With the emerging invasion of smartphones into people’s lives, phone cases have become an inseparable accessory that provides protection against scratches and drops and personal taste in the various designs. However, to some extent, it requires meticulous maintenance and storage to retain that original look and prolong the life span for phone cases. Still, proper storage, when combined with regular care and maintenance, can significantly postpone this process of discoloration, deformation, or other forms of wearing. Here are some essential ways not to yellow phone cases.
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Avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight.
It is mainly because of the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight that the phone case turns yellow. The UV rays have strong penetrating power and are, of course, going to raise the aging process of materials. This, in turn, will bring about some chemical reactions inside the phone case and cause it to turn yellow. In order to protect the color and raw material of the phone case, we should not put it under the sun for too long, especially under direct and strong sunlight.
We can apply some simple ways to reduce the time of exposure of the phone case to direct sunlight. For instance, while going out with our phones, we can at least keep them inside bags or under some cover to protect them from direct sunlight. Moreover, when not in use, we must keep our phones in cold and well-ventilated places that don’t let in sunlight at all, such as in drawers and cupboards.
Regularly clean your phone case.
Be sure to prepare a basin of warm water, not too hot, because this might melt the material of the phone case. Fill a basin with warm water and add a few drops of neutral detergent to the water (dishwashing liquid or special cleaning solution for phone cases can do, but avoid using those strong acids, alkali, or bleach detergents). Dip the phone case into the warm water in order for the detergent to work optimally and seep into the particles, breaking them and the surface grease or dirt down effectively.
Gently rub the surface of the phone case with a soft piece of cloth or sponge. Ensure to get into the corners and crevices where dirt collects. Avoid cleaning it with a brush or abrasive cleaning tools, as this will scratch your phone case. During the wiping process, rub the phone case gently for better working of the detergent. After cleaning, the phone case should be thoroughly cleaned with clean water to remove any leftover detergent. Lastly, the phone case should be gently dried with a clean towel or paper towel and placed in a well-ventilated area for air drying.
Reduce contact with chemicals.
Steps need to be taken so as to avoid yellowing or loss of original color of phone cases by reducing contacts with chemicals. Most things of everyday use contain ingredients that could either erode the material of the phone cases or react with some of its chemicals to change the color, mostly yellowing, thereby ruining its appearance and durability.
This shall include, but not be limited to, cosmetics such as lipstick, foundation, and nail polish, basically composed of pigments and solvents. All these kinds of cosmetics could directly dye a phone case, and their chemical components could further penetrate into the material and turn yellow over time. Cleaning agents should also be used very carefully to prevent the phone case from being splashed or soaked by them. Even though the cleaning agent itself will not easily cause damage to the phone’s case, its residue may attract dust and other impurities, which accelerates the aging and yellowing process of the phone case.
Storage of Phone Cases and Precautions
- Keep it dry and well ventilated: The storage place of phone cases should be as dry and well-ventilated as possible. The phone case material is easy to soak up moisture in a high-humidity environment, which is favorable for growing mold and increasing the decomposition rate of chemical components to turn yellow. High-temperature environments also turn into unfavorable ones because they may increase the aging of materials, hence increasing the probability of discoloration.
- Do Not Stack or Overcompress: Do not stack the phone cases or put anything heavy on top of them during storage. It will lead to a phone case being put into a long-term deformation because of stacking or compression, especially about the soft or elastic ones. Moreover, compression will squeeze the chemicals that are inside the phone case unevenly, promoting yellowing. Keeping them one by one or in a space phone case storage box would maintain the form and color of the phone case.
- Keep Away from Other Chemicals: Many daily-use products, such as cosmetics, perfumes, and chemical cleaners, contain chemicals that can seriously corrode the phone case. Therefore, while storing the phone case, ensure that it is kept away from those highly possible corrosive substances. Also, put attention on the general sanitization of the storage area to avoid dust and other impurities sticking onto the phone case, since these impurities may also fasten yellowing. Clean the place regularly so that your phone case will do without dust and is a safe place to stay.