How to Clean Mobile Devices and Barcode Scanners

Summary: The article emphasizes that cleaning shared workplace devices is as important as hand hygiene for infection control, especially during COVID-19. Zebra recommends proper, device-specific disinfection methods for mobile computers, scanners, and printers. It advises organizations to follow OEM guidelines and establish cleaning policies to reduce virus transmission risks effectively.

Partner Blog

by Zebra

Thorough Disinfection Of Mobile Computers, Tablets, Printers, Scanners And Other Devices Is Critical To Infection Control In Workplaces And Public Spaces. But There Is A Right And Wrong Way To Do It.

Given the rapidly evolving situation with the COVID-19 coronavirus, we are receiving a high volume of questions about how our products should be cleaned in order to best protect the front-line workers using them in hospitals, warehouses, stores, routes, and more. These inquiries span across the entire portfolio of mobile computers, scanners, printers, and rfid technology solutions that we offer … and come from every industry we service today. Ensuring that devices can be properly cleaned and disinfected for use across multiple workers and shifts is a core priority in both our product design and our customer support. We not only build our solutions with this requirement in mind but also provide clear guidance to our customers and partners on best practices for effective cleaning and disinfection once devices are deployed in the field. Combined with mobile device management solutions, this approach helps organizations maintain device hygiene, extend product lifespan, and safeguard employee health. The most important thing to consider when looking to deploy a cleaning protocol for your Zebra products is that our guidance on how to clean a device, and what to clean with, is different for each device — including those used for 1D 2D QR code scanning … there is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Detailed guidelines on how to specifically disinfect each Zebra scanner, barcode printer and mobile computer model can be found using this tool. Here you will find step-by-step instructions on how to thoroughly disinfect the casing, buttons, screen (if applicable) and more. You’ll also be able to confirm which cleaning agents are safe to use, including the purity or formulation levels for each ingredient, as well as the cleaning agents that should never be used. Precautions and best practices for handling the device during cleaning processes will also be detailed, so please read the provided guidance before cleaning your devices. You can always contact our Support team if you have questions. We also have a whitepaper “Best Practices for Infection Prevention” which was written by Darrel Hicks, a nationally recognized expert in infection control. While this paper was written for the healthcare industry, the recommendations here provide a solid foundation for companies in all industries when taking additional precautions to protect the health of staff and customers. Zebra recommends that you enact a device cleaning policy for your company as soon as possible using original equipment manufacturer (OEM) guidelines. This will help to ensure that employees are properly disinfecting mobile devices, RFID scanners, printers and more on a routine basis. It will also help to re-assure your employees that you are doing everything you can to prevent shared technology tools from becoming a potential source of virus transmission.

Clean hands + clean devices = an even more effective infection control strategy

Other Links: Mobile Device Management