5 Ways to Clean a Clear Phone Case

Key Takeaways

  • Learning how to clean a dirty phone case is essential for longevity and requires minimal tools.
  • The method of cleaning depends on the condition of your phone case. A light cleaning with mild dish soap and water should do for most cases.
  • For deeper stains and yellowing, use baking soda and a toothbrush.

Dirt and bacteria can make your clear case yellow or give it a dingy appearance. No one wants that! 


Want to know how to clean a phone case and keep your phone free of dirt? Use the following tips to clean clear phone cases that turned yellow and find out how to keep a clear phone case clean afterwards.

Why Cleaning Your Case Is Important

Even the strongest protective phone cases need care and maintenance, which is why learning how to clean a clear phone case is necessary.

Dirt that lingers on your case can make your clear case yellow or brown. It’s an extremely common issue for many clear-case users, especially if they don’t know how to clean a clear phone case that turned brown. A dirty case harbors unwanted germs, bacteria, and viruses.

Cleaning your phone case helps to reduce your exposure to disease-bearing microorganisms, all while keeping your device looking as good as new. Take the following steps to preserve your case:

  1. Clean your case regularly – at least once a week
  2. Keep it away from coins or keys
  3. Wash your hands before you use your device
  4. Store it in your pocket or a bag when you’re not using it

How to Clean a Clear Phone Case

1. Light Clean - Mild Dish Soap & Water

Want to know how to clean a phone case? Good old soap and water!

 

Most clear cases can be washed with soap, water, and a microfiber cloth. Before you clean it, remove your phone from the case to prevent damage.

 

Fill a bowl with warm water and around 2 or 3 drops of mild dish soap. Gently agitate the water.

 

To clean a clear phone case, moisten your microfiber cloth and scrub your case. Don’t forget to pay extra attention to hard-to-reach areas like the camera lens, display, buttons, openings, and seams.

 

Rinse and repeat as needed, then rinse thoroughly and dry with a towel. Let it sit for 1 to 2 hours to let any excess moisture evaporate before putting it back on your phone.

 

To maintain a clean phone case, use a UV phone sanitizer for complete protection. You can use UV light to eliminate bacteria and viruses from the surface of your device and other small items like headphones after you’ve learned how to clean a clear phone case.

2. Medium Clean - Baking Soda & Toothbrush

If you notice that heavy dirt has turned a clear phone case yellow or brown, and you are wondering how to clean the phone case, try baking soda. It’s a popular baking ingredient, but its abrasiveness also makes it a great choice to clean clear phone cases that turn yellow. It’s also affordable and easy to use.

 

After you’ve taken the case off your phone, sprinkle baking soda directly on stained areas of the case to spot clean or on one full side of the yellowing case if you’re cleaning the whole thing. To clean the dirty phone case, wet a soft-bristled toothbrush and begin to scrub the baking soda into the case.

 

You don’t need a lot of water to clean a clear phone case. The consistency of the baking soda should resemble a paste, so adjust your water-to-baking soda ratio as needed. Once you’re done scrubbing, rinse and repeat on the other side of your case.

3. Deep Clean - White Vinegar & Baking Soda Solution

Have more time to spare? Try a deep-clean white vinegar and baking soda solution to make your thin phone case look brand new.

To clean a clear phone case, find a kitchen container large enough that you can submerge your case in about 1 cup of liquid. Remove your phone from the case and set it aside. Set your case in the container and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Who would’ve thought learning how to clean a phone case could be so similar to baking?

 

Next, pour in one cup of distilled white vinegar. Keep in mind that it’s going to fizz. This is a normal reaction between the two ingredients!

 

Make sure your phone case is completely submerged in the solution, and let it soak for around 1 to 2 hours. The time it takes to clean a clear phone case will vary depending on how yellow that clear phone case has turned. Rinse your phone case thoroughly, dry it with a cloth, then let it air dry for a few hours before putting it back on your phone.

4. Spot Clean - Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is great for both cleaning and disinfecting your phone case, especially when you’re figuring out how to clean a clear phone case that’s turned yellow.

 

Important note: alcohol can discolor some phone cases, so double-check with your manufacturer or spot-test a very small, inconspicuous area on your phone case before using this method.

 

Remove your phone from the case. Apply a small amount of alcohol to a microfiber cloth and use it to clean your clear phone case, including any hard-to-reach places. When finished, wipe it dry with a separate microfiber cloth to remove any excess alcohol.

5. Clean Scratches - Toothpaste

Need to know how to clean a phone case with scratches? Rugged cases are meant to protect our devices and, in the process, they can get scratched. If you find a scratch on your case, you may be able to fix it or reduce its appearance by polishing it with toothpaste.

 

Polishing may minimize the look of big scratches and make minor scratches seem to vanish. Not all cases can be polished, so check with the manufacturer's care guide first before trying to clean your clear phone case. Hard, non-porous plastic may be easier to polish than softer materials like silicone.

 

Remove your phone from the case. Soak your case in warm water for a few minutes, then grab a white toothpaste that isn’t a gel. Dab a small amount of toothpaste onto a microfiber cloth and apply a very thin layer to the scratches, then let it sit for a few minutes. To clean a dirty phone case, you’ll need a bit of patience.

 

Once it’s dry, buff out the toothpaste with a microfiber cloth using small, circular motions until the scratches reduce in appearance to your liking. Repeat as necessary to clean your clear phone case.

Keep Your Clear Phone Case Clean

It won’t be long before you’re wondering how to make your phone case clear again. Keep these tips handy and follow ZAGG’s easy methods and tips to clean your phone case today. With just a few simple steps and supplies, you can give your phone case a fresh and sparkling appearance that makes it look brand new.

Frequently Asked Questions

To clean a clear phone case, you’ll need baking soda and a soft-bristle toothbrush. Remove the case from your phone, and cover your entire phone case with baking soda. Wet your toothbrush, scrub the case, rinse, dry with a microfiber towel, and let it sit for 1-2 hours before putting it back on your phone. You can also soak your case in one cup of white vinegar and 2 tablespoons of baking soda for a couple of hours for a serious deep clean. Look for the ClearGuard™ anti-yellowing technology badge to ensure your ZAGG case doesn’t yellow.
Here’s how to quickly clean a dirty phone case! Remove your phone from the case and set it aside. Fill a bowl with warm water and a couple drops of mild dish soap, then use a microfiber cloth or gentle toothbrush to clean your phone case, dipping it in the soapy water as you go. Rinse and wipe it with a microfiber towel, and let your case dry completely.
Yes and no. It depends on the phone case. Rubbing alcohol is great for cleaning phone cases and other surfaces, especially because it kills germs and bacteria on contact. However, alcohol is not suitable for all phone cases. It may discolor some cases, which is the opposite of what you need when you want to clean a clear phone case sometimes. Spot-test this method on a small portion of your case before going all in with a rubbing alcohol cleaner.
No, bleach is not recommended due to its tendency to damage phone cases. Bleach can be corrosive and abrasive, and may even make the yellowing on your case worse. If you need to clean a clear phone case, try using soap and water, a baking soda and vinegar solution, or baking soda and water with a soft-bristled toothbrush.
From dirty surfaces to debris, your phone case comes into contact with a lot of dirt and bacteria each day. It’s so important to know how to clean a clear phone case, so it stays sanitary and looks good. Once you know how to clean your phone case, try to wipe your screen or screen protector with a microfiber cloth daily, and clean your case at least once a week using soap and water.

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