About Mobile Hygiene

The Mobile Hygiene Campaign has two goals: spreading awareness about bacteria accumulation on cell phones and smartphones, and developing best mobile hygiene practices for industries and individuals through research and discussion.

Health officials and cell phone users take note: The recent rise in cell phone usage has introduced new pathogenic and dermatological health risks that affect patient rooms, cafeterias, schools, and even our homes. US based research on bacteria accumulation on cell phones, and publishing of guidelines and best practices for hygienic cell phone use by medical professionals, food handlers, and the general public is needed now more than ever.


Cell phone and smartphones’ increasing functionality and affordable prices have resulted in a global wide reliance on staying connected. Cell phones are now commonplace whether it be the dinner table, the kitchen, a restaurant, the gym, or even the bathroom. These factors and the heat generated by cell phones, contribute to the harboring of bacteria on the device at alarming levels and when we consider a cell phone's daily contact with the face, mouth, ears and hands, the dire health risks of using germ infested mobile devices are obvious.

WHY NOW?

Bacteria accumulation on cell phones was not cause for public concern in 2000 when 90 million US mobile users used their phone for about 2.5 hours a month to make voice calls only.

Fast forward a decade, and 260,000,000 Americans own some form of handheld mobile communication device, mostly a cell phone or smartphone, and with technology advances, usage increases daily.


Cell phone technology, perhaps unlike any other electronic or non-electronic consumer good, has indiscriminately penetrated every user group imaginable, from text-happy teens and tech savvy moms, to two-waying construction workers and twitter conscious politicians, to medical and legal professionals who access crucial information on the go, to name only a few examples.


Compared to even five years ago, most of today’s cell phone and smartphone users are power users. Not only do they talk for about 13 hours a month on their device, most of those hours with the phone pressed against the face, but touch and handle their phones countless times  a day to text message, email, schedule an appointment, listen to music, surf the web, or perform numerous specialty tasks from checking patient records to updating facebook and twitter.


The Mobile Hygiene Movement encourages health professionals from microbiologists, epidemiologists, skin care doctors, dermatologists, to behavioral scientist and occupational safety consultants to take note of how and where we are using our cell phones, and draft new guidelines and prevention tips, make announcements and commission studies, and help raise awareness about the health risks of using an unclean cell phone.

The Mobile Hygiene Movement embraces technology. We love smart ideas like paying for coffee with cell phones, the mobile internet, and all the other exciting and growing new applications for these incredibly useful and increasingly personal devices.


Cell phones and smartphones are here to stay for the near future, but so are the pathogens that build up on them if we don’t do anything about it.


If you’re concerned about an infectious disease or skin reaction from using an unclean cell phone, contact your doctor.


You can also visit the Mobile Hygiene Blog at www.mobilehygiene.org to learn more about prevention tips, public service announcements and discussions on best cell phone hygiene practices.