Mold. It makes its way into everything, just like sand. However, unlike sand, mold can prove a much more serious threat to a person’s health. This hazard extends beyond our own health; it can even affect our electronics, such as computers and phones.

Due to the reproductive nature of mold, it can find its way into those hard to reach places in our electronics. It is important to keep your computer clean and free of dust buildup as mold can hide within these buildups.

To ensure that mold stays out of your phone, make sure you remove your case every now and then and wash the case with warm water and soap. Be sure to dry it off afterwards with a towel or something similar. This process will ensure that the outer shell of your phone will stay clean from mold and other grimy substances.

To clean sensitive parts of the phone like the screen or the back (if the back is removable), use a Q-tip dipped in alcohol to sterilize the device safely.

If the back of your phone is removable and you intend to clean away the dust and potential mold, be sure to remove your battery.

Keeping the inner workings of your PC or laptop clean requires slightly more care.

The outer shell of items like your CPU can be cleaned with alcohol and dried with a soft towel. However, for other parts, it is important to bring the device to a well-ventilated area, like the outdoors, and use a vacuum with a HEPA-certified filter to remove all the dust present.

This filter prevents the mold from redistributing in the air as it catches the mold spores in the filter. The usage of the vacuum is appropriate because mold has a tough time attaching itself to metallic surfaces; it primarily exists in the dust particles that our machines intake over the course of their usage.

To finish, a can of compressed air should be used to remove the remaining, hard-to-reach dust. Be sure not to breathe any of the dust in during this process.

In order to prevent further mold-related afflictions and to generally keep your device healthy, clean out the dust regularly as it becomes visible. Ensure that electronics are stored where there is low humidity and do not run the devices in places that are often wet or moist.

Mold growth also depends on moisture, so be sure to dry off any devices that get wet so that mold will not be given the opportunity to grow.

As an optional deterrent, a dehumidifier will prevent most molds from having the chance to propagate by removing the excess water from the air, making any mold present die of thirst.