There are two kinds of smartphone users. One keeps their phone neat and tidy at all times, having a microfiber cloth handy and alcohol wipes ready for when their device gets dirty. The other takes their phone everywhere with virtually zero regard for cleanliness.
Regardless of which camp you fall into, you might be unsure of what supplies and tools you need to clean expensive pieces of tech. Wiping off a screen is easy, but cleaning charging ports and speaker grills can feel a bit more daunting. Otterbox, the company you might know for their rugged cases, thinks it has a solution. It’s called the Mobile Device Care Kit, and it aims to give you everything you need for a deep cleaning for less than $5.
The brand says it’s like a detailing kit for your phone, which caught my attention. I’ve paid for my fair share of automotive details, as there’s nothing like getting your car back feeling brand new. But is Otterbox’s option just as effective? It’ll work on any smart device, and I put it to the test with an absolutely disgusting smartphone from my parents.
Below, you’ll see what my dad’s phone looked like before using the detailing kit. And before you ask, no, I’m not proud of it.
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I don’t really know how a phone gets this dirty, but since I keep my favorite Android phones in good shape, this iPhone 14 Pro would be the toughest challenge for the Mobile Device Care Kit.
It comes with three screen and port brushes of various sizes, and I needed all of them to get this phone cleaned. I used the pointy ones to clean the speaker grills, with the larger brush helping wipe away all the dirt and debris that was freed up. I also wasn’t afraid to flip the brushes around, using the hard plastic edges to release gunk stuck in there.
Before starting, I thought the ports and speaker grills trapped the most debris, until I got to the camera bump. The protruding lenses just trap everything, and I’m both stunned and very grossed out about how much came out from them.
The detailing kit also comes with a microfiber cloth and nine alcohol wipes which came in handy later. I draped an alcohol wipe over the brushes to really clean out the crevices of the iPhone 14 Pro, and it worked. By the end, the iPhone looked like a totally different device, and you can see for yourself how it turned out.
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The kit clearly did its job, but it wasn’t all perfect. The alcohol wipes were comically small, though I can say they were very moist. I only needed to use a few of them to get my dad’s iPhone in the above condition, which was nice. Still, don’t expect a normal-sized wipe in the kit, because you’ll be disappointed.
Consider the cleaning tools mostly a one-time-use item, too. They get the job done, but they were already pretty worn out after one cleaning. I was somewhat hoping they’d be like my iFixit spudgers and opening tools, which show wear after each use but last a while. This didn’t end up being the case.
When you consider the price, just over $4 on Amazon, I think the Otterbox Mobile Device Care Kit is worth it. You shouldn’t buy it every time you need to wipe off your phone, but it is nice to have for deep cleanings. I could see this being a worthwhile buy about once or twice a year, perhaps when you change cases or screen protectors, to keep your phone feeling fresh.
Otterbox Mobile Device Care Kit
A surprisingly great value
Don’t expect more than one or two uses out of Otterbox’s detailing kit for your phone. Still, you get a fantastic amount of cleaning supplies inside the Mobile Device Care Kit for less than $5. If your phone needs a refresh once every few months, I’d say this is a worthwhile option.
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