Showering with your iPhone might not be a clean idea.
A woman was shocked to discover how dirty her phone had become from bringing it into the shower. Now she’s warning others.
“PSA if you shower with your phone next to you,” TikTokker Andi — known online as @bestfindsbestie — captioned her video.
In the clip, she displays her empty phone case showing that the inside is covered in black mold.
She explained that she usually brings her phone into the bathroom for a session of shower karaoke while she scrubs herself down and believes the moisture caused her case — which appears to be made of silicone — to grow mold.
The majority of her viewers were shocked by the unsanitary mess her case had become but also noted that they had never experienced the issue — mostly because many cleaned their cases.
“Y’all don’t take your phone cases off to clean them occasionally … ?” someone asked.
“If y’all aren’t cleaning your phone cases I think you’re nasty af like your phone touches everything and then touches your face of course you should wash it??” another person noted.
Others suggested that she put her phone in a plastic bag or buy a waterproof speaker.
However, a few also admitted to having found mold in their phone cases.
Molds “can be found almost anywhere; they can grow on virtually any substance” and can pose serious health risks, the Environmental Protection Agency warns.
Black mold, which seemed to be in Andi’s case, “commonly appears in damp or water-damaged areas,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
While it rarely causes serious illness, according to the organization, exposure to black mold can cause a fungal infection and worsen asthma symptoms.
To prevent mold from growing, control moisture levels, prevent condensation, and clean and properly dry your phone’s surface.
According to Apple, the exterior of iPhones should be wiped down with a 70% isopropyl alcohol wipe, 75% ethyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes — but avoid getting moisture in openings.
Products containing bleach or hydrogen peroxide should not be used.