Alcohol is highly in demand these days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you're lucky enough to have stock on this essential item, there's a good chance you're using it everywhere to disinfect everything. That's a good habit, but leave your Nintendo Switch out of it.
The Nintendo Customer Service account on Twitter recently advised Switch owners against the use of alcohol to clean their Joy-Con controllers. In a tweet, it said that alcohol may likely "cause the plastic parts to fade in color or deform."
"We also cannot recommend using non-alcoholic disinfecting sheets, as depending on the ingredients, they may damage the plastic parts," Nintendo added.
If you've been doing this to your Joy-Cons, it's time to stop. We really can't blame you though -- after all, disinfecting is the key in order not to get yourself infected with the coronavirus. But if you've tried modding your controllers then you already know that the finish isn't exactly the sturdiest thing in the world.
To clean your Joy-Cons, Nintendo says to use a "soft dry cloth." That's it. It means your controllers must not be touched by anything damp or wet. Perhaps it's best to not let anyone borrow your controller, especially if that someone has been outdoors.
Except for Joy-Con controllers, make it a habit to clean and disinfect everything you always touch be it your tables, doorknobs, sinks and faucets, toilets, desks, light switches, and your smartphone. Yes, it's ok to disinfect your iPhone with alcohol as long as you don't pour the liquid directly onto your device. Instead, Apple says to "gently" wipe the surface of the phone using wipes or a soft cloth.
In fact, always use wipes or a soft cloth to clean and disinfect your devices. Again, never allow chemicals to directly come in contact with your gadgets -- not by spraying and especially not by pouring. That's just -- to put it bluntly -- dumb. Not only will your damage the exterior of your device; you'll end up ruining its insides too. The liquid might get into charging ports or other creases and you don't want that to happen ever.
But the best thing you can do right now to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to wash your hands all the time, most especially if you went outside. If you've been indoors for quite a while now, wash your hands still. There's no such thing as overwashing. Be safe. That's all we can do right now.
