No bleach, no aerosol sprays. You need your phone to work, even if you want it clean.

Also — and this probably goes without saying — don’t dunk your phone into any sort of liquid, anti-bacterial or otherwise. It won’t end well for either of you.

2. The Dos …

A gentle wipe with a product that has 70 percent isopropyl alcohol will do just fine. Apple recommends Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, and the C.D.C. says household disinfectants registered by the Environmental Protection Agency are effective.

Wear disposable gloves to clean, the C.D.C. recommends, and wash your hands thoroughly after you’re done. Like your phone, reusable gloves might harbor virus particles, rendering them effectively useless.

And don’t forget your phone case.

Wipe it down, in and out, through and through. Let it dry before reassembling it.

You might also consider changing a bit of your behavior. AT&T suggests sharing photos through texts, instead of passing the phone around, and using devices like headphones and technology like Bluetooth to keep your phone away from your face.