How to clean a clear phone case (and silicone, leather and fabric cases)

Step by step: how to clean a clear phone case

1. 1

   Take the phone out of the case

   Always remove the phone first, so no water reaches the ports or speakers. Peel the case off from one corner rather than bending it in the middle, which can stretch soft cases. Set the phone aside and wipe it separately.

2. 2

   Make a mild soap bath

   Fill a bowl with warm water, not hot, and add 2 or 3 drops of dish soap. Hot water can warp thin plastic cases. Swish it until it is lightly sudsy.

3. 3

   Wash and scrub the corners

   Dip the case and rub it with your fingers, inside and out. Scrub the corners, the camera cutout and the button covers with a soft toothbrush, where lint and skin oil pack in. Most of the gray film on a clear case comes off in a minute or two.

4. 4

   Treat stubborn marks with a paste

   On a soft clear TPU case (not an Apple case), mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a few drops of water and rub marks gently with your fingertip or the toothbrush for 30 seconds. Rinse it off completely. Skip this on hard glossy plastic, which can haze, and on any case whose maker says no abrasives.

5. 5

   Rinse in clean water

   Rinse the case under running lukewarm water until no soap or paste is left. Soap film left behind attracts lint and makes a clear case look cloudy.

6. 6

   Dry it completely

   Pat the case dry with a lint-free cloth, then run a dry cotton swab around the cutouts. Leave it to air dry for at least 30 minutes. A damp case can trap moisture against the phone.

7. 7

   Wipe the phone before you put it back

   Wipe the phone’s back and sides with a soft, slightly damp cloth, since grit trapped under a case can scratch. Make sure both are dry, then snap the case back on.

How do you clean each type of phone case?

Clear plastic and silicone cases handle soap and water; leather and fabric need a lighter touch. If your case came from your phone maker, its care page wins over general advice.

For Apple’s own cases, Apple’s cleaning guide says to remove the iPhone and wipe silicone, clear and Beats cases inside and out with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free cloth, and not to use window cleaners, household cleaners, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, abrasives or hydrogen peroxide. For FineWoven and TechWoven cases it gives a recipe: 1 teaspoon of liquid laundry detergent in 1 cup of water, rubbed on gently for 1 minute, then wiped with a fresh damp cloth and dried. Apple warns that cleaning its leather cases can change their color.

Google is just as gentle with its own cases. Google’s Pixel case cleaning page says to take the case off the phone, rub it in gentle circles with a cloth or sponge dampened with water, rinse it with cold water and towel or air dry it. For Pixel 6 and newer cases it says to avoid laundry detergent and harsh cleaners and not to scrub or soak the case, and for a Pixel Fold to leave the case on and spot clean only.

Can you fix a yellow clear phone case?

Mostly no. Yellowing in a clear case is the plastic itself aging, mainly from light and heat, so no cleaner can wash it out. Cleaning only removes the dirt sitting on top.

• If a soap wash makes the case clearer, the dull look was grime, and regular washing will keep it that way.
• If the color is even all over and does not change when you scrub, it is discoloration in the plastic. Replace the case when it bothers you.
• Soaking a case in bleach or hydrogen peroxide is a popular fix online, but it can make soft plastics brittle or tacky, and the yellow tends to come back. Bleach fumes are also a hazard indoors. It is not worth risking on a case you rely on to protect the phone.
• To slow yellowing, keep the phone off sunny dashboards and windowsills, and clean the case every week or two so oils do not build up.

How do you disinfect a phone case?

Wash it with soap and water first, which removes most germs along with the grime. To disinfect hard plastic, wipe it with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe and let it air dry.

Apple’s iPhone cleaning page allows 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes, 75% ethyl alcohol wipes or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes on the phone’s exterior surfaces, but not products with bleach or hydrogen peroxide, and not soaking. Its case instructions are stricter, so on an Apple case stick to the damp cloth. On leather and fabric cases, skip disinfecting wipes; they can stain and dry the material. For the phone itself, see our guide to cleaning your phone.

Mistakes to avoid

• Washing the case with the phone still inside it.
• Using hot water, which can warp or stretch thin cases.
• Scrubbing a glossy hard case with baking soda or a melamine sponge and leaving it hazy.
• Soaking a yellowed case in bleach, which can make it brittle without fixing the color.
• Putting the case back on while it is still damp inside.