, all engineered to seal around ports and keep moisture out.

The tolerances involved can be incredibly small, in some cases as little as 0.05 mm, roughly half the thickness of a human hair.

“It’s the weakest part that fails,” she said, which is why every unit is tested to ensure it meets its waterproof rating.

In addition to making devices easier to clean, protective cases can also be practical when traveling or spending time outdoors, like at the cottage, helping safeguard a device many of us rely on every day.

Making it part of your routine

Still, the bigger takeaway is not just about the case itself.

It’s also about awareness.

As concerns about infections that are becoming more difficult to treat grow, prevention becomes even more important.

Sometimes it’s about rethinking the habits and routines we’ve fallen into, such as giving your phone or case a quick clean while you brush your teeth and plug it in to charge for the night. Over time, small actions like this can become second nature.

We’ve learned to wash our hands without thinking about it. Maybe it’s time to do the same with the devices we use every day.

Find waterproof Catalyst cases at catalystlifestyle.com/en-ca.

Listen to the interview with June Lai attoastcaster.com 146 or bit.ly/toastcaster146.