Your Phone Is Going To Get Gross This Summer, So Here’s How To Clean It

I’m an open-water lover through and through. I grew up spending summers — and even some chilly winter days — visiting the beaches of Rhode Island and camping out in the sand for hours on end. If there’s one thing I learned, it’s that the beach plus a smartphone rarely makes for a happy combo.

If you’re also a beachgoer (or, really, anyone who partakes in a summer activity involving sunscreen), you know that it’s not unusual to end up with SPF 50 on everything in your bag including your phone screen. Texting with a drink in hand by the ocean? Perfect. Trying to text when your screen is too blurry to even read? Not so much.

The best way to clean your iPhone is to do what Apple recommends and use a “soft, lint-free cloth,” such as a lens cloth. However, sometimes it takes more than a cloth to get sunscreen smudges and other beachy residues off of your screen, which is why many companies have developed device cleaning wipes and sprays.

Ahead, I put four options to the test to see which stood up to its promise of a clean and clear screen. Click through for the results — and some must-know user tips if you do decide to buy one.